The Hunt for Raoul Moat

My wife and I possibly made the mistake of watching beforehand the repeated original TV news documentary outlining the actual events depicted here in this new three-part mini-series. In so doing, I obviously learned first hand all that the dramatisation portrayed, thus filling in all the blanks about it in my memory and precluding any sense of surprise at the nonetheless horrific sequence of events surrounding the crazed killer Raoul Moat.

What this also did unfortunately was evidence again the obeisance to diversity which today's television programme-makers feel obliged to follow. Under their usual disclaimers in shows like this of inventing composite fictional characters and imagining situations and dialogue for dramatic purposes, it was just too obvious for me that the prominent interpolation of a black female investigating officer or female senior DCI wasn't based on fact but purely to cater to wokism. I'm fine with this to a large extent but I suppose I'm a bit less tolerant when it so obviously alters real events captured on film less than fifteen years ago.

Anyway, mini-moan over, the three episodes nonetheless sharply conveyed the evil acts of Moat, a convicted felon who on his release from prison sought out his ex-partner's new boyfriend and with the help of two equally deluded accomplices, shot the poor guy down in cold blood before also attempting to kill her too. She had told him that her new man was in the police to try to deter him from coming after her but this tragically backfired with Moat turning his mad rage on the police itself to the extent that he went on to callously shoot in the face an innocent policeman sat in his patrol car, who we learn at the end was blinded by this and who tragically took his own life only a year or two later, making him another belated victim of this evil man.

What I didn't pick up in the real-life documentary was the extent to which Moat apparently garnered a following among some deluded individuals on the internet who somehow saw him as an anti-establishment hero whose actions were justified because the ex-girlfriend he'd abused for years had the temerity to try to move on with her life. Much is made of Moat's climactic suicide denying his victims' relatives justice, but you know, I don't think his self-destruction would have been too upsetting for me if I'd been in their place.

Presented relatively straightforwardly without histrionics, well acted by all the main cast members, this was a compelling retelling of a shocking and almost unbelievable story of coercive behaviour and jealous vindictiveness taken to horrific extremes.

For those of us outside the UK who've never heard of this story, I appreciate that the British seem to be able to convey the essence of this kind of crime without sensationalizing it. The acting was pretty solid and the pace was just right, apart from a few frantic camera shots that didn't add to anything except dizziness. What is clear here is that apart from the many victims (the ones shot and their families and friends), the other 'victim' is the empathy that all these social media/Facebook followers were lacking. However you feel about the police, the fact that psychopath (and he was a very damaged individual who made these choices) killed and maimed people and yet still was viewed by himself and his deluded 'fans' as a victim, is beyond comprehension. But sadly, this is far too commonplace these days and everyone wants to be a 'star' and be recognized, regardless of how or why. One has to despair of humanity that we have 'evolved' to this kind of mindless narcissism. This series at least tries to put some of that humanity back for the victims and show them the respect they deserved. Kudos to the whole production and shame on those who glorify killers of innocent people.

I remember following this story, as someone who'd moved to north and been to certain areas it was a gripping story, moat himself was a strange mix of endless sad childhood stories mixed with the typical toxic masculinity from the gym/nightclub bouncer and pub scene, someone who doesn't take no for an answer and someone who very much believes in his own morale code which to most us awful.

I watched this and call I could think was what's the point? Other than lacking ideas and cashing in on a Story that ruined real people's lives. This added nothing that wasn't known, or you couldn't find out by easily googling it. The acting was average at best, very cheaply made cringe tv done for the wrong reasons.

There's nothing here remotely gripping, Rathband doesn't get enough focus and truthfully it's not that well done, it's basic paint by numbers stuff, I'd say there was probably a few tiny details that are new but nothing to warrant making this.

All this does is glamourise a monster and only useful thing was shining the light on the ignorant and stupid people who live online in social media land and comments sections who have very strong opinions based on nothing but rubbish they read online.

I had no idea they made this. Maybe they should've consulted my ex-girlfriend. She went to school with him. He was the only person at her school that didn't bully her, due to them both being 'foreigners'.

We arrived in Spain at her apartment late at night and chucked on Sky news (as you do, seeing as every other channel was in Spanish) and her jaw dropped as she said 'I went to school with him!'. We sat up and watched it all unfold. I think there was maybe an element of it being handled badly. He was one messed up cookie. Just because you're built, doesn't mean you're a monster. He'd had all sorts of rubbish thrown at him, winding him up and pushing his buttons. He was a man on a ledge, pushed to his extreme mental limits and pushed over the edge.

Don't judge unless you at least know even just a little bit about a person. Despite all, I don't think he was a bad person. Roid rage aside, he probably could have been rehabilitated.

Why is it that true life crime is far more absorbing and watcheable than the contrived drama being turned out these days.

We have given up on three contemporary cop dramas in recent weeks, but this was far more interesting.

Watching the companion documentary that followed the conclusion of the three episodes, it is clear that the drama was very accurate. No creation of additional scenes or stories like The Gold a few weeks ago.

All those involved in the hunt never got the opportunity to find out what was really behind Moat's paranoia. It was probably embedded in his youth, but this never came out.

It was mentioned at the end that the true victims of this crime have been largely forgotten, and this is true. It should never be forgotten that this was an extremely dangerous man who felt he had nothing to lose. He was a cold blooded killer, you can't get away from that.