Despite the staggering number of morons who ruined this show's Amazon rating by giving it one-star reviews due to a missing episode, rather than it being a bad show, it still managed to pop-up on my radar; a small miracle for which I am very grateful, as it is an outstanding piece of television.
As serial-killer procedurals go, this is one of the finest I've seen, with strong writing, a talented cast, confident director, and master storyteller Stephen King pulling the strings.
It is not perfect. Far from it. But in an overcrowded genre replete with potential potholes, this show managed to avoid most of the common hazards, while remaining generally unpredictable, well-paced, and intriguing. On a few occasions it began to feel a little like the similarly excellent "Dexter", and somewhere around the middle I began to experience unexpected sympathies with the killer, which made me wonder if I should be rooting for him, rather than the retired cop expertly portrayed by the ever likable Brendan Gleeson. But in the nick of time, my own personal leanings toward serial-killer-dom were jogged back to the correct moral course, and the season concluded with a deeply satisfying finale.
On a personal note, and with absolutely no exaggeration, this show also achieved something rather remarkable: Literally every single song featured in the entire series, without exception, was one that I absolutely hate. This has never happened before in 43 years of watching films and TV. I wasn't even aware that I hated so many songs, but apparently I do. And since the soundtrack of any film or TV show is at least fifty percent responsible for the viewer's emotional responses to what they're watching, it is even more impressive that I enjoyed the show so much, despite its appalling soundtrack!
I'm assuming that this is a one-off series, but if not I can't wait for the next one.
As serial-killer procedurals go, this is one of the finest I've seen, with strong writing, a talented cast, confident director, and master storyteller Stephen King pulling the strings.
It is not perfect. Far from it. But in an overcrowded genre replete with potential potholes, this show managed to avoid most of the common hazards, while remaining generally unpredictable, well-paced, and intriguing. On a few occasions it began to feel a little like the similarly excellent "Dexter", and somewhere around the middle I began to experience unexpected sympathies with the killer, which made me wonder if I should be rooting for him, rather than the retired cop expertly portrayed by the ever likable Brendan Gleeson. But in the nick of time, my own personal leanings toward serial-killer-dom were jogged back to the correct moral course, and the season concluded with a deeply satisfying finale.
On a personal note, and with absolutely no exaggeration, this show also achieved something rather remarkable: Literally every single song featured in the entire series, without exception, was one that I absolutely hate. This has never happened before in 43 years of watching films and TV. I wasn't even aware that I hated so many songs, but apparently I do. And since the soundtrack of any film or TV show is at least fifty percent responsible for the viewer's emotional responses to what they're watching, it is even more impressive that I enjoyed the show so much, despite its appalling soundtrack!
I'm assuming that this is a one-off series, but if not I can't wait for the next one.