Down Cemetery Road

This had the potential to be an amazing thriller but the narrative is flawed. The work of Emma Thompson and Ruth Wilson is excellent, and story setting Oxford is really intriguing. Here it's a thriller with some comedic moments.

But the acting and story line of the intelligence services in London is totally mismatched - it's almost as if it's from a different show. The change in tone is very jarring and totally misjudged in my opinion. It detracts from some of the tragic moments elsewhere in the show.

That being said it's a good story and I look forward to the rest of the episodes. Both Emma Thompson and Ruth Wilson have some great acting moments.

It's just a shame that the producers and writers couldn't agree on the style.

Season 1 of Down Cemetery Road is the kind of thriller that doesn't need noise to hold your attention. It works because it trusts its characters.

Ruth Wilson keeps the whole thing steady - precise, thoughtful, often carrying scenes on internal tension alone. Emma Thompson, even with limited screen time, slips in with that razor-edged humour that prevents the show from sinking into bleakness. And Adeel Akhtar is the late-season powerhouse, grounding the final stretch with genuine warmth and weight.

The pacing isn't flawless: a couple of mid-season episodes feel like they are circling rather than moving. But the show always finds its way back, building momentum without sacrificing its dry tone or its sense of restraint.

What I appreciated most is that it resists the modern streaming urge to over-inflate: the finale closes the story cleanly, confidently, without grasping at forced universe-building.

Overall, this season is a smart, steady, well-performed mystery with personality... not flashy, but engaging enough that you feel the pull episode after episode.

Solid television, and worth the ride.

Only two episodes had come out and people were ripping the series apart! I agree with the reviewer who said how nice it is to see Ruth Wilson again. She is a gem. I have loved her in everything I have seen her in. And Emma can do no wrong. I will agree that the first episode was confusing and at times, implausible. The second episode was much better and I watch each episode the evening it's released. We are now at Episode 6 and I love the series. I don't love the one episode a week thing. I just want to binge it!

I'm an enormous fan of Slow Horses and you can't compare the two shows whatsoever. They are incredibly different and honestly, Slow Horses is a masterpiece. This series has some jumping around plot-wise, but it still works great in its own right.

It actually took me five episodes of the first season of Slow Horses to really get into it and I don't give shows that long usually but I'm thrilled that I did because like I said, masterpiece. Anyway, give this a shot for sure! People shouldn't be allowed to write crappy reviews after only watching one episode!

Definitely watchable but it was like there were two sets of actors given different instructions as to the intended tone of the storytelling. Getting the mix of comedy and drama right isn't easy and the creators of this show have not demonstrated the necessary skills in the first episode. The mismatch took from the tension.

The necessary comparison with Slow Horses shows where the genius of that show lies - the humour is to the fore but underpinnned by solid drama. Here the drama is to the fore and undermined by the comedic elements. Good but could have been better.

First, it's so nice to see Ruth Wilson again. Having just finished rewatching Luther, it's refreshing to see her in this role.

Emma Thompson plays her character well.

She is such a versatile actress.

The visual effects in the first episode were impressive.

I find the 1st episodes interesting enough to continue the series. Interested in seeing where this goes!