The Game

Catch You Later or in the U. S., The Game, isn't brilliant TV. It's a rather derivative cat and mouse thriller that doesn't have much new to say. There are performances though that really elevate this tired material: Robson Green, a longtime favorite actor of mine, is appropriately reptilian and charming when he needs to be. It is bonkers though, that the neighborhood group don't clue in sooner, the one exception being Sunetra Sarker as Huw Miller's wife.

By turns, she is angry, frustrated, tired, ultimately loyal and very strong in defense of Huw, seasoned enough to intuit a predator in their midst. It's a performance that works on several levels of believability and ultimately satisfying.

Which brings me to the incredible performance of Jason Watkins, who I bet I've seen in many a British movie/TV show but just don't remember. He gives a full bodied, fleshed out performance of a man obsessed with the one that got away, his white whale. And all his selfishness, determination, frustrations, anger and near hysteria at times, filtered through such human ticks, to get this killer off the streets burns through you. I thought he was just magnificent.

The show isn't required viewing, but if you're an actor, you can learn a lot by just sitting back and watching Jason Watkins work.

Newly retired detective Huw Miller (Jason Watkins) who failed in finding the killer stalker, before he retired at the grand old age of 55, following a nervous breakdown. Anyway, he need not worry, as the stalker Patrick Harbottle (Robson Green) has found him. In fact he's killed his neighbour, living directly opposite, purchased his house, and moved in, all in a space of a week or so. Sounds far fetched? That's probably because it is. The pace of the drama is too quick after episode two, it appears they have sacrificed character development while also compromising on a good storyline, so the whole production can be wrapped up in just four episodes, I speculate for budget reasons, which is a shame. Really strong acting as you would expect from two actors of this calibre, but on the whole an anticlimax.

I've watched a few of the Channel 5 four part dramas over the last few years and it's fair to say there have been more misses than hits. Most seam to have a group of the same actors that have appeared like Kara Tointon and Jill Halfpenny. In this case they the excellent Jason Watkins who l think has made two previous channel 5 dramas.

He is on top form here as a retired police detective who has a chance to finally crack the case that eluded him in his time as a police detective.

There are plenty of plot holes particularly in the last episode but if you put that aside. You have an entertaining 4 episodes of crime drama.

Detective Huw Miller retires from The Force, with one unsolved crime, The Ripton Stalker, a killer with a disturbing M. O. Huw's friend and neighbour dies and Patrick Harbottle moves in, a man Huw begins to think is The Stalker, but suggestions of it are met with ridicule.

I loved it, yes dramas from Channel Five can be a little hit and miss, but this is definitely a hit. I also have to applaud this for being four episodes long, I'm getting so fed up with six part serials.

It's a hugely engaging game of cat and mouse, we have two big questions running through it, is Huw crazy, is Patrick the stalker, it's such an engaging series.

It's beautifully produced, it looks fantastic, once again Channel Five film outside of The UK and whilst it looks like old England, it's actually Bilbao, the bricks just don't look right and lots of the long shots are out of focus.

Jason Watkins and Robson Green are both flawless here, they share some wonderful scenes together, two hugely talented actors. Honourable mentions for Sunetra Sarker and Indy Lewis, all excellent.

It's an excellent watch.

8/10.

The first episode was good but, if seemed as though all thd efforts had been put into the opener. After a poor middle couple of episodes, the series comes to a better finale but still struggles to show any originality or any real dramatic effect.

Robson Green seems to be cringing to the viewing audience but somehow seems to be the best mate to nearly all of his new neighbours.

Jason Watkins does show some great acting in parts but not enough to save the overall hum drum of the show.

Things manage to come to a satisfactory conclusion just when the truth seemed futile Another run of the mill channel 5 release.