Messiah

Obviously inspired by Se7en and sometimes even more gruesome; more bloodshed and very graphic details (a bit too much for my taste). Great script and acting (I was especially impressed by Ken Stott and there were no weak points in te cast). Good cinematography and very realistic stereo-sound. One of the best thrillers I've seen since years. Although it was scheduled on BBC in three parts I watched Messiah on video in one take. One point of critic; the motivation of the villain was not very convincing.

Episodes 1 and 2 are as good as it gets for a police procedural. Good writing, acting, and production values. Exciting, gripping, and thrilling.

Episode 3, I'm more than two hours into the show and writing this wondering if I will finish it. The acting and production is top quality, but the writing is a bit crap.

Too many implausible story arcs and the errors in procedures made me cringe - a writer should not make such mistakes. Research was substandard.

Also too much psycho babble and unrealistic 'getting in touch with your feelings' scenes that were... Crap!

Enjoy 1&2.

Very well made. Very well acted. Not in the least by Ken Stott. Neil Dudgeon makes it a bit more bearable with his light humor. Real humans having to deal with heavy subjects. Gets under your skin. Wished there were more of them made....

The DVD release of this superior made for TV BBC drama is a more than welcome addition to my collection. Great acting, gripping story, and wonderful direction all add up to one of the best BBC dramas in years.

/refers to Season 1/

British crime series have remained a sign of quality - accrual of Scandinavian ones in this century has not impaired them but diversified their approach. Messiah is a good example how "good old" episode-based crime has obtained "modern" nuances and cinematography, including fast twists and meaningful use of flashbacks.

As usual, performances are good (in fact, I could not Ken Scott starring somewhere), policemen are realistic, no cute faces and fancy clothes/cars, and the severity of crimes depicted here has a sophisticated reference to the past... And I as did not guess the evildoer, did not suspect even, I would easily give 8 points for constant suspense - in spite of the fact I am not very fond of religious fanaticism or crime - and I intend to watch the following seasons as well.