Final Demand

STAR RATING:*****Unmissable****Very Good***Okay**You Could Go Out For A Meal Instead*Avoid At All Costs

Following East Enders with a string of great performances in the likes of Out of Control and Red Cap,Tamzin Outhwaite finally slips up with Final Demand,a plodding,episodic tale,in which she certainly looks very attractive,but is in fact acted off the screen by her co star Simon Pegg in the supporting role.Tom Vaughn's already laboured direction is forced to drag on even further toward the end with an unnecessary sub plot involving a father's (Liam Cunningham) quest for revenge.There are a few nice touches here and there,but generally speaking,this is a bit of a let down considering Outhwaite's previous fine work.**

Part one of this two-parter had me really gripped. The double plot was a great idea and it was a mystery how it would all turn out to be interrelated. This also threw light on the moral aspects of the -- at first seemingly 'victimless' -- crime. The acting was good, too.

The second half was a bit of a disappointment, however. The tension was gone, as all the key things had already happened. What was left was a rather depressing and unhappy sequence of events as things just went from bad to worse for all concerned. Slightly unbelievably perhaps, Natalie suddenly turned into something of a super criminal and mistress of disguise.