Better

The only thing wrong with Better is that the BBC pitched it as "the new Happy Valley". And because they did, the show got a weird audience and critical reception.

Line of Duty is incredible, right? But if someone promised you Happy Valley and you sat down to watch Line of Duty, I don't think you'd like it much. That's what's happening here.

This isn't Line of Duty. It isn't Happy Valley. Better is in a category of its own, and it stands as tall as either of those shows do.

Leila Farzad is astonishing, like she is in everything. But this is a brilliantly written game of chess that has you emotionally invested in all the pieces on the board.

You haven't seen this character arc in a cop show, and you haven't seen this story in a drama before.

(Also, I don't know how you even begin to write a second season after that ending, but my god do I want to see it.)

After her son almost dies Detective Inspector Lou Stack is tired of living in the pocket of drug dealer and villain Col McHugh, she chooses to leave but she is very much made aware that leaving is not an option.

I started watching it live, and didn't stick with it, I found episode one hard to get into, I took the advice of a friend of mine and gave it another go, I'm glad I did.

Episode one is a little hard to get into, it seems to skip any introduction or setting scenes, it instead jumps straight into the action, once it settles it's good, it's very good, episode four is fantastic.

There are a few scenes that are hard to swallow, the moment in the car wash for example, why on Earth did Lou feel it was safe to be seen out in public with such a known villain, if you can look past a few silly moments, you'll find it a rewarding watch.

Leila Farzad and Andrew Buchan are both very strong in their respective roles, I thought Anton Lesser and Zak Ford Williams were the standouts I thought.

I hope The BBC picks up another series of this, more Lou Stack please.

8/10.

Whilst I found this so engrossing that I binge watched all episodes (finishing at 5am). I have to say that the ending was amateurish, sentimental and totally unbelievable. I won't provide details of this let down because I was so engrossed until then that I would not wish to spoil it for others. MYOMU. Now.... I've actually said all I have to say but apparently in order to post any review I am supposed to write a minimum of 600 (superfluous?) characters! Why? Is there no merit in brevity and clarity over indulgent pomposity? (Answers appreciated but not required)😊.....OMG!!! I thought I had attained the minimum requirement already....but apparently not. Now trying again. Thank you for your patience in matching my persistence!🤣

If it wasn't for the ending I'd score this at a 7, I finished the entire thing in just two days and had very high hopes.

Unfortunately the ending is bad, REALLY bad. There is no world in which this would happen... I've no idea what the writers were thinking.

It does well to keep you watching though and all be it until the very last scene it kept me interested and wanting more.

Anton Lesser was my favourite character by miles, Leila Farzad not so much, her character seems forced. A few elements throughout are silly and unrealistic but this goes for 90% of TV.

Give it a watch and make your own mind up.

This was good. For the first four episodes. Great to see Leeds, good acting by Leila Farzad and Andrew Buchan. Interesting take on the police drama. After the first four good episodes, we were excited to see how it ended. Only to find a completely implausible ending, which totally ruined our enjoyment of the previous episodes. It would have been better if we'd just watched 1-4 and it had ended there, with Lou never quite sure whether they would come for her for the rest of her life. That would have been believable. The conclusion provided by episode 5 was no. Disappointed and felt a bit cheated.