Patrick Melrose

Benedict Cumberbatch gets to show all his chops in this brilliantly written, directed and shot tour de force.

We all knew he could act, but here he gets to pull out all the stops. He is entirely believable as an upper class, abused and abandoned boy who turns his life and his will over to Heroin as his only source of succor.

The writing is sublime, you don't want to miss a moment of the razor sharp dialogue or of the inner monologues of Patrick.

The portrayal of a junkie at the peak of his chaos is completely and utterly believable. As one who suffered a childhood under a martinet father and is somewhat acquainted with the self medicating regimes that Patrick practices, I can testify to that.

I urge all viewers with an adult sensibility to watch this bizarrely charming, compassionate, tragic and comedic miniseries...

There were some strong performances - Patrick, his parents and his father's cohort were all played well. It is also a stylish series with good cinematography.

It was sometimes hard to grasp the time-line, especially in the later episodes - even though a date was put up now and then.

it kept me interested throughout, although I enjoyed the New York scenes the most.

I can't remember the last time I saw a series this good. It is brilliantly made. Amazing acting. I was on the edge of my seat most of the time. Cumberbatch gives an outstanding performance.

Benedict Cumberbatch is brilliant as Patrick Melrose. I must confess that in the middle of the first episode I considered not watching anymore as it is a very distressing issue however I am glad I did. This series touches on many issues and speaking out against what is wrong and defending children at all costs is paramount.

I finished the novels only a few weeks before watching the first episode and my rating thus far is only based on the first episode. The genius of the novels is turning such ugliness into something beautiful. The bookend decision to start the first episode with the second novel was a smart one from the overall story standpoint as well as thematically. However, the downside, is that the second novel/ first Espinosa is probably the toughest watch/ read as it is Patrick at his worst. Having said that, in a mannner true to the source material, the show creators have managed to take license where necessary in order to stay true to the character as well as the themes. The "plot" is not relevant. It's takes a long term view to realize that. If you had to pick the worst day of your life and watch it, that would not be pleasant either. But the genius of the source material as well as the first episode is that we can relate to Patrick- warts-and-all. Self loathing is relatable to manner, no matter how extreme. This is the first chapter in the story of a man deciding to stop reacting to life and start responding. If you can see past the "ugly" you will find the beauty. Much like in life. I look forward to seeing the upcoming episodes and watching the brilliant Benedict Cumberbatch play the role that I can no longer see anyone else in.