The Returned

This is the best creepy drama I've seen this year. I was gripped every second. The title sequence is full of mysteries. Disturbing and yet beautiful imagery. The music is by Mogwai and it stirs the soul. It is the very heart of the series. All the cast are excellent. The "Returned" characters, especially the young Vincent, are both sympathetic and scary by turns. Some are seeking love and acceptance. All are hungry and confused. They are not your typical horror monster. They are just people who happen to have been given a new chance at life. The plot-line unfolds slowly and subtly. Some scenes are left to the imagination, but there are still shocks. Certainly lots of questions which lead to questions, but that did not bother me. I was simply drawn further in. I am excited about the 2nd series.

Much credit is deserved here, to find such a fresh field amongst the hordes of undead programming assaulting our screens just now is a real achievement.

The setting is also a nice change adding bags of atmosphere. The acting is excellent with almost all the players showing just the right level of reluctance to accept the mind breaking reality of what is happening around them. The characters are diverse enough to give a real sense of the effect the events are having on the community and not just the individuals.

It's hard to criticise a show that makes such an effort to do things differently, and I wouldn't dream of being harsh to this one. The plot is that of a teasingly slowly unravelling mystery, and I would say this can naturally be just a little frustrating at times. One or two scenes are perhaps a little tough to accept as the genuine reaction of the character.

Little (almost petty) criticisms aside, I really enjoyed this show. It always left me eager for the next episode and I recommend it heartily to anyone looking for a smart new approach to an increasingly tired category.

Two episodes in to this French mystery/horror/drama, I'm totally hooked. Everything about it is little short of excellent - great scenery, performances, suspense-building, pacing, story-telling, soundtrack. Another reviewer bitched about C4's chopping it up with adverts, for whom I have news; only the BBC channels could've broadcast this in the UK without them! Perhaps you'd like every programme you might like to only appear on one of these? Please.. I won't elaborate on the plot, as it was summed up perfectly elsewhere, but episode 2 ended on a fantastic question-raiser. It may struggle to maintain the quality of the first few episodes, but I sincerely hope not, because I don't know what else I'd do with my Sunday evenings.

Just finished watching the last episode of Series 1. Last time I was this gripped was in the 90's with Twin Peaks, not usually a TV fan unless something out of the ordinary is on. It takes it slow, gives you red herrings, plays down major plot parts, builds up tension, then BANG, you can't wait till next time. It is set in a small French town, where 35 years previous a dam broke causing many deaths, but "they will have their revenge". Don't want to give too much away, so will just tell you that every part of each characters life is given to you in fine detail, some things will make sense while bits of the plot are left open. However it flows like a full string orchestra playing the Blue Danube, and on that er,note, the music by Mogwai only makes it more enjoyable. The acting is terrific, characters believable, storyline as tight as a ducks hole, I cannot think of one thing to gripe about, which is unusual! Series 2 is on next year, need to keep my diary open. Unmissable, off to buy the series one box-set!

For my money, this is beautifully produced, brilliantly cast and its pace is both challenging and exciting. Breaking Bad, Mad Men, (and even though I've never seen an episode, I presume Lost) have introduced us to the idea that TV series can take time to develop intricate and dense story arcs.

The Returned is clearly doing the same, but it is pushing us viewers even further by withholding almost everything. It's piling up the questions and then leaving us at a pretty excruciating tipping point. At the same time, it is redefining the idea of being 'episodic' by using each instalment to thicken the plot rather than resolve it.

It's hard to not have a reaction to this strategy. We all want answers, goddamit! Even more so than The Fall, The Returned drops us cold right as the accumulation of questions seems to have reached its peak.

I love that this approach has created so many theories and ideas about the 'answers' and what comes next. I think it's exciting to see that kind of engagement rather than the usual "Did you see the last episode? A bomb went off and everyone died".

It's really hard to recalibrate our expectations, but this new way of telling an extended story is clearly something we're going to have to adjust to! In only hope that ultimately, when The Returned does conclude it manages to find an end point that is less frustrating than the 'pause' points. I can forgive being strung along, but I'll be furious if I'm still left to turn to theories on IMDb when the final series ends.