The Suspicions of Mr Whicher

Paddy Considine is a great actor. Victorian London is a great setting. This series has brought it to life most vividly. 'To Hell' came close. Its all about candlelight. The British class system, the empire's racism, the dark smelly streets, theyre all here more deeply than other films I can recall.

Les take a moment to examine Whicher as detective and human. I love a melancholy central character. He's a knowing witness to personal trajedy, social injustice and human frailty. Considine sells this amalgam of cliches with undeniable conviction. I love him! The narratives are well written and inolving. The look, mood and Wincher's sadness are what's most memorable.

This is one of the best shows I've seen recently. The writing is excellent and acting superb. The production is rich and detailed. If you are used to American shows, as I am, this is very different. Nothing flashy or fast paced. But it's so engrossing that I couldn't wait to watch the next, and then the next, and then it was done. I was so sorry to see there were only four episodes. The tragic character of Mr Whicher, beautifully portrayed by Paddy Considine, is sort of a common man Sherlock Holmes, although I almost hate to make that comparison. Mr Whicher is not driven by ego or fame or glory or money, but always by the search for Truth. I had never heard of the story or character, but I'm so glad I stumbled on this gem.

Paddy Considine is superb in this all-too-short mini series. Not only is all the acting excellent but the sets, the artwork, the directing and the over-all production are excellent as well. The stories are compelling and leave the viewer definitely wanting to see more. I can't imagine why Considine didn't get to a make more of these films as they are easily better than a lot of other series out there inferior in quality.

The series starts right off with a "true" story of a strange abduction of an aristocrat's young son. This story explains why Considine's character suffers so from his own feelings of loss and a general disrespect of the new (then) profession of criminal detective struggling to gain general acceptance among the population of 1860's England. A binge-worthy series, tho when you're finished you'll certainly be wanting more! 9 very solid stars.

I really liked this short series, and as mentioned - if there were more episodes I'd watch them. I like the slower paced atmospheric style. My only complaint is that some of the scenes were so dark indoors I couldn't really see what was in the room. Well, maybe representative of an era where people only saw by candlelight or lantern. I wasn't a huge fan of the 4th installment, which had less to do with the acting & atmosphere, and more with the revealed subplot at the end. This was a bit like a mellower version of Ripper Street, had a similar vibe. (Not sure what else to add review requires at least 500 characters.)

What a wonderful production! Superb attention to detail. Excellent characterisations and performances. I just wish there were more!