Unforgivable

I was blown away by the silence and the acting in the silence, my heart was broken for them all. Bobby Schofield is absolutely incredible. Can't wait to watch him in the future.

All the characters had important roles, they showed the heartache that abuse causes in families. Anna frail was amazing as always.

They don't make dramatists like Jimmy McGovern anymore. His latest film, 'Unforgiveable', bravely asks us to sympathise with a child abuser, in a story set in rows of terraced houses without front gardens and steeped in Catholic guilt. On one hand, it goes to obvious places, telling how terrible deeds live on in predictable ways; but McGovern deserves credit for showing that even those who do the worst things are human. However, while the message that abused people become abusers is undoubtedly true, it's also a little pat: in moving the deepest responsibility from the protagonist to his own abuser, it could be suggested that the script is merely passing the buck. Nonetheless, in what often seems like a merciless age, this is still a worthwhile, and welcome, drama to see on our television screens.

Joe Mitchell is released from a two-year prison sentence for sexually abusing his nephew. The family struggles to come to grips with his freedom; everyone is still trying to pick up the pieces.

The BBC still has the ability to deliver hard-hitting, powerful, and relevant drama. Unforgivable is unapologetic in dealing with such a serious topic - at times it's upsetting, and the dialogue and impact on Tom are quite harrowing.

It's a story that challenges the notion of things being simply black or white. You think you have all the answers, judge and jury, until you strip it back and learn a bit more.

I appreciated that Joe is complex. At the start, I felt only repulsion for him; by the end, I felt a loathing of a different volume.

If I were to be slightly critical, some elements feel underdeveloped. Anna Maxwell Martin's nun, for example, makes a significant admission, but her story doesn't go anywhere; some scenes are a little rushed. Brian's turnaround also left me unsure.

Bobby Schofield gave a terrific, layered performance, with Joe's character developing as the film went on. David Threlfall and Anna Friel were excellent in support.

While I'm often critical of one-off 90-minute dramas, this story arguably needed a longer run time to breathe and develop. Nevertheless, Jimmy McGovern has delivered a very good, powerful drama.

7.5/10.

Please be aware that some reviews on here contain spoilers; I'm glad I didn't see any before I watched it.

The acting in this show is top notch by everyone, and Anna Maxwell-Martin was an inspired addition to the cast.

If you like crime dramas and gritty content, then you will likely enjoy this. I'd give it 10 out 10 if only it had been longer; it ended fairly abruptly.

I was expecting so much more from this. It skirted around the story with little to no character development except for the lead actor, and seemed as if the script was written by a committee with no cohesion. It all seemed a bit rushed and incomplete in the end. It just goes to show that even with a couple of outstanding performances a poorly written script is always visible.