suzyq1068
I found the ensemble cast inspired when I decided to stream this British drama...so many familiar faces :). The storyline was intriguing and fresh, which is what got me to watch it in the first place. Going through the episodes, I found a lot to love, even the circuitous route the plot was taking. However, once you get into the final episode, you are left with the decided impression you have been set up, and not in a good way. I appreciate good storytelling, in fact I prefer it to insipid and cliché meanderings that are rampant and clog up the tele on both sides of the pond. I do not however, appreciate the multitude of hanging threads that are in dire need of snipping in the end. Whether this was the intent, laziness, or simply a segway to inspire a further episodic endeavor (never to ultimately materialize), the end, which is not an end, leaves you with something of a bitter taste and feeling a bit betrayed. I guess there are suckers born every minute and this serves as a rather unsubtle reminder. It ruins what could otherwise make it a great series, hence my 7 rating. There are a multitude of twists and interesting plot points throughout, hinting at the serpentine conspiracy to cover up corruption and murder. So many guilty parties outside the primary two that sit at its heart...but each tantalizing tidbit that hints at other key players is sadly left to dangle. I am fabulous at whodunits....but just because I can see the angles and conspirators, doesn't mean they shouldn't be explored...in fact the story demands it. DI Edwards is awash in a sea of conspirators in his own department, in superiors, in the drug squad...but the writers never take the time to fully develop them. There is a great story here dying to be spun out...a conspiracy of corruption so serpentine it aches to be explored...but it seems the interest was not there or it wouldn't have been quashed at four episodes. What a waste, a sad, sad waste of a talented cast and potential at great drama.
timschatten
Speaking on the behalf of a few people here... We all very much loved this TV series and couldn't wait until the next episode would come on as the story was so incredible; full of suspense and drama. The acting was fantastic and we all were really attached to each character quite fondly. It was great to see a profoundly deaf actress take a lead roll in such a unique story and not just because she's deaf, but more so on her "other" skills that she has. The only thing that could possibly be said that is remotely negative about this series is that... "FOUR EPISODES?" - There are so many unanswered questions that are not portrayed here, so many things that have not been finalized, so many other possibilities that "could" happen! To just end it like that, just wow... We here who have enjoyed these episodes very much and expected another episode to air are quite upset and shocked, to be honest; that there's only four episodes. This could have been just so much better if it was, at least 5 episodes. To anyone who does watch this show... You'll be drawn in like crazy and then let go, at only four episodes deep of this bizarre TV series. My advice? Don't bother to waste your time.
mattbg
For three out of four episodes, this is outstanding TV that packs so much into one episode without feeling rushed that you've thoroughly enjoyed something in a short amount of time while perceiving it to have been much longer. To me, this is a feature of great writing.But all the way through the fourth episode, it falls apart. The tight storytelling is gone from the very beginning of the final part. It meanders along without seeming to know where it's going and, to be honest, gets rather boring. It really does come across as if they ran out of money or the writer quit and walked off the project after part 3 and they decided to give the ending a go anyway and eventually just gave up.I am tired of reading pretentious comments about the ending. It is not a misunderstood ending or an anti-Hollywood ending -- there simply is no ending and the story is terminated prematurely. This isn't a clever but unsettling ending that in the end makes you smile like the one in Sean Penn's "The Pledge". It simply stops before it finishes, which is why so many people are wondering about a fifth part or a 2nd series (which the BBC have said will not occur).Even with all of that said, I still want to give it a high rating because the first three parts are so good. If I get the chance, I may go back and rewatch the final part to see if it gets better with age. But I don't think it will -- as I said, the problem isn't that the ending is unconventional or ambiguous but that the ending simply isn't there.With a better ending, I would have given this a 10.
allan_b-mcgregor
As with the other reviews, I enjoyed this series. There were lots of twists and turns, but it ended too soon. It is not clever to leave you with too many loose ends. It is also difficult to see how they could conclude the story over another 4 episodes. Die he die, was the conspiracy uncovered, what about the boss?There seems to be a pattern developing with BBC drama where they finish abruptly, e.g. Luther. You spend four days watching a gripping series and then are left in limbo. It makes you wonder if there is any point in watching them. Good as they are the time could be better spent playing solitaire on your computer. At least the Americans leave you with a catchy tune.