The Disappearance

Well, it gets two stars because it started out well. The first episode was intriguing, but each subsequent episode got worse. It was hard to hear the dialogue with loud background noise, and the main characters constantly shouting at each other. The grandfather was obnoxious, the mother screeched a lot, and the son was a drip. The grandson who disappeared was probably the best actor of the lot. It had a reasonable storyline, but was badly let down by the acting and directing. Don't bother.

Fabulous twisting tale keeps you hooked. Only downside is the terrible acting from the two male leads, the judge and his son. This is a real shame as it is hard to take either of them seriously they are so wooden. Would have given it 9 or 10 with different actors.

Good mystery story but the constant background soundtrack screws up the dialogue

When Anthony Sullivan (Michael Riendeau) disappears on his tenth birthday, his family is devastated. However, as more and more time passes without the police being able to locate him, long-buried family secrets are dragged to the surface, turning the Sullivan family against one another.

A journeyman show, The Disappearance is very much paint-by-numbers stuff, with nothing you haven't before seen in half-a-dozen similar narratives, with writers Normand Daneau and Geneviève Simard taking no real risks. Having said that, however, it's a well made piece of television. Confidently directed by Peter Stebbings, the material may offer nothing revelatory, but what it does offer is enjoyable enough on its own terms. An excellent Peter Coyote dominates the show as Anthony's grandfather, Henry, a retired judge with a strained relationship (to say the least) with his son, Luke (Aden Young), Anthony's father. As the veneer of civility slowly erodes, the fissures running beneath the family dynamic begin to erupt, with blame and recrimination becoming the central tenets of familial interaction. You may guess half-way through who the kidnapper is, and yes, they're one of those Hollywood kidnappers who leave cryptic clues everywhere, but this remains a well made, if unadventurous, show.

I really enjoyed watching the first 5 episodes as it was gripping. I was disappointed with the last episode as it was too rushed as if the writers made it all up last minute. The ending, when they found Anthony was unrealistic, because no-one thought to make Anthony look older. All kids grow and quickly change and this kid looked like he had gone missing the day before despite being missing for over 2 years!!! Come on, if you are going to say he has been missing for 2 years then common sense prevails that he is unlikely to look the exact same. Very lame ending too...the grandfather shooting himself to 'save' his grandson was ridiculous...if he waited 30 seconds the SWAT Team arrived and would have got Stephen Price. Thank heavens there is no reason for a second series!!