The Vanishing Triangle

After sitting through what was a tolerable but not great series, we are presented with an ending that suggests that bigotry and violence are the way to go. If it was intended to show that this was the case, at the time this series was set in, you could perhaps get some satisfaction. I suggest that this is not the case for the majority of viewers..as least I hope so. I never quite understand programs that do this...there are others and I suspect most viewers have seen similar. Perhaps it is not always probable to present positive outcomes. If this ending was a statement then the closing vignettes should have been more pointed.

The story, pacing and video side of the production including the acting were very good. However, the overall experience is let down by some rather shoddy sound engineering. Within the first 10 minutes, it should have been obvious to the Director that there was a shortfall. Considering the fact that I grew up in in Dublin and that I had to have sub titles switched on should be indication enough that there was something not so effectively done.

As stated in another review, the sound separation was abysmal for a modern production, even Smart TVs with Dialogue Enhancers and various surround enhancing alternatives did not do enough to help.

The Dublin dialect can be difficult to understand as certain words roll into others so it IS important. The speech coach should have realised this on first review as well and questioned whether it was actors' failings or inadequate sound capture and/or separation.

Interestingly enough, the actor that stands out as being the most articulate is the one who worked on Downton Abbey. Possibly the bigger a production is may demand more resources thrown at actor articulation?

Otherwise, as I said, I found the story very intetesting.

I am a crime writer who has studied the individual cases that are commonly associated with Ireland's so-called Vanishing Triangle.

This show basically just took the phrase and spun it into yet another far-fetched, cliche crime drama series.

It's a cash grab by someone who realised that the title would garner some interest.

Another reviewer said that it is based on true events. This statement is so false that I suspect it was written by someone who is associated with the series.

The vast majority of the women who went missing in Ireland's "Vanishing Triangle" are believed to have been killed by someone who was well-known to them. There is a very strong suspect in each case.

Only two are believed to have been the victim of a stranger abduction.

When I first heard that someone was creating a series called The Vanishing Triangle, I thought that we'd get an in-depth look at the victims and their cases. Or at least a factual dramatisation that accurately represented their stories.

Instead, we got a series about a journalist taking a murder investigation into her own hands and some lad running around in a balaclava.

It's rather daring. To execute this crime story in a manner we remember from the 80's. The 1980's that is. But, it works. Up to a point. They manage to stir up the tension and keep it boiling until... the famous final scene. Where it gets a bit slow and archaic.

Yes, it is a relief to escape from mobile phones and computers. That world of instant messaging that kills most of the excitement. And we get a lot of passionate acting in many supporting roles. And India Mullen fights for her life surrounded by soggy memories.

This is strictly watching the Detectives. The old-fashioned police & thieves saga.

What a disappointment. The series ending was incomplete and left me feeling unsatisfied and frustrated. At least one more episode was required to tie up all the loose ends. Could have rated this much higher if they didn't decide to wrap it up like they no longer cared about creating a full story. Don't waste your time watching it. It's six hours of your life you'll never get back. If the producers had any sense they would have cancelled the release until they had an ending they could sell to the viewers. What a shame. Could have been something special but they chose to cut corners and release a second class product.

I gave it a 2 out of 10 as a decent story was devolping. Sadly it never lived up to its potential.