4 episodes (and 4 hours) in and it's quite clear that this series does not have enough story to sustain a 6 hour limited-run series. It might have been a crackerjack 2-2.5 hour movie. The other problem, and I suspect the fault must lie with Directors Lawrence Gough and Aneil Karia, is that too many of the main actors are playing their roles as if they might slip into a coma at any moment. Hugh Bonneville's character, Bryan Boyce, is perfectly suited to the stoic, controlled, low-keyed persona, but when you add Jack Lowden (Kenneth Noye), Emun Elliott (Tony Brightwell), Dominic Cooper (Edwin Cooper), Tom Cullen (John Palmer) and Sean Harris (Gordon Parry), all under-playing so extremely, you welcome screen time from Dorothy Atkinson and her lively and cheeky portrayal of 'Jeannie Savage.'
The story is an interesting and compelling one, just not 6 hours compelling!
The story is an interesting and compelling one, just not 6 hours compelling!