The Game

In many ways this show is a waste of a great cast. The script feels like it was written by a group of people brain storming while eating lunch. The plot has more holes than a cheese grater. It has coincidence upon coincidence. The person responsible for the crimes is so loopy it's hard to believe he wouldn't have been caught by now. He seems to be able to appear and disappear more adeptly than the invisible man.

The only reason I'm persisting with it is the cast and I'm waiting to see what preposterous plot line they'll come up with next. Some of the actions of the main character are hard to forgive. He doesn't exactly endear himself to you.

Catch You Later or in the U. S., The Game, isn't brilliant TV. It's a rather derivative cat and mouse thriller that doesn't have much new to say. There are performances though that really elevate this tired material: Robson Green, a longtime favorite actor of mine, is appropriately reptilian and charming when he needs to be. It is bonkers though, that the neighborhood group don't clue in sooner, the one exception being Sunetra Sarker as Huw Miller's wife.

By turns, she is angry, frustrated, tired, ultimately loyal and very strong in defense of Huw, seasoned enough to intuit a predator in their midst. It's a performance that works on several levels of believability and ultimately satisfying.

Which brings me to the incredible performance of Jason Watkins, who I bet I've seen in many a British movie/TV show but just don't remember. He gives a full bodied, fleshed out performance of a man obsessed with the one that got away, his white whale. And all his selfishness, determination, frustrations, anger and near hysteria at times, filtered through such human ticks, to get this killer off the streets burns through you. I thought he was just magnificent.

The show isn't required viewing, but if you're an actor, you can learn a lot by just sitting back and watching Jason Watkins work.

Channel 5 usually have fairly interesting thriller serials but The Game is not one. Very weak storyline let's it down with plot holes you could fall into and do yourself an injury. The acting is all fine but it it requires Jason Watkins to over act because of the story weakness. I imagine he read it and realised he would have to give it some welly to try to hold the audience.

Why would he immediately suspect his new neighbour of killing the previous house owner and of being the serial killer he's been chasing for years? Jason has just retired from being a detective but has a bee in his bonnet over a cold case. He had been attacked by this suspect in the past but knocked out so he never saw his face, just thought he recognised his voice. To jump to the conclusion that the new neighbour is this killer, in such a short time, just seemed implausible to me.

Robson Green, who I'd not watched before, although I know he's a famous tv actor, does a good job as the new neighbour.

Although there are four episodes, it's written as if it's rushing far to soon to get to the conclusion. Had it unfolded in the early episodes more slowly, it may have been better than what it ended up with. Verdict: acting would have been better had the poor actors had an intelligent script.

Great 4 episode drama, I watched it in a week and I'm not normally a TV binger. 'The game' between the two main characters, a returning ' gold blend' stalker and the freshly retired cop who didn't quite manage to catch him and is now adrift and restless playing gold.

The plot was a little predictable at times but just drew me in, plenty of 'aghhh' edge of seat moments when moves are about to be uncovered and you're desperately hoping the hero can stop unraveling in his frustration before more havoc is wreaked in this quaintly friendly neighbourhood.

Great acting all round. It wouldn't surprise me if we get a season 2.

The first episode was good but, if seemed as though all thd efforts had been put into the opener. After a poor middle couple of episodes, the series comes to a better finale but still struggles to show any originality or any real dramatic effect.

Robson Green seems to be cringing to the viewing audience but somehow seems to be the best mate to nearly all of his new neighbours.

Jason Watkins does show some great acting in parts but not enough to save the overall hum drum of the show.

Things manage to come to a satisfactory conclusion just when the truth seemed futile Another run of the mill channel 5 release.