Without Sin

Interesting story. The usual. Wrong guy. Predators. People playing detective. Plot twists. Plot holes. Revenge. Misguided loyalties. Retribution. Struck by an ornament. Justice. Blah. Etc. Etc. But all I saw was that WIG. And that hat. Very distracting. Why couldn't she have had short hair. The short hair she had when her life was ok. Does a blonde bob equal a success hottie and a mousey shoulder length wig equals a depressed stoner... Doesn't make sense and adds nothing to the programme apart from a very distracting wig and beanies. Have I mentioned the wig?

But, seriously though, I can't get past that awful wig, it's so bad she has to spend the entire series wearing a hat to cover up the join, apart from when she has sex, oh and sits on a sofa, oh and loses it at the end, (they must've used gorilla glue for that part.) I think they must've got the wig off Ebay or maybe from Shein... Not sure but it ruined it for me. And it's so obviously a wig. I found the wig very distracting. If you watched it and didn't notice or get annoyed by the wig then you should be more wig aware. Oh and the ending is very Midsummer Murders!!!

Good in fact very good, but ruined by both main characters (male) whispering their script..Awful. So I switched off 20mins into 2nd episode. This fad needs to be stopped. It's a ridiculous way to speak unless your hiding in a cupboard from a kidnapper. Whole thing saved my the exellent Vicky mclure. .. she plays a deeply sad woman and one with excellent hearing. It seems.

STAR RATING: ***** Brilliant **** Very Good *** Okay ** Poor * Awful

Stella (Vicky McClure) gets by driving a night cab, but carries a dark burden. A few years ago, her daughter was found dead by her at home, with the suspect, Charles (Johnny Harris) fleeing. Now in jail for her daughter's murder, Charles has reached out to Stella, asking to speak with her via a Restorative Justice meeting. Persuaded to go along by an intermediary, Stella is shocked when Charles begs his innocence, shouting out a name that he says will prove this. It all leads to a devastating showdown with a local crime family, but the truth may be more disturbing than either of them could have imagined.

In a time where terrestrial TV struggles to compete with the vast array of streaming services dominating the market, it's good to know there's still plenty of homegrown dramas put out by the mainstream channels, capable of competing with the endless stream of content offered by those. Without Sin, from writer Frances Poletti and director AI Mackay, proves to be one such example, an assured, capable four part production that has a rewarding pay off.

The dark subject matter is given a suitably bleak presentation, with Mackay shooting his project in a fittingly saturated, blurry style throughout. This is matched by the lead performances, with McClure leading the show, shining brightly as a woman who's had the life and soul beaten out of her, exploding in certain scenes, most notably in a scene over a motorway bridge. Harris is always perfect in these dark, sinister roles, and here he carries it away as a seeming monster, who may not be all he seems. It all pays off with a genuinely unexpected, shock twist that you're diverted from guessing.

There's little in the way of laughs, so anyone wanting humour and light may look elsewhere, but as a firm, solid thriller, it does all the right things and pays off quite fine. ****

I should have loved this. I usually do. But it was way too slow and dark. It is lacking something. I can't put my finger on it. Love the cast, not impressed by the wig tho, who thought itt was good enough to pass as real hair. Good overall plot and it had its moments. I did watch all of it and it was even intriguing at times.

But I would have loved a B plot with something not as dark and depressing.

It's not realistic that everyone in the village is that sad and grey and overall lacking color. I see the artsy side of things but it's just too much.

It was dragging too long, no need for 4 apisodes.....

This was an excellent Twixtmas binge-watch. ITV seems to have created a distinct genre of regionally filmed and located drama, and this one does not disappoint. The action slowly reveals the circumstances that led to a girl's death and then equally carefully strips away piece by piece all the certainties surrounding it. Cleverly, none of the characters from the grieving parents, to an exploited teenager appear particularly likeable, nor are they written to elicit the audience's sympathy. The drama also explores the grim reality of life in areas that are run by drug gangs and the pervasive grip of fear that such gangs can exert.