It certainly is worth a better score than it has at present. Script and acting are both good. It is complex enough with several stories going at once. There are a range of characters who inhabit the story and who require some concentration to unravel their roles. It is about people's intertwining lives and how people in powerful positions are able to divert justice to protect their secrets. It is about good and evil and innocence and guilt. It is about parents and children and the power of relationships and the need that is intrinsic in human nature. There is mystery and suspense which drives the characters and story along. In my opinion, it is worth at least an eight. The English know how to deliver a suspenseful series and they excel at keeping the momentum going.
45 Reviews
Helen McCrory tour de force
peterrichboy11 July 2017
As much as I am enjoying Fearless make no mistake this is Helen McCrory's show and boy is she good as the maverick lawyer, trying to free the wrongly convicted and bring down major political figures and government 's in the pursuit of justice. Fearless is bit of a slow burner the first two shows concentrating on the wrongfull conviction for the murder of a young girl 15 years previously at an American airforce base. From the third show onwards Fearless really hits its straps taking us into new territory with several plot twists along the way. Well written, well acted Fearless ticks all the boxes. And watch out Olivia Coleman, Helen McCrory may soon take over your crown as the darling of UK TV and film,
Nice work and waiting for the next episodes...
pvsmadhukar20 June 2017
I just saw only two episodes of it and i already started liking it. It started slowly with simple plot and makes you watch without a gap waiting for the next episode to air. It reminds me of True Detective but i sense more depth in it. I hope this continues in the next episodes without dragging too much. Script & screenplay is excellent.
10 stars
kim-jodoin6722 June 2017
So far amazing acting. Love UK crime series definitely make Hollywood a RATED B group of perfect looking people with oddly enough the same whitest and straight teeth whilst lacking any type of good character acting. Another great series headed by an actress in her prime! Way to go UK. US is so far behind in the leading roles for woman. Great characters, UK is so much better than US in allowing the character flaws assimilating into the actors strengths! Great job will continue to watch,
Loved it
ditzzeechick12 November 2017
We couldn't stop watching and would love a season 2 tomorrow! Banville was compelling, as was Greenwood. Would love to see these two characters fleshed out even more. Her partners retorts to her demands at the end were brilliant. I'd like to see more of Dom next season (right, get on this!?) I'v managed to watch all Brit TV for the past 6 years & have raved to family members about the quality & depth of programs where no one screams, all women aren't pretending to be tough guys & how USA TV is shite.... to no avail...until we all cut the cord. We all now are members of BritBox, AcornTv, Walter Presents, Netflix, AMZN & the list will expand. As long as you produce shows like Fearless, River, Paranoid, Happy Valley, Norskov, Rita we'll happily live to see the demise of USA crap TV. This wasn't the BEST show ever, but it beats 99% of what we're offered on this side of the Atlantic. More, more more!
Above average political thriller
Lejink20 July 2017
Once you got past the awful title sequence and the usual, dull latter-day accompanying title song, this six-part contemporary political thriller made for entertaining watching.
Centring on lost-cause defence solicitor Helen McCrory's Jane Banfield's penchant for taking on tough cases for what might seem on the face of it unsympathetic defendants, she apparently quite happily lets the client and indeed the family of her clients stay over at her place.
The main story here concerns the unsafe conviction of a young father for the murder 14 years ago of a 15 year old girl, mainly down to a confession forced out of him by an over-keen female police detective played by Wunmi Mosaku, who becomes one of the focal points for Banfield's later campaign for the man's release. There's a connected sub-plot too involving a young Syrian mother who is staying at Banfield's pending immigration clearance and whose absent husband is suspected of terrorist sympathies.
The stories take many a twist and turn as you'd imagine over six episodes, involving a female mysterious American "fixer" with her own reasons for keeping the convicted "murderer" in jail, a senior British Whitehall mandarin in on the cover-up and in particular a new, young rising-star Labour politician who they seem to be helping to the top of the so-called political greasy pole, for their own ends. The fixer will stop at nothing to cover her tracks, including blackmail and attempted murder as she reports back to her ruthless U.S. Intelligence bosses and seems to keep one step of Banfield and her investigation until the latter's persistence pays off and the whole house of cards falls down in a dramatic conclusion outside the by-now new Labour leader's house.
While much of the story seemed to credit Banfield with detective instincts of which Sherlock Holmes would be proud, as well as the usual unbelievable coincidences and fantastic high-level connections, the action was fast-moving and carried forward by a fluid production acted out well by a mostly quality cast with Michael Gambon in particularly fine form as the oily, senior British link in the American chain of deception although quite what comedian John Bishop was doing as Banfield's "bit-of-rough" current boyfriend, I'm not quite sure but it didn't have much to do with acting skills.
It didn't look like there were markers laid down for future series featuring the Banfield character which would be a shame as her character is a strong one and one can easily imagine her returning a la "Prime Suspect's" Helen Mirren or "Happy Valley's" Sarah Lancashire, but be that as it may, this was superior small-screen drama well worth viewing.
Centring on lost-cause defence solicitor Helen McCrory's Jane Banfield's penchant for taking on tough cases for what might seem on the face of it unsympathetic defendants, she apparently quite happily lets the client and indeed the family of her clients stay over at her place.
The main story here concerns the unsafe conviction of a young father for the murder 14 years ago of a 15 year old girl, mainly down to a confession forced out of him by an over-keen female police detective played by Wunmi Mosaku, who becomes one of the focal points for Banfield's later campaign for the man's release. There's a connected sub-plot too involving a young Syrian mother who is staying at Banfield's pending immigration clearance and whose absent husband is suspected of terrorist sympathies.
The stories take many a twist and turn as you'd imagine over six episodes, involving a female mysterious American "fixer" with her own reasons for keeping the convicted "murderer" in jail, a senior British Whitehall mandarin in on the cover-up and in particular a new, young rising-star Labour politician who they seem to be helping to the top of the so-called political greasy pole, for their own ends. The fixer will stop at nothing to cover her tracks, including blackmail and attempted murder as she reports back to her ruthless U.S. Intelligence bosses and seems to keep one step of Banfield and her investigation until the latter's persistence pays off and the whole house of cards falls down in a dramatic conclusion outside the by-now new Labour leader's house.
While much of the story seemed to credit Banfield with detective instincts of which Sherlock Holmes would be proud, as well as the usual unbelievable coincidences and fantastic high-level connections, the action was fast-moving and carried forward by a fluid production acted out well by a mostly quality cast with Michael Gambon in particularly fine form as the oily, senior British link in the American chain of deception although quite what comedian John Bishop was doing as Banfield's "bit-of-rough" current boyfriend, I'm not quite sure but it didn't have much to do with acting skills.
It didn't look like there were markers laid down for future series featuring the Banfield character which would be a shame as her character is a strong one and one can easily imagine her returning a la "Prime Suspect's" Helen Mirren or "Happy Valley's" Sarah Lancashire, but be that as it may, this was superior small-screen drama well worth viewing.
Must Watch
lovintvshows20 July 2017
Fantastic story line to keep you interested. I looked forward to the viewing each week. The actress was perfect for the role. I never wrote reviews before but this certainly deserved it. I also liked that it offered a mixture of characters and scenes not just in England but the USA too. If you like crime & mystery but like to have an ending then this is for you. I don't want to mention anything and spoil it for anyone but I gave this a 10/10.
Just okay
mark-120618 July 2017
Not going to do an in-depth review but I thought it was just okay.
A little too predictable all through and also too strung out. Would have been better in 3 or 4 episodes.
I have to say that some of the acting was terrible, particularly the actress playing Detective Greenwood, the (hostile) female colleague at the law firm and worst of all the kid playing Jason Russell who was truly awful and really just needed a smack! Oh and whoever cast John Bishop should be shot. He was TERRIBLE! The ending was a bit of a let down and anti-climax.
Only worth watching if nothing better is on.
A little too predictable all through and also too strung out. Would have been better in 3 or 4 episodes.
I have to say that some of the acting was terrible, particularly the actress playing Detective Greenwood, the (hostile) female colleague at the law firm and worst of all the kid playing Jason Russell who was truly awful and really just needed a smack! Oh and whoever cast John Bishop should be shot. He was TERRIBLE! The ending was a bit of a let down and anti-climax.
Only worth watching if nothing better is on.
half way through,it is pretty good
ib011f9545i27 June 2017
I am enjoying this,think I will stick with it. I was tempted not to watch it at all due to all the hype in the media about it. Of course I won't go into plot details but this is similar to things like SECRET STATE(TV),STATE OF AFFAIRS(TV) DEFENCE OF THE REALM(film),a sort of political conspiracy thriller. This has a good cast,including in a small part the beautiful Sammy Winward.
This is the sort of thing I like but it might not be for everyone,you need to pay attention to keep up with what is going on.
This is the sort of thing I like but it might not be for everyone,you need to pay attention to keep up with what is going on.
An impressive ITV drama
Tweekums19 July 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Protagonist Emma Banville is a human rights lawyer who takes on the sort of cases most lawyers wouldn't touch with a barge pole. She already has the wife of a man the authorities believe is working with terrorists in Syria living in her house and now she has also taken on the case of Kevin Russell; a man who was convicted of killed a school girl fourteen years previously. Everybody seems to think he is guilty, even his son doesn't want anything to do with him but as Emma starts asking questions and looking at the evidence she starts to think that there is a connection between the girl's death and a nearby US air base and a secret meeting that took place on the eve on the invasion of Iraq. As she tries to investigate this link the powers that be on both sides of the Atlantic try to make sure she doesn't find out what really happened
what that is, is far from obvious.
This ITV drama was rather impressive; I liked how an apparent miscarriage of justice in the case of the murder of a school girl could expand into a political drama with major players on both sides of the Atlantic. There are some good twists along the way, as well as a couple that are a little far-fetched but not enough to spoil my enjoyment. Helen McCrory does a great job as Banville and is able supported by a fine cast that includes Jamie Bamber as an up and coming Labour MP, Robin Weigert as the sinister Heather Myles and Wunmi Mosaku as the police officer originally in charge of the case. The final resolution does require some suspension of disbelief would the powers that be really frame somebody for murder when they could have been just left another unsolved hit-and-run tragedy. Still that isn't really a problem as without that choice we'd have no story. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to anybody after a drama with political undertones.
This ITV drama was rather impressive; I liked how an apparent miscarriage of justice in the case of the murder of a school girl could expand into a political drama with major players on both sides of the Atlantic. There are some good twists along the way, as well as a couple that are a little far-fetched but not enough to spoil my enjoyment. Helen McCrory does a great job as Banville and is able supported by a fine cast that includes Jamie Bamber as an up and coming Labour MP, Robin Weigert as the sinister Heather Myles and Wunmi Mosaku as the police officer originally in charge of the case. The final resolution does require some suspension of disbelief would the powers that be really frame somebody for murder when they could have been just left another unsolved hit-and-run tragedy. Still that isn't really a problem as without that choice we'd have no story. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to anybody after a drama with political undertones.
McCrory great, plot thin and clunky
ikanboy13 November 2017
A British ACLU type lawyer seeks to overturn a murder case and finds herself neck high into Deep State shenanigans with the CIA, IS, and British counter terrorism. McCrory is great as the steely lawyer, with more concern for her case than the victims, and at times with more arrogance than sense. I get a little tired of the U.S. being the Brit's whipping boy, and more than tired of Deep State conspiracy plots. The CIA and MI6 seem to be nothing but hit squads. Robin Weigert is also great as the CIA nemesis. In the end the loose ends get tied up and all is well as plot holes get smoothed over with glib rationalizations.
Overdramatic
brenswee29 April 2019
I rarely write negative reviews, in fact I don't think I have. I have to write one for this show. I found it utterly torturous to get through this series (S1).
A seemingly constant soundtrack, overwrought acting, caricatured American "people in the shadows", very slow progress. Just a few examples of why I'm relieved to have finished it (I had to see it through because I had invested too much time and also in the hopes it would improve). It could have comfortably been cut to three episodes.
Helen McCrory is always reliable but this show did her a disservice.
Helen McCrory is always reliable but this show did her a disservice.
Excellent drama!
jayncam25 August 2018
This series was impossible for me to stop watching on Amazon Prime. It grabbed me from episode 1 and I binge watched the entire season. It was impossible to predict what was going to happen next, and that's unusual for me. I'm American, but I'm really beginning to appreciate British and Australian programs. This program is superb.
Disappointing
alvktt3 January 2021
Freaking Awesome!
marlo-9656312 December 2018
This show was not just suspenseful but it touched on a lot of real topics in this world that made you want to see what was going to happen next. The acting was amazing. Helen McCrory was "The Truth" in Peaky Blinders and she for sure did her thing in Fearless. It is a much watch series.
Brilliant
nsaruns12 November 2017
One of the best series I have watched in 2017. Brit's and the Scandinavians are running for the top spot when it comes to crime thrillers. Great plot, beautiful narration and brilliant editing. Simple local crime tied into a larger story all added up really well. The side drama with Syria was a waste of time. Overall, I would still say Brilliant!
Good mini series
coolroofrep23 December 2019
Please bring this back
mnpritchett7 February 2019
More plot holes than swiss cheese
thecure-126 November 2017
Warning: Spoilers
I usually love English series for their subtle-ness and rich characters. This show is the opposite. One stereotype after the other! ... They even have TWO scenes with a bus running someone over when the script has nowhere to go! ... The initial setup is one we have seen MILLIONS of times ago: No one believes an innocent man except the main character. The "crowd" condemns this innocent man and rallies against him because they have nothing better to do ... and 14 years after the fact ... Hate for the sake of hating ... The main character is perfect and flawless and can go against anyone and never gives up, because ... oh yes, she is "fearless" ... her diet consists of vodka and cigarettes, never sleeps but has endless energy (except for the bags under her eyes) ... Constant flashbacks to some sixties protests that nobody cares about... A connection between a teen age murder and the highest CIA and UK politicians as well as, yes, lets throw ISIS in there why not, nobody pays attention to realism anyhow ... SPOILER: The last episode plants this big red herring around a supposed attempt against the main character which never happens... it is just there to fool us the audience ... bad scripting ... This series tries so hard to be memorable and ends up being totally implausible and forgettable ...
Fantastic drama, McCrory shines again.
Sleepin_Dragon17 September 2017
Warning: Spoilers
It was obvious this was going to be head and shoulders above recent dramas, I imagine Helen McCrory is in a position where she gets to chose her work, she is a phenomenal actress, and of course gives an acting masterclass as maverick lawyer Emma Banville. The story was engaging, gripping, and constantly had you asking questions over guilt and motives. Very strong acting all round, Robin Weigert and Wunmi Mosaku were particularly good, nice to see a drama with strong female leads. I truly love John Bishop, and it was a surprise to see him pop up here, questionable casting I imagine for many, he did OK, trouble is alongside McCrory he was always going to be up against it.
You just know some dramas will run forever, and you know full well that dramas like Fearless (And River) will only get a single run out, let's hope Emma Banville returns one day. This was exceptional drama, 9/10
You just know some dramas will run forever, and you know full well that dramas like Fearless (And River) will only get a single run out, let's hope Emma Banville returns one day. This was exceptional drama, 9/10
Well Done British Drama
merylmatt5 March 2018
Warning: Spoilers
While this mini series does have some plot holes, it is good enough I just watched the whole series in one day, hoping that there are more episodes to come.
Fearless reminded me of True Detective - all of the characters are human, have flaws, wrinkles and warts. All struggle with their past and try to change the past to make the present tolerable. No one really wins, except the viewer, for the quality of the production.
***Spoiler alert*** If you can believe (as I do) that government agencies such as the CIA and British Intelligence communities are capable of evil doing, than you'd think that they'd simple order the murder of Emma sooner. Of course, there would be no episodes after the first, so there's that. Aside from that, I found this to be a very good thriller.
Strong female leads, women who are intelligent, sometimes emotional, relentless and even ruthless. Well done entertainment, somewhat predictable, but a very good watch.
Fearless reminded me of True Detective - all of the characters are human, have flaws, wrinkles and warts. All struggle with their past and try to change the past to make the present tolerable. No one really wins, except the viewer, for the quality of the production.
***Spoiler alert*** If you can believe (as I do) that government agencies such as the CIA and British Intelligence communities are capable of evil doing, than you'd think that they'd simple order the murder of Emma sooner. Of course, there would be no episodes after the first, so there's that. Aside from that, I found this to be a very good thriller.
Strong female leads, women who are intelligent, sometimes emotional, relentless and even ruthless. Well done entertainment, somewhat predictable, but a very good watch.
Superior thriller
keith-6188 May 2018
At last. A really tightly plotted thriller that is intelligent, never sags, keeps you on a knife edge and manages in the the end to both satisfy and surprise. Brilliant writing. Great acting. Best UK thriller I've seen in years. And NOT about another serial killer! More please.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
