Paranoid

Not sure what the one star reviewer is talking about, although I do respect their right to their own opinion. This show is a pleasure to watch.

The characters are complex and the play on paranoia and the psychology of the characters is a great twist, done in a very modern way. I am in my 30s, and love so many different genres. I'm not into tired old police dramas, but this is funny, at times strange, and always compelling.

I'm not saying I'm right and he or she is wrong, but I am saying don't be put off, make up your mind up, because you might love it.

It's a crime drama with a tone problem. The tone problem comes from the awkward and melodramatic romantic subplot between the lead detectives, and the odd construction of Indira Varma's character, which is the fault of the writer. Varma delivers a great performance even though the bad dialogue written for her role makes her character codependent on men. The relationship between her and her longtime boyfriend is forced, in order to manufacture conflict with her detective partner, and not believable. The series would have been better served by focusing on the role corporate corruption played in the crime. Christiane Paul, Polly Walker, and Kevin Doyle offer strong performances in their supporting roles.

The reviewer who gives one star is misguided. He likes Marcella which i felt was scattergun drivel. This Paranoid show has some soul and some pathos. Plus only 2 episodes in its all very interesting and mysterious and i have no idea where its headed. Don't listen to then reviewer he likes pap clearly. The main characters in this are believable and flawed and the story is believable enough to swallow. I say the actors are good and are a good mix that work well together. Its also not eerily dark tones which is all the rage these days and was good for a show or two but now is pretentious and annoying. Anyway i like it and it has enough mix of plot, storyline and character unrevealing to keep me going.

The basic plot is thin and has been done dozens of times. That wouldn't be a problem, if the execution were good. It isn't.

The plot is mainly driven by silly actions. OK, it is about mental problems, but does this mean that every other person has to suffer from them? A detective has panic attacks, is frequently either stunned or out of control, but nobody seems to care or even notice. He takes drugs, gets only worse, but doesn't think to consult his physician. Instead he eats them like candy. A witness refuses to cooperate with the police, but rather goes on to tamper with evidence and kidnap and torture a suspect on his own. Another officer seems to suffer from severe hormonal problems, another is personally involved but doesn't feel the need to excuse himself. In critical situations, officers are utterly unable to deal with criminals, don't seem to be able to use a gun, or just call it in. Oh, and someone feels guilty about and another freaks about some supposedly "pornographic" photos which turn out to be pretty mild erotica. The whole thing feels like it isn't about psychiatry, but takes place in a psychiatric ward. Or maybe it's meant to be a parody, but without the funny bits.

The cinematography is good and the actors decent, considering what horrible script they had to work with. Only Christiane Paul sticks out, but in a bad way, as a completely overacted "quirky" German police officer.

Paranoid is a Brit crime drama that follows the "classic formula" whilst adding in a twist, in the form of an international conspiracy.

Its hard to fault British crime series. They really set the standard for both realism and intrigue. This series is, for the most part, no different.

The story is engaging and interesting, readily capturing and holding your attention. The characters too, are rendered as real, flawed and oftentimes, fragile people.

Perhaps my only criticism is the pace of this series sometimes flounders and I felt some characters were a little redundant. In particular, the young detectives neurotic,controlling mother seems like a pointless addition.

All in all, still a worthwhile watch. Seven out of ten from me.