O Afogamento

I think that the very low ratings of some of the reviews are a bit harsh. Although it is difficult to disagree with many of their observations.

It certainly had a number of very weak moments, some gaping holes in the premise, and sub plots that brought little to the table. But it was nevertheless quite compelling, and we did quite enjoy the ride- until the last twenty minutes or so.

How utterly ridiculous. It was as if the conception and writing of ths denouement had been handed over to a beginner. For me this totally let the whole thing down and I began to resent the 5 hours I'd invested in watching the ruddy thing.

This ending was simply shamefully lazy writing.

Yet another TV drama that disappoints. People just do not behave like this in the real world, and as for for being able to wander in and around a school with no identification, without being challenged, that's just stupid. Alarm bells should have been ringing the moment she attended the job interview, but the headmaster was obviously a total numbskull. Then she creeps out a child's Dad and nothing is said. Get real, please.

Right from the start, the music is intrusive with tense motifs used as people walk through doors with no peril. The music also cliched. As we move through episode 1, we can't build empathy with Jill Halfpenny's character as she becomes pretty creepy. You can almost hear the alarm bells ringing in the ears of the School HR lady.. and wonder why nobody else can hear them. But if you want tension, the second half of the episode delivers. It's just that it's the type of tension that makes me want to turn off, rather than go look for the next episode. A shame.

The best part is the acting. The worst part is everything else. The characters would never act the way they do in real life. Teachers/police officers/human beings in general. Ridiculous.

A woman tragically losses her young son in a drowning accident, a decade later she believes she's seen him on his way to School.

It's alright, I found most of the reviews are way too harsh, it's definitely better than the likes of the Sister and recently Finding Alice, this at least wasn't boring.

The story itself is unremarkable, it has been seen before, but there are enough twists to make it interesting enough. The third episode is the best part, the fourth perhaps is the weakest.

On the plus side, you're kept guessing, Halfpenny is pretty good, and you never know quite what's going on (same as the writer I guess.) The young man playing Daniel is terrific.

On the debit side, it's hard to believe it as a normal thriller, it's more a fantasy thriller, so many events just wouldn't have happened, the cash withdrawals, the job, the behaviour of the teachers, the chainsaw. Someone needed to go through the script and point out some of the daft moments.

I am so pleased to see channel five producing more home made dramas, and I'm really enjoying their output.

For me this was better than The Sister, better than Finding Alice. I quite liked it, 6/10.