Rutman’s writing, his exquisite sense of character, the subtle shadings behind even the most sexual or violent events combine for much of the way to make Indian Summers so exceptional.

There is a lot to love about Masterpiece: Indian Summers on PBS. The nine-part historical drama is beautifully shot and costumed, culturally inclusive and sensual. But the best part about the soapy series is star Julie Walters.

Though the circumstances demand a higher degree of brutality than in "Downton," the coming revolution is often used simply as a backdrop for romance, and this becomes, at times, a bit silly. Fortunately, Cynthia can be found around most every corner, and it's a star turn for Walters.

Picturesque, wonderfully soapy and set against a rich historical backdrop of British colonialism in the 1930s, the series builds in intensity over its nine episodes, the main drawback being that it doesn’t end so much as run out of time.

Created and written by Paul Rutman, Indian Summers looks fantastic. It’s not involving enough in its first two episodes but begins to coalesce more in a third installment.

Indian Summers, created and written by Paul Rutman, is great to look at, and intriguing, but the storytelling is so deliberately opaque that the plot is hard to follow.

The upside is that the first few episodes (of nine) may well draw you in, along with some wonderful performances.... If only there were more such gems in this particular crown.

Of course, beautifully acted and beautifully filmed. But I am lost. I wish I knew more about early 20th century British rule over India because it would help me understand a lot. Lots of British sayings that I have no reference to to understand why anyone is doing anything.

The attention to period detail seems lacking (I grew up in India, and remember quite differently how people looked and dressed, from photographs and movies I'd seen). Even small touches like allowing Indians to speak to each other in Hindi and affixing subtitles would have gone a long way to demonstrating authenticity. Worse still, the plot is very slow-moving. I'm ok with that if the actual teleplay and direction are not stifling, but they are. This is not an entertaining show to watch on any level, so **** feels indulgent and out of touch with viewers.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]