Dark Heart

I'm trying to watch with interest but it is so slow and boring that my concentration is frequently lapsing, so I'm writing this review instead. The deadpan characters aren't helping either.

Is the storyline hard to follow or are my lapses to blame?

The show is impressive, following in the footsteps of life on mars perhaps most notably within which our protagonist solves various, exclusive cases over a number of episodes Will Wagstaffe (Tom Riley) balances a gruesome career with difficult family and personal relationships and the carrying of grief from his mid teenage years after the death of his parents. Strangely there's not much to link audience and character but still it's fascinating following an emotionally removed and calculated character playing the game so to speak in his day to day dealings. Exploring different murder situations/cases there's a real scale of ability on show adding a level of depth to our protagonist that might not have been there otherwise. Shot quite artfully in a grim, deteriorated Urban London the murders are horrific and the tone is constant and looming in a fantastic manner. Sadly there's a few predictable twists and turns but that's part and parcel of being a mainstream British made police drama, there's little wiggle room so to speak for originality, ending on a heart pounding twist leaving the audience begging for more I recommend a single viewing at least to enjoy a pretty solid slightly art house series

The plot lines are ok but the show is let down by poor acting and 2 dimensional characters. Tom Riley isn't very convincing as a tough cop who plays fast and loose with the rules and it seems he's unable to act without something in his hands.

Most of this is a workmanlike unspooling of a mysterious series of killings. The victims are all men who were accused of sexually abusing children but whose cases were not brought to trial. Links are found to a killing which took place two years ago, but the man who did that confessed and is in prison. He was father to the abused child. But parents of the children abused by those targeted in the latest round all have alibis. Helped by some very good performances, notably by the lead actor, the riddle is unwound.. But the narrative is confused by a scene which seems pointlessly confusing inserted for no apparent reason.

Great idea and great acting. Tom Riley, Charlotte Riley and Amanda Raison are wonderful actors and it's worth watching the series just for them. The problem is the plotting; it all feels underwritten, or more likely either over edited. There's a lot of "what happened there?" moments. Nevertheless, still a superior bit of TV drama.