User Reviews

Pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed this. Not my typical watch, and I frequently avoid, or at minimum, consciously skeptical on BBC productions, but this was rather good. It’s a breath of fresh air to see a female lead that has character, personality, imperfections and isn’t a modern female messiah. The format of 6x25 minute episodes makes this easy to consume in a couple of sittings. The core story and branching plots are engaging and grounded. The casting is top notch, and the actors and actresses delivery is exceptional, particularly Daisy Haggard. The show also has the ability to expertly balance both comedy and tragedy. Touching moments on second chances and forgiveness and a dark insight into the publics lack of empathy and harsh nature to judge people on what they see in the news, rumours, social media and simply that which they do not understand or cannot sympathise with.

Poor writing and poor acting. Doesn't seem like it was written by a human and the characters don't behave or talk like humans would in real life. They are like poor caricatures of types of people who don't even exist. The plot is quite self-indulgent toward the main character which was disappointing. The viewer is expected to believe that her friends and ex-boyfriend still care about her and haven't moved on with their lives entirely in the 18 years she spent in prison... Not likely. Cinematography and color grading are typical for the time period, using similar techniques found in other BBC dramas (they love their teal and orange). Some awkward shots here and there, and occasionally the footage is cut in a way that messes with the pacing of the already unusual dialogue. The show does make good use of panned shots to indicate key plot elements. However, the basic plot and premise of the show was interesting and entertaining enough to keep me watching even if I found the other content of the show to be mediocre. Overall the show could have been done a lot better, but it's a pretty cheap BBC drama. The 6 episode run-length and 20 minutes per episode makes it easily digestable without having to make much commitment to the series. I'd only recommend watching it if you're bored and stuck for something to do with nothing else to watch.