Let's get the possible negatives out of the way first: it's quite low budget - anyone hoping for expensive set-pieces or grand sweeping shots of historic Jerusalem will be disappointed (the show, in fact, makes good use of a quaint handmade model of the city for panoramic shots); the 'English' accents of the British are abysmal, and the English dubbed version should be avoided (due to incongruous American accents).
Now the positives. Despite following two parallel timelines and spanning decades the show is easy to follow. The characters are mostly, if not all, multi-dimensional and the story manages to be both surprising and shocking at times whilst also a decent 'comfort' watch.
Most of all, it is the sheer range of human emotions this series manages to encapsulate that is impressive. Love, lust, anger, betrayal, redemption, jealousy, revenge, the list goes on - all captured amidst authentic portrayals and believable development.
Billed as a 'melodrama' and occasionally feeling like the classiest soap opera - it is best seen as a visualised novel. The acting is decent, for the most part, but it is primarily the writing that shines through here.
