Dunno why so many people dislike it. It was a perfectly gritty police drama. Just wish there were more episodes. Mind you
Scraping the barrel for cop dramas since lockdown
32 Reviews
I actually liked it
lopezpatricia-0613929 September 2020
Generally pretty good
morrataxco3 May 2018
I enjoyed the first two stories more in this four-story series. Unlike other reviewers, I didn't find the first story rushed. I thought the pacing was good.
It was pretty obvious what had happened to Helen and Linda in the past, so it isn't exactly a big reveal. However, I didn't think that the flashbacks added much to the story - perhaps there were just too many of them and neither of the young actress resembled the older ones much. I liked that the resolution at the end included the historic case being reported, though.
I'm not sure that there was much original in the first case - one police officer has to convince another that the wrong person has been charged etc - we've seen this many times before, but I liked the dynamic of having an established couple working together rather than a romantic tension cliche. I thought Ben Batt was really convincing as an excited prospective father, it was interesting that Helen Weeks isn't an entirely likeable character and I thought Matt King's character added quite a lot.
You have to suspend belief a little in the second story - as if a woman about to give birth would rush around investigating a case. The character dynamic also completely changes. I must say, I really wasn't really that interested by the gang-member story and I didn't feel sorry enough for the new gang member's situation. Those parts felt like a distraction or padding.
Some things didn't make sense - why does the criminal Frank take the action he does in light of the information he gives to Helen at the end? He may have made assumptions initially, but his henchman seems to get the full story but the course of action continues. Also, an item is stolen, we can eventually guess who by or, at least, who had arranged it, but why isn't it mentioned during the resolution?
The ending was a little flat: you've kind of worked out some of it by then, I didn't buy the blackmail part and Helen's disgust didn't feel real enough. It was all over in five minutes with an off-camera confession.I felt a bit "cheated" by that!
I thought Matt King was underused in the second story and the David Leon character was woefully underdeveloped.
Still, I'd watch it were a second series made but it would be a different programme out of necessity.
It was pretty obvious what had happened to Helen and Linda in the past, so it isn't exactly a big reveal. However, I didn't think that the flashbacks added much to the story - perhaps there were just too many of them and neither of the young actress resembled the older ones much. I liked that the resolution at the end included the historic case being reported, though.
I'm not sure that there was much original in the first case - one police officer has to convince another that the wrong person has been charged etc - we've seen this many times before, but I liked the dynamic of having an established couple working together rather than a romantic tension cliche. I thought Ben Batt was really convincing as an excited prospective father, it was interesting that Helen Weeks isn't an entirely likeable character and I thought Matt King's character added quite a lot.
You have to suspend belief a little in the second story - as if a woman about to give birth would rush around investigating a case. The character dynamic also completely changes. I must say, I really wasn't really that interested by the gang-member story and I didn't feel sorry enough for the new gang member's situation. Those parts felt like a distraction or padding.
Some things didn't make sense - why does the criminal Frank take the action he does in light of the information he gives to Helen at the end? He may have made assumptions initially, but his henchman seems to get the full story but the course of action continues. Also, an item is stolen, we can eventually guess who by or, at least, who had arranged it, but why isn't it mentioned during the resolution?
The ending was a little flat: you've kind of worked out some of it by then, I didn't buy the blackmail part and Helen's disgust didn't feel real enough. It was all over in five minutes with an off-camera confession.I felt a bit "cheated" by that!
I thought Matt King was underused in the second story and the David Leon character was woefully underdeveloped.
Still, I'd watch it were a second series made but it would be a different programme out of necessity.
Don't you haunt me baby
Lejink4 August 2017
I'm not familiar with the source book by Mark Billingham and so was initially confused by the format of this four-part crime drama consisting of two loosely connected stories run together one after the other.
The first story was a traditional whodunnit in a familiar set-up where two young girls go missing, one turns up dead and there's a race to save the other one. Returning to her detested home town is pregnant police detective Helen Weeks played by Myanna Buring, ostensibly to comfort her childhood friend, whose husband is the prime suspect, but of course she can't resist some investigating of her own. Not only that, it turns out that her main reason for hating her upbringing was a childhood trauma she shared with her friend, which means some clichéd encounters with her phantom childhood self as she battles her demons, not to mention wider local prejudice, to crack the case. We've all seen these kind of stories spread out over 6-8 episodes so I suppose I should be grateful for the concision here but somehow it did feel a touch rushed although I'll confess I didn't guess the perpetrator.
Did I mention that our girl was conflicted in her love life? Despite having an apparently happy relationship with "good bloke" fellow cop Paul, she has a fling with another cop, a Jamie Dornan lookalike, to the extent that she doesn't know who the father of her child is. This plays onto the third and fourth episodes where, now heavily pregnant, her life is turned upside down by an apparently tragic accident involving one of the men in her life which goes onto involve gang warfare in inner Manchester, with a mounting body-count which doesn't stop until the last scene. This story was much darker, more urban, more interesting I thought and contrasted with the more traditional story at the heart of episodes 1 and 2.
I suppose the two differing stories show how different one case can be from the next but didn't exactly make for convincing continuity. Buring's lone-wolf activities, especially in the second half, take some swallowing as she puts herself and her almost-due child at great personal risk as she tangles with teenage gangs and criminal overlords in pursuit of the truth.
Buring was okay in a sub-Anna Friel-type part but Ben Batt (a lookalike for pop singer Chris Martin) was better in the thankless task of the cuckolded boyfriend. There were some odd background characters you suspect there for PC reasons like Buring's gay dad and his boyfriend and her very camp forensics chum who isn't above following men into toilets. I did like the acting of the young black actor who played the new teenage father drawn into gangdom to provide for his girlfriend and child.
For me though, on the whole, there were too many situations, too many characters and too many coincidences, plus I never really cared for Buring's character much from the start. But the detective parts were fine as was the depiction of inner city life and strife in Manchester making it a slightly above average crime drama of its type.
The first story was a traditional whodunnit in a familiar set-up where two young girls go missing, one turns up dead and there's a race to save the other one. Returning to her detested home town is pregnant police detective Helen Weeks played by Myanna Buring, ostensibly to comfort her childhood friend, whose husband is the prime suspect, but of course she can't resist some investigating of her own. Not only that, it turns out that her main reason for hating her upbringing was a childhood trauma she shared with her friend, which means some clichéd encounters with her phantom childhood self as she battles her demons, not to mention wider local prejudice, to crack the case. We've all seen these kind of stories spread out over 6-8 episodes so I suppose I should be grateful for the concision here but somehow it did feel a touch rushed although I'll confess I didn't guess the perpetrator.
Did I mention that our girl was conflicted in her love life? Despite having an apparently happy relationship with "good bloke" fellow cop Paul, she has a fling with another cop, a Jamie Dornan lookalike, to the extent that she doesn't know who the father of her child is. This plays onto the third and fourth episodes where, now heavily pregnant, her life is turned upside down by an apparently tragic accident involving one of the men in her life which goes onto involve gang warfare in inner Manchester, with a mounting body-count which doesn't stop until the last scene. This story was much darker, more urban, more interesting I thought and contrasted with the more traditional story at the heart of episodes 1 and 2.
I suppose the two differing stories show how different one case can be from the next but didn't exactly make for convincing continuity. Buring's lone-wolf activities, especially in the second half, take some swallowing as she puts herself and her almost-due child at great personal risk as she tangles with teenage gangs and criminal overlords in pursuit of the truth.
Buring was okay in a sub-Anna Friel-type part but Ben Batt (a lookalike for pop singer Chris Martin) was better in the thankless task of the cuckolded boyfriend. There were some odd background characters you suspect there for PC reasons like Buring's gay dad and his boyfriend and her very camp forensics chum who isn't above following men into toilets. I did like the acting of the young black actor who played the new teenage father drawn into gangdom to provide for his girlfriend and child.
For me though, on the whole, there were too many situations, too many characters and too many coincidences, plus I never really cared for Buring's character much from the start. But the detective parts were fine as was the depiction of inner city life and strife in Manchester making it a slightly above average crime drama of its type.
I didn't realise it had ended!
shivamoonchilde14 August 2017
I loved this programme but, without giving anything away, I was expecting a few more episodes, as there are a lot of unanswered questions and unresolved plot-lines. It just kind of finished without warning, which is a shame because the rest of it was so beautifully written. Perhaps they're angling to see if it's picked up and want to turn it into a series; I hope so because, as it is, it was a big let-down, after a brilliant beginning.
I started by giving the series 10 stars; I have now revised this to 6 because it just fizzled out and left me feeling cheated.
I started by giving the series 10 stars; I have now revised this to 6 because it just fizzled out and left me feeling cheated.
Well-acted, but writing is uneven
paul2001sw-12 August 2017
'In the Dark' is a strange kind of television series: well-acted (MyAnna Buring stands out in the lead role), and with interesting themes, but marred by a broadly implausible premise (female detective brings criminals to justice while nine-and-a-half month's pregnant) and sudden plot leaps. Danny Brockelhurst is an experienced writer, and to be fair, here he is adapting books and not writing from a clean slate, but the script is definitely uneven, and the result falls between fast and taut, and something lengthier and deeper which might have told a more coherent tale.
Not all mysteries are solved in this BBC crime drama
Tweekums2 August 2017
Warning: Spoilers
This four part BBC crime drama features two separate major crimes with certain threads running through the whole series. The first two episodes see pregnant Manchester detective DI Helen Weeks returning to her home town in Derbyshire when the husband of an old school friend is suspected of kidnapping and murdering and kidnapping a second. As she looks into the case, irritating the local police in the process, she starts to think the prime suspect may be innocent. She is also reminded of the disturbing events that led to her leaving the town. It also emerges that her partner, also a police officer, might not be the father of her child.
The second story takes place some months later, when DI Weeks is almost ready to give birth. A young would be gang member shoots at a car as part of an initiation; the car goes off the road and demolishes a bus stop killing DI Weeks' partner. She doesn't just need to find out who did it, she also wants to find out what he was doing there; when his phone indicates that he's been calling an old-school local gangster she is concerned with what he was involved in. While she is investigating this somebody is killing the young gangsters.
This series contained two intriguing stories; unfortunately they feel a little rushed; both could have done with being three-part stories. The first story seemed particularly rushed, although I admit this might be because I thought the whole series would be one story at that point. There are some fairly dark themes, including the revelation that Weeks was abused as a child and the fact that while the main case in each story is solved there are many details are left unresolved; perhaps these will be looked into if there is a second series or perhaps they just reflect the reality that some crimes go unpunished. The cast does a solid job; particularly MyAnna Buring in the lead role, she makes the character believable even when she is waddling round trying to solve the crime on the day her baby is due! Overall I'd recommend this to fans of the genre even if it isn't the best example to be aired recently.
The second story takes place some months later, when DI Weeks is almost ready to give birth. A young would be gang member shoots at a car as part of an initiation; the car goes off the road and demolishes a bus stop killing DI Weeks' partner. She doesn't just need to find out who did it, she also wants to find out what he was doing there; when his phone indicates that he's been calling an old-school local gangster she is concerned with what he was involved in. While she is investigating this somebody is killing the young gangsters.
This series contained two intriguing stories; unfortunately they feel a little rushed; both could have done with being three-part stories. The first story seemed particularly rushed, although I admit this might be because I thought the whole series would be one story at that point. There are some fairly dark themes, including the revelation that Weeks was abused as a child and the fact that while the main case in each story is solved there are many details are left unresolved; perhaps these will be looked into if there is a second series or perhaps they just reflect the reality that some crimes go unpunished. The cast does a solid job; particularly MyAnna Buring in the lead role, she makes the character believable even when she is waddling round trying to solve the crime on the day her baby is due! Overall I'd recommend this to fans of the genre even if it isn't the best example to be aired recently.
Excellent crime drama, more please.
Sleepin_Dragon25 October 2017
Warning: Spoilers
When DI Helen Weeks discovers she's pregnant, she and partner Paul return to her hometown to give the news to her father. A place she hates, Helen has to stay to help out school friend Linda, who's partner has been arrested for the abduction of two young girls. The case leads Helen to open a case which is close to home.
A miniseries, but more two two parters, the first sees Helen help Linda look for the abductor of two girls, the second sees her open a case of abuse against her in her youth.
I would agree with those that say they felt a little cheated with the solution, but does every drama need to be black and white? MyAnna Buring has done some great TV, including Banished and Ripper Street, once again she is outstanding, she leads the drama with real command, adding raw emotion into her character. She is superb, particularly well supported by Ben Batt and Matt King.
The only annoyance has to be her pregnancy suit, did they mix it up with one for a Killer Whale?
This show has the makings of a really good series, with such strong viewing figures I hope the potential is realised, and the show returns, excellent drama. 9/10
A miniseries, but more two two parters, the first sees Helen help Linda look for the abductor of two girls, the second sees her open a case of abuse against her in her youth.
I would agree with those that say they felt a little cheated with the solution, but does every drama need to be black and white? MyAnna Buring has done some great TV, including Banished and Ripper Street, once again she is outstanding, she leads the drama with real command, adding raw emotion into her character. She is superb, particularly well supported by Ben Batt and Matt King.
The only annoyance has to be her pregnancy suit, did they mix it up with one for a Killer Whale?
This show has the makings of a really good series, with such strong viewing figures I hope the potential is realised, and the show returns, excellent drama. 9/10
You all know that if you give the show bad reviews it won't come back!!!!
tygoreye5 October 2017
The show is VERY good!! I really wish there were more than 4 episodes but it was labeled as a mini series..
All these people that are giving bad/low/negative reviews because the show ended don't realize that its the negative reviews that will keep them from making any more episodes!!!!
Take Stranger Things for example. It was labeled as a mini series but it got such great reviews that they continued it on as a seasoned show!!
Smarten up people!! If you want the show to come back give it good ratings!!!!!!!!!!
All these people that are giving bad/low/negative reviews because the show ended don't realize that its the negative reviews that will keep them from making any more episodes!!!!
Take Stranger Things for example. It was labeled as a mini series but it got such great reviews that they continued it on as a seasoned show!!
Smarten up people!! If you want the show to come back give it good ratings!!!!!!!!!!
Possible...
micp-8764012 April 2019
The shows has great potential. However, I definitely feel that each episode does not have to start with a sex scene or work so hard to incorporate sexual content throughout the show. It's otherwise a good storyline so far.
Excellent show Would watch a season 2
pfne2 September 2020
I really enjoyed this show. The payoffs are with the investment, unlike other shows *Cough* The Fall *Cough*
Pregnant cop seeks murderers. Well acted, well written, no strange leaps of logic. Very well made too. Worth the time.
Pregnant cop seeks murderers. Well acted, well written, no strange leaps of logic. Very well made too. Worth the time.
Easy to watch but disjointed and nothing special
mattmusko12 November 2020
Binged this today. It was OK but nothing special. The casting was fine and the story engaging but the 1st two episodes are more or less unrelated to the last two. I know the UK is the King of the mini-series but give me a break. A series with only 4 episodes doesn't need to be subdivided any further. If each half were aired across two seasons then fine...kinda like Prime Suspect but that it not the case here. Maybe the goal was for this show to last longer with multiple "who done it" arcs but was cancelled early on but with sunk costs to consider the creators were told to produce it as a 4 part limited mini-series and so they stitched two arcs together and called it a day. I wouldn't pay to rent/buy this individually but it is a perfectly fine watch if available to you through a free or already subscribed to streaming service. There are plenty of better BBC produced copper shows out there though.
Totally unbelievable from every imaginable perspective!
qui_j16 October 2018
Not sure where the original idea came from but the series composed of two separate stories that are loosely linked together, is just too unbelievable. One really has to stretch ones imagination to believe that someone on the verge of delivery could be running around, alone, investigating crimes in some very dodgy areas. Characters seem to come and go depending on whatever suits the story at the moment, and solutions to the various issues suddenly appear out of thin air. There is overuse of flashbacks with 1-2 second scenes, a bit like subliminal advertising. The ending is just silly, meaningless and non-contributory. Overall, 4 episodes was more than enough and one can only hope that there will not be another series. It's just too appalling!
The most fake pregnant belly I've seen
gallagherkellie19 November 2020
I couldn't stop staring at how fake her belly looked the whole of the episodes 2 and 3!
Also very strange that 2 episodes were one story and 2 were another.
All in all it was a decent show. A bit predictable but enjoyable nonetheless. Glad it was only 4 episodes though.
In The Dark
joannecarter7-790-75460710 January 2021
I had already read both of Mark Billingham's source novels, but this strange TV adaptation didn't really hold together. MyAnna Buring was a strange casting choice as she played it like she was made of ice. Matt King was good as Dr Phil Hendricks though. The heavily pregnant angle was uncomfortable to watch.
Not sure why the London Met was swapped for Manchester though. Grittier I guess?
Not sure why the London Met was swapped for Manchester though. Grittier I guess?
Effective
musickrev31 January 2023
Warning: Spoilers
A not bad police drama that doesn't deviate much from the standard model for 2010s' crime shows, but if it fails to transcend the clichés of the genre, it is decently acted with a strong supporting cast to MyAnna Buring's effective lead including a number I usually associate with comedy roles. The series is split into two distinct plot lines linked by the main characters, with the first, occupying the first two episodes, more compelling than the second. The show sustains a good amount of effective tension and I found it worthwhile, certainly worthy of developing further. The pregnancy of Buring's character doesn't seem to get in the way of her getting into threatening situations which may or may not be explained by behaviors deriving from an abusive childhood, but certainly had me worrying about the baby to come as well as DI Weeks herself . All in all enjoyable crime TV.
GREAT and Suspenseful
anitalansing-40-58191524 March 2022
The storyline was great and so were the actors. Didn't know who the really bad characters were until it got closer to the end. I love British dramas beginning when Helen Mirren played a cop. Love British cop dramas, particularly Luther.
Loved it
saradarob-463-55450121 December 2018
MyAnna Buring SOLID PERFORMER
vicstevinson23 July 2017
This is a well-written, thoughtfully directed crime drama... another one; BUT actor MyAnna Buring, who made a big splash in RIPPER STREET, proves she can shift gears and deliver a contemporary role with immediacy and honesty.
Ben Batt portrays her partner Paul, and their banter sounds genuine and the rapport between them is easy and realistic.
The plot progresses with few differences from other highly-rated investigative dramas. That's good news, but I wasn't sure if I could take another season of BROADCHURCH or THE KILLING. Luckily for Buring, I'm hooked and watching her acting choices.
Glad to see she has escaped from the beating that was MY HOT PROPERTY, a film so driven by its premise, the characters don't have a chance.
Ben Batt portrays her partner Paul, and their banter sounds genuine and the rapport between them is easy and realistic.
The plot progresses with few differences from other highly-rated investigative dramas. That's good news, but I wasn't sure if I could take another season of BROADCHURCH or THE KILLING. Luckily for Buring, I'm hooked and watching her acting choices.
Glad to see she has escaped from the beating that was MY HOT PROPERTY, a film so driven by its premise, the characters don't have a chance.
Dreadful
daveym-649-4449622 August 2017
Warning: Spoilers
This review concentrates on the first two episodes but the lack of quality can easily be directed to the second two episodes
Dreadful Acting, implausible plot line and a lack of continuity that was, quite frankly, breathtaking.
The flashbacks, the way people spoke to each other - a detective to her boss - blimey.
As for the cars - different number plates from one scene to the next - people travelling in the back of the car had a window behind them when the camera was in the car (like an estate car) and yet there was no window on the outside as they got out of the car.
Abandoning cars in the middle of the village and a supposedly heavily pregnant police officer, getting and involved with a case outside of her force, barking orders and getting into fights
Complete and utter rubbish
Dreadful Acting, implausible plot line and a lack of continuity that was, quite frankly, breathtaking.
The flashbacks, the way people spoke to each other - a detective to her boss - blimey.
As for the cars - different number plates from one scene to the next - people travelling in the back of the car had a window behind them when the camera was in the car (like an estate car) and yet there was no window on the outside as they got out of the car.
Abandoning cars in the middle of the village and a supposedly heavily pregnant police officer, getting and involved with a case outside of her force, barking orders and getting into fights
Complete and utter rubbish
Excellent
jannyjackson3 August 2017
I'm addicted but I often watch twice to fully understand what's happening. Please is there another series planned? Tuesday evening is now an empty void . Rather bitty in parts but this doesn't detract from its overall appeal. Please can we have a follow up series as so many unanswered questions!
The Painful Side of Life . . . Handled with Sensitivity
garvey-jack28 December 2022
I'm not sure why a scattering of very harsh critics. When I worked with home builders, they'd tell me about all the building inspectors who were Washed-Out contractors. Are there really that many armchair movie producers?? Read a couple mystery novels and decide you could direct and produce a better movie?
I went back after watching to see what were the critiques . . . Pace was wrong . . . 4 episodes didn't hang together . . . Poor acting. Lots of experts out there!
Tough subject handled with sensitivity to emotions involved. And yes, might have bit much for pregnant cop but if women can lift a car off a loved one, why not? Love is a powerful emotion!
Sure beats all the one-dimensional characters and car chases we get in the US. Guess the Brits are spoiled with more quality dramas but this one was at least an "8."
I went back after watching to see what were the critiques . . . Pace was wrong . . . 4 episodes didn't hang together . . . Poor acting. Lots of experts out there!
Tough subject handled with sensitivity to emotions involved. And yes, might have bit much for pregnant cop but if women can lift a car off a loved one, why not? Love is a powerful emotion!
Sure beats all the one-dimensional characters and car chases we get in the US. Guess the Brits are spoiled with more quality dramas but this one was at least an "8."
... at times ya gotta hang on to get the reward
bjarias13 June 2022
... was like two different shows.. part 1-2, then 3-4... the latter being reasonably better than the first-part... she's a script-character could easily be brought into another season, potentially more... it's a crowded field, yet this one at the end held up against many others with a wider base-audience.
Can't believe this is getting any good reviews
semmian-933456 February 2019
Come on people, no show should get 10 Stars. Even if you like it, 8 or 9 should be max. I can't believe the number of people giving this 10 stars. It's the lamest BBC show to come out in years.
The things I disliked about this series:
One, the lead actor was ridiculously pushy. To come into a strange police station and basically accuse everyone of being incompetent is ridiculous. And I hate pushy characters. In real life you'd tell them to take a hike, and g back where you came from. There was overwhelming evidence against the perp they arrested yet she, with absolutely no evidence, told everyone he was innocent.
Two, the first story ended rather abruptly in the second show, with the lead getting a flash of insight and suddenly she knew who did it and it was basically over.
Three, the story was filled with inaccuracies, like giving a woman in labour a drink. Never happens in case they have to operate.
There was so many scenes where the police knew something important, told the lead character and then didn't do anything about it so she could be the one to investigate. Lame, lazy writing.
There was a major revelation in the last show about the boyfriend having a secret folder on his iPad, and it was never resolved.
The only bit I really liked was the infidelity. It was unexpected and added some needed drama.
I liked the potential, main character, not so much! Spoilers!
eda-201117 February 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I've gotten into a phase of getting into a lot of British police procedurals and I initially thought this would be a good one, and for the most part it was enjoyable. I just couldn't get past a lot of the decisions Helen made. I know we were supposed to get caught up in her emotional connection to Paul, but if the revelation that she had cheated on Paul with Adam wasn't enough, the fact that she slept with him again after Paul's death didn't really endear her character to me. I know they tried to present how emotional she was feeling, they even threw in the suspicion that Paul may have been a "dirty cop" and doing something wrong when he died. Instead the revelation that Helen broke Paul's heart by sleeping with Adam while they were together and that the baby may indeed Adam's sort of made Helen even more unlikable when she sleeps with Adam again after Paul is tragically killed and its discovered that Adam may have had something to do with it! The show did a good job of showing her grieving, and having visions and flashbacks of Paul beside her, but that sentiment is lost in Helen's actions, before and after Paul's death. I really wanted to like this program, I just didn't really find Helen's character all that likable. We were supposed to care about her, but I just wasn't feeling it.
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