The Responder

There is a nightmarish quality to this series. I wanted to turn it off and to wake up from the bad dream, but there was a momentum about it that propelled me onward. There are few sane, grounded characters -- they are all lying to themselves and to others, making one bad decision after another until everything is careening out of control. I kept watching to find out how it would all be resolved.

I wish I could sympathize more with the characters. In spite of some grand gestures, the "responder" is no saint and has a pretty casual attitude about drug dealing. One hopes that most cops have a clearer moral compass and aren't such screw-ups. Still, Martin Freeman's performance was riveting. Watching this was like watching a car wreck. It's hard not to look.

Martin Freeman plays a very stressed policeman in 'The Responder'. At first he just appears depressed and harassed, but we soon learn he's up to his neck in stuff he shouldn't be, stuff which is only going to get worse. There are some tense moments in this drama, but its basic problem is that almost everyone we meet appears to be unusually screwed-up. At least one normal perspective might have provided some balance. As it is, Freeman's good cop/bad cop finds himself in a mess entirely of his own making. The series is thus like the tragic endgame of a larger, but more ordinary story, which we only pick up as it spirals out of control.

Ok, I admit, the first episode...yeah, that was a tough sell. I stuck with it though and have been mightily rewarded. It is a masterful character study. There is the poor wife, left out of his inner life which she desperately needs to be able to share his troubles. His dying Mother, who can see he's at his wits end but is powerless to help him. His snarky partner who is trying to do right by the book. His childhood friend who is using him for his own ends. He is definitely between a rock and a hard place. I don't know how he holds it all together...a man against the wall, with no outs. Brilliantly directed, you will cheer for the good, the strength that you see in everyone! It's brilliant. Stick with it. Trust me.

Chris is a Policeman on the edge, his personal life and work life are tipping him near the edge, he has some tough decisions to make.

One word sums this series up, gritty, this is an intense watch, you will be on pins watching, you'll be stressed, you'll feel Chris's anxiety and despair. It is somewhat bleak, it's loaded with bad stuff, but it does offer hope.

I found it had to get into this initially, I was unsure about Parts one and two, by part three I was hooked, part five was awesome.

The acting is unbelievable, whether you love or hate the story, you can't help but be impressed by the brilliance of Martin Freeman, he is awesome throughout, a terrific supporting cast, including Myanna Burring, Warren Brown, and David Bradley (who is just awesome.)

Has the door been left open for a second series, I hope so?

Stick with it, it's well worth it, 8/10.

Refreshing to see what the dark gritty side of Liverpool is really like as being a scouser myself every character has put in a performance down to a T especially the Scouse dialect lingo which is completely spot-on. Great performances by Martin Freeman! Must watch.