filmgoose

When I read the plot summary for this show I thought it sounded brilliant, a dead body found right on the border line and two sides working together and I fell in love with the opening song and the flickering of lights over the bridge. The first few episodes were good, tension was built nicely and at some points I was on the edge of my seat. Gradually as the story went on it all became kinda repetitive and I started disliking some of the characters. The ending really let the show down I felt, that it could have used so much more emotion and the ending really did not justify or really connect with the beginning of the show. I know this show has a lot of praise, and I think it's alright, just not brilliant.I think this story could have been developed so much better and the acting could also have been better.

Exile is a story about returning to your hometown to find that little has changed. It focuses on the father-son relationship between Sam (Jim Broadbent),and Tom Ronstadt (John Simm), and also Nancy (Olivia Coleman, who is tired of caring for her elderly father on her own.There's so much frustration and anger in Tom's character who is unable to understand why his father treated him like he did in the past, and with Sam's Alzheimer's it becomes a real mystery with little pieces of the past being gradually released throughout the three episodes.

What I love about this show is that even with all the angst and tension there is some great humour and heartwarming moments.

Firstly the only reason I gave it an 8 was because i felt the sequel really let the first series down, it was good, just not amazingly good. There's so much great acting in this show and the writing for the first series is equally as good, which is all you need for a brilliant show. From the first episode there is so much emotion and it really hits you hard in the chest, I really began to feel the whole sense of loss of the whole community.

The second series is a lot more like a soap, various plots, constantly changing from household to household without as much hard hitting emotion from the first series. For a soap it is very good but soaps aren't really my cup of tea I'd prefer it to focus on fewer plots and expand on them.

I genuinely recommend this show to anyone.(well maybe not young kids/teens because of all the violence and sex etc.)