pmitchell-10966

This might be my favourite episode so far. After the large canvas drama of the last two, this is so contained, focused and taut. The tension never lets up and it is genuinely moving at the end too.

It's also brilliant to see an apparently peripheral character Kleya thrown into centre stage, given a backstory and perhaps the most difficult 'mission' to complete. Elizabeth Dulau rises to the challenge brilliantly, as does her character.

In the context of the show as a whole, this episode shows the confidence of the creators that they can do 'small' as well as they can do 'big' and carry on surprising you even at this late stage.

For me this show is in the very top rank of British police dramas of the last decade or so. It is far more realistic and emotionally involving than Line of Duty and the only show that matches it for dramatic impact is Happy Valley.

At heart this is a character driven show, and the young police officers who form its ensemble cast are what makes it uniquely powerful. Each of them is a complex, beautifully drawn character that you'll care about deeply.

It's definitely not lacking for dramatic impact either though, with tense, gripping stories that span the length of each season interspersed with fascinating shorter stories. The unique history and culture of Belfast gives all of those plot lines a depth and complexity that enriches the show massively too.

This is an extended air hijack drama that takes place in what is effectively real time - a seven hour flight shown in seven episodes which are mostly around an hour long. It manages to maintain the drama by cleverly concealing the motives of the kidnappers until well into the story and by mixing the on the plane action with that on the ground as the authorities try to find out what is happening and to deal with it. It's well cast and well acted, especially by Idris Elba who plays an a unusual kind of alpha male passenger who tries to resolve the problems- he's a natural leader but mostly through the power of persuasion rather than that of violence. Neil Maskell is also brilliant as the lead on-plane baddie - genuinely frightening but not entirely one-dimensional.

It's definitely a bit silly - there are several plot points that strain your credulity and there are probably one or two too many strands of story than would be ideal - but on the other hand if you allow your disbelief to be suspended then it is genuinely exciting and unpredictable to the end.