Rules of the Game

For a show that explores misogyny and toxic masculinity in the workplace, it's also done a pretty good job of exposing it (as well as other deplorable traits) among IMDb users as well - appalled by some of the comments here that are nothing to do with this 4-part series but all to do with the world view of some very blinkered people.

Therefore, sadly, just by being a MeToo drama, the series was going to face immediate backlash from the start. Hardly surprising then that reviews have been left panning the whole series after only episode.

That is not to say that Rules of the Game doesn't merit any constructive scrutiny. There are times the whowasit/whodunnit plot (which is a clever idea) drifts into soap opera territory, but it's the execution of that script that keeps it firmly in the wheelhouse of elevated drama we expect from the BBC.

The performances from Maxine Peake, Rahkee Thakrar and Callie Cooke are committed, and the direction/storytelling of the scripts whips the tale along clearly and at a great pace - even allowing for laughs here and there.

It's not perfect and it wont be for everyone, it will also be uncomfortably familiar viewing for some, but it tells an interesting story of gender dynamics in the workplace it's time we saw a lot more.