Sleepin_Dragon

Simone is thrilled that her book 'One Night' is about to become a smash. She assures her publisher that it's all fiction, of course - until her old friend Tess returns to Australia and tries to halt publication.

I didn't love it, but I still managed to binge the whole thing in a single day. It's actually pretty good.

There's a solid framework in place: three friends who were once inseparable, torn apart by a long-buried event, and now reluctantly pulled back together twenty years on.

The trouble is, some of the threads drift into the predictable, and it takes an age to find its stride. Episode four is easily the standout - the moment where it finally sparks to life. I fear the slower first half may lose a few viewers along the way. And yes... the usual helping of male-bashing is present and correct. Par for the course these days.

The cynic in me wondered whether Jodie Whittaker had been parachuted in purely to give the production a bit of shine, but she's genuinely excellent here. It's a reminder of what she can do when she's handed decent material - a luxury she wasn't always afforded in 'Doctor Who'.

So it's a mixed bag: predictable in places, but quietly engaging and certainly well acted.

6/10.

Simone decides it's finally time to come clean about writing One Night, and chooses to confront the past head-on by sharing everything with Tess and Hat.

I went into the finale hoping for something emotionally charged with a bit of tension thrown in. On one hand, it delivered - there is impact, and it certainly packs a punch - but the potential threat fizzles out before it becomes anything truly gripping.

The standout here, without question, is Jodie Whittaker. This is her at her best: expressive, nuanced, fully present. (If only we'd seen even a slice of this energy on Doctor Who - she was clearly more than capable.) Nicole da Silva also deserves credit for a strong turn.

The story itself is good, even if it plays out largely as expected. Everyone involved pulls their weight. I'm still not entirely sure I understood the logic behind the brothers' arrangement, though.

The Lily storyline could have been the crowning emotional moment - the one that kicked the finale up a gear - but it's oddly muted, amounting to very little in the end.

And the flashbacks... I didn't care for them. There were simply too many, and by halfway through episode one they were already starting to feel overused. By the finale, they're excessive.

Overall, though, I did enjoy it. This was a pretty decent final episode.

7/10.

Hat begins digging into the investigation, questioning why Tess wasn't taken seriously and why on earth her clothes were never tested, but all she ends up doing is stirring a hornet's nest. Meanwhile, Trevor needles Joey about the pub and his lack of prospects.

From the best episode to arguably the most disappointing. The only way to frame it is this: you've spent four hours with someone who definitely has a secret, they keep dropping hints, but refuse to tell you anything concrete. It's maddening rather than intriguing.

The penultimate episode should be the one that grabs you by the collar and drags you into the finale. Instead, I found myself wondering what cereal I should have for breakfast. Not usually a good sign.

Credit where it's due - Erroll Shand is excellent. Trevor is easily one of the most compelling characters here, bringing menace and actual interest to scenes that badly need it. At this point, I'm more invested in his brotherly fallout with Joey than the main plot.

We know something happened to Stella; we just need the show to stop teasing and actually tell us. And I assume something unfortunate is about to happen to Lily, because the breadcrumbs aren't exactly subtle.

I really hope the conclusion is a step up from this.

5/10.