Unforgiven

It is April 2020 and I am hiding from Covid 19 in a flat full of unwatched dvds. I finally sat down to watch this and did not expect it it be a great drama. I give no plot spoilers but it is very well acted and well written. The locations are great (Yorkshire).

Sally Wainwright correctly gets a lot of praise but perhaps this 3 part drama is not the most well known of her works?

First of all, never pass up an opportunity to watch a series from the pen of Sally Wainwright. Secondly, be similarly alert to watch performances by Suranne Jones. Now, add a stellar cast of the likes of Peter Davison, Gemma Redgrave and Siobhan Finneran and you've struck gold. This has a story with heart and depth with performances by the best. I give this series a 9 (superb) out of 10. {Crime Drama}

excellent casting in this revenge crime ex prison ( yep multi genre ) drama. Suranne Jones wonderful as ever, simple loving and maligned young woman just released from prison for double police murder. Peter Davidson Plays sympathetic legal eagle willing to help her find her sister, after fifteen years apart. Plenty of back ground story from family of the victims and a twist in the tale to boot. Awfully tense in parts, touching in others, Suranne plays vulnerable yet with seemingly hard exterior. A thirty year old who has had little experience in an adult world since she had been locked up since she was a minor. We see in the character how she is still very child like and delicate despite spending fifteen years in prison and the reasons behind the madness that caused the actions that put her there in the first place... Interesting story I give it a seven out of ten. Suranne is always very watchable...

This is an excellent drama about a young woman, Ruth Slater, who is released from prison after serving a 15 year sentence for a double murder. However, she is far from the hardened criminal many falsely assume. Suranne James gives a first class performance as the wounded soul who possessed an enormous heart despite her treatment by the justice system. Her first mission was to find her sister who she loved beyond measure. In her quest, she was helped by lawyer Peter Davison. Siobhan Finnerty, as his high strung spouse, had far less sympathy but came over to the Ruth's side once she learned her story. Ruth was fighting an uphill battle to win acceptance, even while still using her own name. As a result, her record became known to the community. She was also very naive and far too honest about her past. This lack of awareness about how to navigate her way back also made me sympathetic to her character. It was easy to stay with this series with all its twists and turns. Thanks to Britbox for bringing ITV (and BBC) shows to Canada.

Suranne Jones shows what she can do in this TV drama. A little predictable in plotting but Suranne's performance is excellent. You are always involved in her character and she makes Ruth believable. To go from a soap like Corrie (which must have been a marvellous learning situation for a young actor) to proper drama like Unforgiven is a leap which many do not manage. Suranne chose fairly wisely, with the exception of Harley Street, and was always watchable and credible. The supporting cast are pretty good too, some playing against their usual type. The three part series is one that appeals to me if one cannot watch it in its entirety.Itv seem to do this format well and in these more austere times they are still championing good intelligent drama when the mood takes them. The BBC still do period stuff better but credit where credit is due.