"Utopia" Episode #2.3 (TV Episode 2014) Poster

(TV Series)

(2014)

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9/10
back in the groove ... and that's very very good
A_Different_Drummer31 August 2014
Warning: Spoilers
My review of the first episode in Season 2 was not meant to be harsh but accurate. It was a difficult backstory and not at all in keeping with the "groove" of this series which, at its best, is developing an entirely new type of comedy-suspense-horror which arguably never existed before.

As we get back into a rhythm, I notice three things:

* the use of color is astonishing. The last time I can recall color being used so effectively to create a sense of impending menace was Edward Scissorhands, and that was some time ago

* although the well-cast Fiona O'Shaughnessy has the lead role and therefore the burden of carrying the show, the trick is, she is not always on camera. This creates the potential for lulls

* the good news is that the presence of either Neil Maskell as Arby or Alexandra Roach as Becky can more than carry a scene. If they are both in the same scene, the viewer is doubly blessed. Maskell's performance as Arby is one for the history books. I have seen lesser performances win Oscars. And Roach's saucy Becky, with her fast comebacks, almost deserves a show of her own Very promising indeed.
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9/10
Escape
Tweekums23 July 2014
Warning: Spoilers
In the unlikely event that anybody had forgotten this series' penchant for violence this episode opens with killer Lee murdering Ian's boss. It isn't long before Ian's face appears on television; wanted for the killing. Ian and the others are trying to make sense of an apparently innocuous comment that has left one man dead and another in danger; this leads then to a young hacker who is able to tell them about a flu strain that could be compared to the atomic bomb. While on the run the group also learn who the strange old man is. Meanwhile Jessica is totally unresponsive; desperate to find information she knows Milner authorises an operation which would mean cutting out chunks of her brain… just as it is about to begin Jessica makes her move and manages to escape.

Things move along nicely in this episode as more details are learnt and loyalties are tested. The humour continues to be as dark as the visuals are vivid. As viewers are now used to the show it is harder to be shocked but there are still some surprises to be had. The cast continue to do a fine job; making it possible to believe in the characters and the conspiracy they are caught up in. After the violent opening things calm down a bit; there are some further moments of violence but not to such a degree. Overall another gripping episode; the more I see the more I wonder whether this series will get a 'happy' conclusion!
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