The Five

My dad and I binge-watched this on a Sunday, after finding nothing else to watch. The picture looked interesting, the premise looked typical- all in all, I didn't go in with high expectations, simply something I could waste a day watching. Boy, was I wrong. My mind has been absolutely blown!! I was worried, that, like other British TV dramas (Marcella and Broadchurch in particular), this series would become overwhelmed by the introduction of unnecessary characters with their own subplots that held no real relevance or interest and only acted as a distraction to draw out the main storyline. This, thankfully, didn't happen! Every subplot that was introduced had a direct and crucial link to the story, and were interesting and not horribly complex so that the audience could see the relevance and not lose interest. They also didn't last the entire series, unlike Broadchurch, where nothing seemed to be revealed (AT ALL) until the very final moments, and by then, the influx of information was just confusing and frankly, underwhelming. In The Five, the subplots are resolved at the right time, giving chance for the main story to be explored properly. The characters were beautifully human, making you feel for them and made you really invested in their situation, and the acting was superb!!! THE TWIST! MY GOD! I have never been more in awe of a story! It was brilliant!!! I did NOT see it coming but when I saw it all come together, it actually made sense and was satisfying... Which is what I think to be the most important thing when dealing with mysteries. There were no questions left unanswered, no what if's or feelings that this revelation was subpar. And the direction was stunning. The way the ending was done made me sob like a baby, mainly because I'm an older sibling myself and I honestly don't know what I would do in Mark's situation. It's a series that I recommend with all my heart. If you like mysteries, plot-twists, surprises, suspense, family and friendship, crime then this is for you!! And if you don't, then I'd still say watch it regardless. I have never been moved as much by a TV show. Just wow!

I regard myself as an exacting and selective viewer of crime series/dramas - although I have seen hundreds of them, both "old" ones with a crime per episode, and "modern" ones where cases and participants intertwine and 1-2 cases dominate the whole series.

Following the Scandinavians, the Brits have found the latter's perks as well, and when based on a solid author's works (here: Harlan Coben), the result is versatile and pleasing. References to the past, mysterious events then and now, plot of several levels, realistic characters and - last but not least - performed by a cast as a team (still, I would spotlight Tom Cullen, Lee Ingleby, Michael Maloney, Geraldine James) makes The Five one of the most captivating crime series in recent years. As the scenes passed smoothly and mysteries were logically substantiated, then even the "sweet", "non-British" ending did not impair my general opinion of this series.

And as I did not guess the real thing behind this DNA issue, I can easily give my 8 strong points and recommend it to all those fond of mystery thrill without the helping hand of a vigilante or superhero.

The disappearance of a young boy some decades previously is the scene setter for a complex mystery drama from the pen of Harlan Coben. When the child's DNA appears at a crime scene, the four friends charged with his care must confront the ghosts of their past and resolve the mystery and conflicting hopes of their present life. The plot successfully weaves in and out between mystery thriller, police procedural and personal drama. The four lead characters are well written and, crucially, well contrasted. Each actor can hold the screen in progressing the narrative and the different personal narratives dovetail very well. are The casting of their younger selves is excellent. Good supporting cast too, with back stories complimenting the central narrative. Tight direction keeps us apace with the many twists and turns in the plot. The end is both surprising and convincing. Really superior drama. Strangely, considering the addiction to series these days, the story is so self-contained that it's hardly likely to spawn a sequel. Nevertheless, writing and direction and acting of such high calibre that some future collaboration would be welcome.

This is an entertaining murder mystery/crime type of thriller. The acting is mostly good, and it's well made. The writing gets just downright silly sometimes, though, so don't expect a believable story. The music and sound are grating and annoying: imagine the most annoying pop songs you can think of, and The Five makes painfully long scenes as music videos for them, and the director had a thing for high pitched feedback noises, which are used infuriatingly often. The show was enjoyable enough for me to turn down the sound when these squeaks and horrible, horrible music came on. I'll likely forget it a few days after I've finished it though because it's little more than a hodge podge of crime, old secrets, friends-since-childhood drama, and mystery.

This was a non-exceptional mystery drama with UK accents. The sound creation team should be shot. At least 2 times per episode during some dramatic scene they play this awful, piercing noise. It's like a clue that something is serious and you need to be annoyed to make sure you notice.