The nutter ... No. This is so complicated already. You know the edge-of-crime Sparrow family? (Matriarch Lorraine Ashbourne and husband Philip Jackson.) Well their youngest Rory (Bill Jones) seeks out his half-sister Christine Bottomley and while meeting they witness the murder of a drug dealer by another drug dealer nutter (Oliver Huntingdon, good). The victim's parents - Monica Doolan and Stephen Dillane (The Secret of Chimneys, Darkest Hour, The Crown), a chilling couple of performances - seek out the Sparrows as they want the boy to identify the murderer's family so they can exact revenge - and she agrees? Making her and her son - well as it turns out daughter - to become accessories to murder. (OK she's trying to warn them, but surely not to become involved at all is the way to go?)
Michael Balogun (principally a theatre actor, was in 2 episodes of Top Boy) investigates, with the help of David Morrissey, but things aren't helped because the evil family have a grass planted in the police force, Jordon Myrie - which gives a good pull.
There's a parallel story going on, the attempt to open a new mine. This involves Robert Emms and local counsellor Ria Zmitrowicz, and Robert Lindsay. It's not as interesting, unfortunately. Graham has a way of letting the politics take over the writing.
Most bizarre moment when Doolan shoots Jackson and then studies him - "I've often wondered - what are you thinking?"
With Lesley Manville. And Bethany Asher, who's good as the survivor of her parents' murder.
Good to see Bernard as the lead director, well, only for the first three. We got to know her from The Selfish Giant - must watch that again - and then for Dark River and Ali & Ava. It's perfect material for her. (Tom George did the others.)
Good music by 14th Street Music. Photographed by Simon Tindall (The Gold, Fisherman's Friends, the first three) and Nick Cooke (last three).
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