Deadwater Fell

I am very surprised to see so many negative reviews for the series, none of them seem to relate to the drama I watched. Clock developed very well over the four episodes we get the harrowing scenes in the first episode, and the next three episodes are spent solving the mystery.

The acting is first rate, Tennant does genuinely steal the show, but when is he anything less than brilliant? Cush Jumbo and Matthew McNulty are excellent also.

This isn't slow, it's measured, the characters and story are given depth, and chance to grow.

I thought it was excellent, 9/10.

I think everyone will guess the ending quite quickly in this slightly overlong show. The real standout elements are the cast and the themes ingrained in a semi derivative mystery wrapping.

There's some good depictions of how numerous kinds of abuse, the social dynamics at play in regards to toxic masculinity, trauma, and the madness of crowds. People can't usually recognize signs of abuse nor cries for help or look beyond the performance of social respectability when it comes to men. So, on that front I think the show is a success.

The problem comes from a lacklustre actual plot and its beats. This is almost quintessential now, and it does very little to muddy the issue of the mystery it purports to be actually about. Had the mystery been overtly secondary, it might have worked better. Or the mystery having a more nested and compelling set of clues and the ways in which they are rolled out.

As is, it feels like a long time to wrap up, and the highlights of the show are merely peripheral, which almost feels diminutive for such important issues.

David's Tennant plays these characters all too well, he's never a let down. The rest of the acting was well done also.

4 episodes was just enough, any more would have been too many. A few little twists but maybe too much personal drama amongst the other characters than I expected, without enough background information.

Core of story was good and initially gripping as the real truths started to unfold. But too many inaccuracies and holes in the plot eventually started to grate and became a distraction.

The show started out as a very interesting drama and mystery story with likable characters that had great development potential. So I was very looking forward to seeing the second and the third episodes. It seemed like something overwhelming was going to be discovered at some point. Alas, this never happened. And the last episode was a total disappointment.

I think "Deadwater Fell" is just another one of those shows that we are gradually getting used to: the watching is a captivating process, episode after episode, and then they bring it to some hasty flat ending. Unfortunately, the writing these days leaves much to be desired.

On a positive note, the acting is very good, I also enjoyed great views of amazing landscapes of Scotland.