Blood

This happens too much in TV, both British and American. A good, well-plotted and well-acted show is stretched out and stretched out until it becomes unbreakably slow. There was no reason whatsoever to make this program twice as long as the plot supported. As a result, you end up fast forwarding through the endless scenes of funerals and speeches and sunsets and so much pretentious camera work that you can barely get to the final sixth hour -- which really is a shame because if shortened, this would have been quite good -- except, perhaps, for the fact that the heroine of the show is possibly one of the most unpleasant characters ever portrayed on tv.

Starts off so well and loses the plot towards the end of the 1st season. The characters, motives, judgements and reactions do not hold the plot.

The first 2 episodes were excellent. Intriguing and intense with surprises that sometimes unexpectedly lightened up the tone. It slowly declined from there. The twists kept coming but they started to feel a bit deus ex machina. I had a lot of sympathy for the main character but the logic of her choices got a bit slim. Not just hers actually. The ending of episode 4 is so grim it sucked the fun out of the show for me. And then the final episode (number 6) explains a lot but has no link whatsoever to the childhood trauma that set off the main character's suspicions. I would have wanted to see the characters deal more with the aftermath of that, like real people. Now the focus shifts and even though it puts events in a different light and gives some answers, it was unsatisfying. The slow pace and sentimentality of the final episode did not help. This series is not without merit but ultimately I was disappointed.

Season One is enthralling viewing. It keeps you guessing throughout and all is finally revealed in the final episode. Season Two goes off in a completely different direction with occasional references to the first season. This is a different story altogether, but I found it held my attention nevertheless. Well written and impeccably acted. I enjoyed it, though season one was better.

Series one was fairly interesting, and broached an emotionally complex subject. Why they brought the series back for a second round is a total mystery to me. It was also the slowest paced program I have ever seen. Watch series one and skip the rest.