The Replacement

An absurd thriller which gets more absurd as it goes along. At the end you might be forgiven for thinking that the twists could had been done differently.

Ellen works for a successful architect's firm in Glasgow that lands a big contract but she soon gets pregnant. Ellen plans to return soon after having the baby and Paula is hired as the replacement. Paula is competent at her job and already has a 10 year old daughter. She took time out of her life to be with her daughter and be a full time parent during those early years.

Ellen is disturbed when Paula insists she should not return to work so quickly and she fears that Paula has another agenda, she might be malevolent. Pretty soon Paula impresses the bosses, clients and Ellen comes across as paranoid. Ellen is even accused of violence towards Paula and even child neglect. As her relationship with her boyfriend falls apart Ellen needs to expose Paula as a manipulator but as others think, it is Ellen who might be disturbed.

There is an element of Fatal Attraction here as Paula gazes at Ellen's perfect life, perfect family. The third episode should had been more intriguing but falls apart as many of the characters behave bizarrely.

This show is decent, an okay thriller - the main character is really irritating though. And then just as it reaches its conclusion it's ruined by one of the worst endings to a show I can recall.

This production could have been a ten. A complex tale about a replacement professional being hired to cover, for a senior Architect, in a small practice.

As the story progresses, you become hooked, and are left guessing about every major character. There is quality tension, in more than a few scenes, and unlike some dramas a more restrained type of shock hits you, which is far more effective. Vicky McClure is simply superb, and i could watch her all day, as my wife equally agreed. Unfortunately Morven Christie, and Richard Rankin, were not as eye catching. One can find faults in the story line, but it entertained us both, and was enjoyable viewing. I bet Hitchcock would loved to direct this tale. The ending could have been so much better, and in dramas like this, having rather different or even sinister closure, would make it far more memorable. I also think there is plenty of room for this type of work, and even wonder if writers consult with genuine drama lovers, as to how to get the best out such stories. Reading complete reviews of this is risky, simply do what we did, and enjoy it.

This is more of a Scottish Lifetime Movie. Very long. Too long.

I am not sure why I watched this, especially after reading all the negative reviews. I should have believed them.

This is the same thing you've seen many times before - trust me! Only with a crying baby.

It's almost as if someone took all the parts of their favorite Lifetime Movies and tossed them together into this and set it in Glasgow. That's the smartest thing they did. It's a unique city for films and series.

But basically, other than the scenery, this is a waste of time. IMHO.

This was creepy in a sociopath kind of way, the ending was perfectly ok and I really enjoyed it. I have no idea why some people are bagging it.

Thank you to the reviewer who said ignore the negative reviews and watch it. Really good.