Travelling Mystery, FBI Meets CIA & A Horrific True Story! 😁📺

Hello world! Welcome back to another blog. This is another TV Review, where the shows I’ll be talking about today has a theme, and that involves different kinds of police dramas. These include a third series of a Scottish police drama where the case is within a travelling community, an American police show where the FBI cross with CIA, and a retelling of a mystery based off of a horrific true story. So without further ado, when is what I thought of these shows!

Granite Harbour:

The first show I’m going to talk about is series 3 of Granite Harbour, starring Romario Simpson and Hannah Donaldson, and also starring Act On This member Michelle Jeram.

This theirs series sees DC Davis Lindo and the team uncover the mystery of a murder that happens in a travelling community.

Romario Simpson reprises his role as DC Davis Lindo. Like last series he was still an important part of the team, and whilst he sometimes still tried to make a joke within the gang, sometimes it wasn’t at the right time. But he still took this case seriously. But like last series, he was someone who went abit rogue when he had to be, as seen in episode 1 where he tried to rescue one of the travellers and a family used an excuse to find more clues in episode 2 and found someone at a dreading date, and I loved that Romario still brought that rebel inside of him to the screen. This series also going on a romantic journey which did raise suspicions, but was wanting to keep it professional after finding out she’s part of an investigation team (and I’ll mention more about his love interest in a moment). Hannah Donaldson reprises her role as as DI Lara "Bart" Bartlett, who had been upgraded to DI and was officially Lindo’s boss, but felt the pressure of the inspection following the events of the last series. Episode 2 saw her frustrated on the request of bringing in a vulnerable woman Rose (who I’ll mention when talking about the new characters) to interview for the murder, even going behind their back to go about how it was a bad idea. What hasn’t changed though is Romarios and Hannah’s on screen chemistry, and I can tell that they work together so well on screen, that they must be friends off screen as well. It also tells me that even though Bart disagreed with some of the things Lindo did to help, she also knew that it’s who he was as a person, and they team may have not gotten the clues needed if it wasn’t for his rebellious actions. I could also tell it shone through when Lindo motivated Bart, showing that respect they have for one another. Dawn Steele reprised her role as DCI Cora MacMillan, who was still in charge of the team, but definitely felt some pressure when an inspection came to be following the events of last series. She also had her own battle linking to her health, and following the worker fears, episode 2 saw her making decisions which a lot of the team didn’t agree with. But soon recognised the error of her ways and decided to make it right but wanted to admit defeat after opening up to Lindo on her family history. Despite this, episode 3 saw her grill the remaining suspects to get to the conclusion of the case and resonating with the killer, but gained support from Lindo and Bart (which she worked out following an interview with one of the suspects) and that gave her a newfound inspiration to keep going. I don’t know hat homework Dawn did to see that vulnerabile side to Mac, but I’m proud of her for showing the reality of someone who has high authority feeling vulnerable to something that’s completely out of her control. Whilst I was gutted about not getting the results on if she had the all clear or not, I do hope that if there were to be another series, I would be interested to see if there would be an update on her health and how it impacts her job. Michelle Jeram reprised her role as DS Simone "Monty" Montrose. Pretty much like the last few series, she delved into the technology side to the case, who even on her birthday in episode 2 still showed commitment into solving the case. After seeing her journey on Act One This a few years ago before the first series of the show was screened, I’m so happy that three series in and she’s still killing it with her amazing talent. And with her background as a police officer herself, it’s a fine example of how your USP can be the thing that helps you succeed. I do hope that if there were to be another series, we’d get a storyline that focused on her within the next case! 

We also saw some new characters within this series, both within the police and also within the case they had to solve. One of them was Chief Constable Graeme Willis, played by John Gordon Sinclair, who after DI Jay Mallick’s actions in the last series, was in charge of making an inspection. I could definitely tell that he did his homework when it came to this role, as this was a role authority, showing that this is a serious matter, and that whilst he was strict strict, he was also showing that there was a time limit to solving the case whilst being under investigation. But he definitely found himself intimidated when Mac shows how proud she is of her team, but I’m glad he showed compassion when he revealed the results of the investigation, and also showing care for Mac, even if he did or didn’t know about her health problems. We also saw actress Amelia Isaac Jones take on the role of Harper Ross, who met Bart at a previous event, but for some reason she felt pressure from her. But she definitely took a shine to Lindo (and I can’t argue with her on that), and did spend the night together (which wasn't directly shown but I hinted otherwise), only to find out she was part of the SPIS team. Episode 2 showed in more detail her job status, and wanted to be professional about it, and Amelia did a brilliant job in showing her importance of Harpers job. It was also clear that she and Bart had some sort of feud particularly over in episode 3 when Bart asked about what was recorded in the meeting, and I was abit sad on how it wasn’t exactly revealed how they met. This series the two sad victims that met a gruesome fate were in the form of Lisa Sterling, played by Jess Douglas-Welsh, and Matty Gough, played by Bailey Newsome, Lisa’s friend, but they were definitely referenced a lot in this series because of the case. 

Throughout this series, we got to see a traveller community, who understandably were frustrated when the police came constantly, knowing the amount of abuse and misconceptions they get from society. One of them was Rose Gough, played by Ellie Haddington, the grandmother of Matty who had dementia (as even though it wasn’t exactly revealed the signs were definitely there), and nearly got killed as a result of a potential arson attack. Ellie also did a good job at how someone with dementia would feel in stressful scenarios, and she definitely felt stress when she got interviewed, with liason officer Alex Nichols (who I’ll mention in a moment) revealing a sad part of her childhood and why she needs protection within the community. Another member of the travelling community was was Drina Gough, played by Dawn Sievewright. She was Matty’s mum who became very defensive which was understandable given the prejudice they face, but also gave her part in episode 2 when it came to thanking about Lisa’s parents, and also revealed in episode 3 of her thoughts of the whole case. There was also Jackson Mcllroy, played by Joshua Haynes, who definitely took the leadership role and had a criminal past, so he was every right to look shifty and making him the obvious suspect. But it was only to reveal that he was in a relationship with Matty’s mum, keeping it to himself incase it cause carnage within the community. Like Drina, he understandably was frustrated with the police constantly coming round to them, and  sure Joshua is a nice person in real life, but he definitely did his homework when it came to being someone who if you get on the wrong side, you don’t want to mess with! Two other people wh also helped leverage the mystery was Mr Marsh, played by Paul Tinto, Matty’s teacher who helped Matty before the events of this series, and Adam Colgan, played by Craig Binning, who gave his side of the story despite looking shifty (and he was right to be), and got a grilling from Mac in episode 2 about the murder weapon. But he eventually gave his part of Lisa’s death and also his alibi, ruling him out of the murder.

There were also two people who were under suspicion for the murders. One of them was Richard Loughton, played by Alistair Mackenzie. He ran the estate if Loughton Hall and also got some hints in episode 2 of him being suspicious. But he soon got himself in the firing line with regards to his link to Lisa, but met a dreaded fate at the end of the episode. The other one was Mr Gifford, played by Ian Pirie, who found Lisa’s body, but in episode 3 became another suspect following Loughty’s fate, but managed to give his side and got an alibi, revealing more clues to who was the killer. There were definitely more people affected by the teens fate. They were in the form of Carl Haywood, played by Ryan Fletcher and Janine Stirling played by Chloe-Ann Tylor. They were the parents of Lisa (with Carl being her stepfather), and Carl was definitely being shifty throughout most of the series. They also had very different views on how to handle it, as Janine was wanting to do it for the right reasons. But they got themselves under suspicion in episode 2, when it was revealed that they lied about their whereabouts, with Janine giving her side with regards to her daughter’s relationship with Carl, and Carl once again being put on hold after revealing his money troubles. But he showed a vulnerable side when it came to the fire, Lisa and Matty. 

The killer in the end was someone who for viewers was least expecting, but after I was looking at the thumbnail of the last episode, I had my suspicions. This was in the form of Alex Nichols, played by Thoren Ferguson, the travelling liason ACC who expresses the right approach to talk to ten traveller community. Episode 2 saw him querying on brining in Rose for questioning (which was understandable given her health), and being the good person he was, decided to come with her as the liason officer and the as very good with her. New clues then got suspicious in episode 3 and had no problem with giving out evidence, but with Shelly revealing her side and a physical clue that was seen got him revealing his aggressive side (which Thoren really did a good job at after being perceived as the nice guy all this time) and soon revealed his involvement in Matty and Loughty’s dismiss. But he wasn’t the only one involved. Noah Crockford, played by Aaron MacGregor, who was also part the community and alerted about Rose being trapped in the house, was also one who played a paet in the whole thing. It was nice how he bonded with Lindo about society judging them for who they are, and also revealed about who Billy was when Rose called him that. But it all got shocking when he revealed that he was the main culprit for Lisa, but I’m glad he got a less harsh punishment knowing that yes he may have lied to the police, he showed genuine remorse. But he had someone to cover up his party, and that was in the form of his mum Shelley Crockford, played by Emma Hartley-Miller. She also looked after Rose and made it clear in episode 3 her thoughts on Lindo talking to Noah and was also agitated by Alex’s involvement in the case. But in order to protect both Alex and Noah, she made out that she was the one who pushed Lisa to a dreadful death and Matty’s stabbing claiming that she was using it for “protection”, eventually seeing her sinister side when it came to Richard Loughty. But she realised that she couldnt hide her plan anymore, and she soon revealed her medical records and her relationship with Alex and how he’s connected with Noah. And what I liked most about that moment was Emma and dawns connection in that scene, showing how it’s someone like Shelley that can make someone like Mac really feel her pain, knowing it’s the same thing she’s going through, but tried to maintain her professionalism for the sake of the job. 

I think some of my downsides were that because it was only three episodes, I’ve either missed some bits of information whilst working on these tv reviews or that some things genuinely weren’t clarified. One of them was Bart’s link to Harper, and how things were abit awkward between the two. But maybe it was something for the audience to decide, which if it was the case then there’s a lot of ideas for actors who want to be involved in the next series. There wasn’t also clarity on if Lindo was still seeing Harper, so it would be nice that if there wasn’t another series, we would get an update on Lindo”s love life. I also thought that the ending of the whole series was abit sudden, and I was expecting more. But again I think it’s something for the audience to decide in the hopes of getting on a new series of this show or something similar to it. I was also sad that we didn’t see the aftermath of the travelling community following the revelation of Alex being in the firing line, but equally again I think that’s something for the audience to decide. 

Overall I would give this show a 4.75 out of 5. It was tense, the case had drama both from the suspects and within the team, and it had plenty of twists and turns. Fingers crossed for another series where I can’t wait to see what case they solve next!  

CIA:

The next show I’m going to talk about is CIA, starring Tom Ellie and Nick Gehlfuss. 

As stated on IMDb, the synopsis of the show:

“Follows a partnership between a C.I.A. Case Officer and an F.B.I. Special Agent who work together on a clandestine task force to prevent domestic terrorism in New York.”

The two main leads of this role were Tom Ellis as Colin Glass, a CIA agent born in England and raised in American even though he was British (and has a flawless American accent throughout the series), and Nick Gehlfuss as Bill Goodman, a FBI agent. They both as different ways of working because of their different job roles, but I think by the end of the series, it was a partnership they were least expecting, which made them appreciate the different things in life. For Colin, he was involved in alot of stuff before the events of the series as seen in episode 1, but it actually worked to his advantage after the enemy from episode 1 revealed his past. He also gave his thoughts on relationships and also revealed his parents when one asset was talking about food in episode 2, but was a different outcome at the end of that episode episode, along with lying about his job in episode 4 which affected his relationship with his secret girlfriend. Although it didn’t come in handy in episode 4, and whilst he was honest in a lie detector test as seen in that episode, it was the relationship, and I thought it was quite entertaining how he revealed to be K-pop fan in episode 5 to blend in with the case and indicated an SOS via a mailbox (which I’ll mention more about when I talk about the day player roles/guest actors). What I’ve also learnt from Colin was that he has a talent for sensing that killers are not really killers, using his past experience to get through to someone in episode 2, and also sensed and a dummy which led to a trap. He was also able to detect danger, which included finding a bomb in episode 7 and in episode 11 when he sensed someone he knew was around based on how they broke in, along with sensing laser beams when trying to find a former mentor of his. But we also got to see a vulnerable side to him as he opened up in episode 7 about how his old working partner passed away and how a colleague never really processed it, soon revealing his romantic connection to her (but I’ll mention more about it on the main objective of the season of the show). Whilst we got a glimpse of his family, to help with one case in episode 9, he then opened up about his sibling to bell a family grieve, and gain an asset by using a burger analogy. What I like about this character is showing Tom Ellis’ versatility. From his comedy skills in Miranda, to his evil but hypnotic side in Lucifer, he was definitely able to harness the seriousness Colin needed to add into the case, but also found time for abit of humour, adding some light into the high stakes show. For Bill, he was someone who felt the need to act straight away, which sometimes isn’t the best thing but got a hint from Colin that he wanted more than being an FBI, but speaking to Colin’s asset in episode 1 made him realise how important working with Colin was. He then revealed in episode 2 that he’s engaged, but I could see that being in a relationship whilst working in a dangerous job like the FBI was a struggle, but there was one moment (which I’ll mention later on in this section) where I think he realises how important his fiancée is. I also liked how he also showed his speciality of speaking Arabic, which came in handy for the cases they were investigating, and also respected Colin for opening up, but wondered about the truth when Colin mentioned different ages. But within the case he also has a situation with his parents when his dad goes through cancer and wanted to help them by testing for a stem cell transplant. I could also sense that he was uneasy about Colin’s way of working when in episode 4 Colin went rogue, but it’s examples like in episode 5 where he nearly got killed, but Colin knowing a booby trap for him just in time, and also in episode 7 when they had different views when someone from Colin’s past came back. So even more of a reason to have someone like Colin by his side, otherwise his life could be a lot worse if not over (literally!)! I also liked Tom and Nick’s on screen chemistry, which made some of the lighter moments in this tense show more special. This was seen in episode 6 where I found it quite entertaining when he posed as Colin’s “boyfriend” to get some clues, but opened up about his service in the military and the horrors to help with the father of the kid who believed he’s dead. I think towards the end of the season, he realised what he wanted in life as he got offered a promotion at the end of the season, but turned it down knowing how much he enjoyed working with Colin. Throughout the show, Bill was also tasked with finding a mole within the CIA, and found a link with Colin’s girlfriend Sarah, coming to a heat in episode 9 where Colin denied being the mole. Soon they were working together to figure out who it was after Colin explained how it may have been linked to Toni’s death, with Bill being impressed by his search. I’ll mention the mole link when it comes to the next few roles and the day players/guest appearances in the last two episodes. 

Alongside Colin and Bill there were two other important people who helped within the case. The first one is actress Necar Zadegan taking on the role of Nikki Reynard, deputy chief of CIAs New York station who was the one to convince Colin to let Bill be his asset to help him work. One thing I’ve learned from Nikki was that she thinks outside of the box. As she uses a unique tactic in episode 2 to help gain some clues, along with using her religion to get through to someone who believed to be dead in episode 6 but failed to keep him safe. She also offered to play her part in episode 9, which landed everyone in very near danger and again in episode 12 when the mole was uncovered and needs to find some more clues. I did find her abit suspicious in episode 11 when she was hesitant on Colin finding a former CIA mentor, but maybe that’s from a place of care, showing that she’s a good boss to Colin. The second actress is Natalee Linez who took on the role of Gina Gosian, a crack intelligence analyst who definitely knew her stuff… But she was wanting to be out in the field in episode 8, showing that she wanted more than being at a desk, which took some guts to do that! But got suspicious of Nikki in episode 10 when she noticed something suspicious on her computer, which I think is linked with the mole in the CIA. Other members of the CIA included Kevin Turner, played by Jake Matthews, a counter terror analyst (but there was a big secret about him which I’ll mention in the next couple of sections in this part of the blog), and Zeeb Ornstein, played by Jonathan Randell Silver, another analyst who was able to hack into payment systems. There was also Miguel, played by Manny Ureña, another team member who came in handy when it came to hacking the devices to deactivate the bombs at the end of the episode and saved everyone’s lives, including Colin’s in episode 5, and also helped identify two missing football players in episode 7. Another person who was not working in the CIA but had an impact on Colin’s life was Sarah Lloyd, Sarah Diamond, Colin’s secret girlfriend who also hid a secret, but got Colin in a stick situation in episode 9 when she called him during the case. She was oblivious to his work, particularly when Colin was trying to hide being the one to break into her office in episode 11, but soon after landing himself in a sticky situation, she was heartbroken when Colin revealed everything to her, but somehow managed to find some compassion in episode 12 when helps him and Bill find the recruitment of the mole. 

There was also some crossover characters from previous FBI series. One of them was Jubal Valentine, played by Jeremy Sisto, a colleague from the FBI, a member of Assistant Special Agent in Charge (ASAC) in the FBI New York field office who originally came from FBI series and helped Bill and Colin, who also gave bill the assignment to find a mole (which I’ll mention in the next section), convincing him to be on their side in order to do it. There was also actor James Chen as Ian Lim, an FBI technical analyst who helps Bill along the way, and in episode 11 when it came to working on the mole, and Peter Cooper, played by Cotter Smith, who along with Jubal was keen on identifying the mole. But the final episode saw him making it clear that there needed to be more on why the mole was gaining entry into the CIA. 

I also wanted to give a shoutout to the day player roles in each episode who not only did a brilliant job portraying each character in the case, but also gave leverage to Bill and Colin’s own stories to give them a few realisations. I’ll try and be as concise as I can knowing there are a 12 episodes in this season, and I’ll also mention for the last two the people linked with the mole that Bill and Colin were trying to find. Episode 1: Directed Energy, there was Sonya, played by Kyra Zagorsky, Colin’s source who helps him crack different clues, and Charlie, played by Katario Dupreè Young, one of Bill’s colleagues who was unsure of Colin at first in episode 1 but trusted his way which paid off. There was also Dr Phil Russo, played by Brian Thomas Abraham, a doctor who Colin knows when someone got shot, and Development lead played by Michael Dean Morgan, who did a good job at sticking to his job when Bill and Colin examined the crime scene. There was also Adrian Torres, played by Christian Gnecco Quintero, someone who heading work with Colin before the series who brought the first episode in style, claiming to make weapons for defence and got Colin in a sticker situation, revealing Colin’s bravery to help him and ended up helping him, and Robert “Bobby” Pereira, played by Orlando Cintron Jr, the romantic partner of Adrian Torres who suspected him of cheating. Along with those 4, there was also Saul Obregun, played by Gabe Martinez, who went under a different name and posed as a journalist for a bigger part. Episode 2: Fatal Defect, included Officer Malloy, played by Christ Blunt, the officer who led the bag man in but was the one who got Colin and Bill in danger, and Mona Azar played by Melinda Michael, a member of the Lebanese intelligence who was used as Colin’s and Bills asset, and helped them in their mystery, but after a brutal move, she revealed about finding. We also saw the appearance of Samir Allen, played by Omar Shafiuzzaman, who was actually her son and was the real killer after a secret was made about his past, with Colin using his past to help, and the realisation of what Colin said did the trick, but Mona gave Bill a warning for future references. But someone who was deemed as a suspect was someone called Kabul Malib, played by Fareed Ward, Mona's target and Nikki got some glimpse into his business to help crack the case. Episode 3: Bridge of Lies, saw Eddie Montrose played by Carlos Marks who got stuck in a sticky situation when he’s being framed in Hong Kong and has a link to Nikki, and Huang played by Alain Uy, an interviewer in Hong Kong who put immense pressure on Nikki when she got detained. There was also Larry Kriegman, state defence liaison played by Dan Bakkedahl, who came to help save Nikki and appeared again in episode 9: Blood Money. There was also Lin Wu, played by Rubio Qian, someone who was secretly a spy who teamed up with her boss Kyle Neelam, played by Deven Kolluri, and was also revealed to be in a relationship with each other, and Counsel General Wei Chen, played by Perry Young, who was the head of the Chinese government and secretly root cause of Nikki’s scenario and Wu’s handler, or do they thought, as his interpreter Kai Lee (Roger Wan) was in on it the whole time. Episode 4: Forced Labour, saw Aleks Kovadenko played by Aaron Schwartz, a terrorist member who I’m sure in real life the actor is a nice person, but you could just tell from the look on his face he was born to play a villain. There was also Sophia Ankov, played by Andra Nechita, the mother of the baby who fell victim to Aleks’ set up, and the pressure of it caused her to meet a dreadful fate. But what I liked about her was how she was able to feel intimidated by Aleks, and how she was able to translate it to the screen, showing that both Aaron and Andra really did their homework on these characters. We also saw actress Hope Davies take on the role of Stepheie Harris, who wanted to adopt the baby from Sophia, and was also the one who fell victim to Aleks’ set ups, and Adoption attorney and lawyer Elizabeth Johnson, played by Donna Lynne Champlin, who was pretty much on Aleks’ side at first but then soon offered he services. Episode 5: Deep Cover, saw Farah and Joe Abanpour, Roxanne Hope Radja and Pej Vahdat, who were the ones to possibly kill the latest family in the form of the Van Kamps, along with influencer Cameron Myers (Rickey A. Schroeder), but put the blame on someone else and nearly killed one fan Cassidy, Catherine Giovanna Quirico, but surged to give her story (and she made a really great fangirl). But it was revealed that their names weren’t their actual names, only using them as a coverup and revealed to be Leila Karimi. But Colin used his charm to try and get Leila to open up and give him the information needed. There was also worker Tamara, played by Abby Jaros, who fell for Colin’s persona and gave her personal history with the victims, but also gave some vital information on one of their job roles which could lead to their dismiss. There was also Felicia Bailey, played by Nancy De Mayo, who knew Cameron Myers due to him being her boss, who sadly didn’t give information, and Dr Rohan Jafari, played by Essam Ferris, who could sense Colin’s plan it was a set up, and was caught in time before he spreader more danger. Episode 6: Pledge of Allegiance, saw Colin’s contact Faisal, Omar Moustafa Ghonim, who worked in a shop and sent Colin the SOS, and Colin also decided to call off the undercover operation when Faisal gets into a spot of bother. But the main part of this episode was the appearance of Patrick Graham, with the young one sporty yard by Graham Harvey and older version played by Lance Daniels, who was believed to be dead, and was revealed to be part of the group, completely brainwashed. Whilst he was initially blamed for one bombing, he eventually revealed he’s been set up and cooperated to help Colin and Bill catch the real culprit. There was also Anthony Graham, played by Chris Bauer, Patrick’s father and turned into politics to help, and Kimberly Graham, Kathleen Rose Perkins, Anthony’s wife who stood by him, and appeared again in episode 9: blood money where Bill offered her a deal when it came to helping him with some information which included some hints on the mole within the CIA. Episode 7: Elimination Game, saw FBI special agent Maggie Bell assistant played by Missy Peregrym, who helped detect the bomb and praised Bill for working with Colin. The main guest appearance was Andy Yoon, played by Ryan Youngwoong Kim, an NIS agent, who knew Colin through his old Partner Toni who helped out with the case but the FBI were strict on letting him know, also reminding Colin that he wasn’t to blame for his past partner getting killed. Bill in particular didn’t take a liking to him, but he was every right to be, and after some convincing he managed to make Colin see that he was in fact a double agent for North Korea and how it was him all along. There was also Isobel Castile, played by Alana De La Garcia, who had a link with the South Korean embassy and allowed Yoon to have an input in the investigation and also praised Colin for his bravery, reminding him of what being a human being is, and Choi and Lee Sook, played by Subin Kara Ahn and Connie Bahng, the two players they went missing. And two people who were responsible for their disappearance were Coaches Ji Ho Park and assistant coach Kang, played by C.S. Lee and Yong Hyeok Lee, who were Korean spies. There was also an appearance from assistant US attorney Lauren Lafferty, played by Molly Griggs, who Bill knew from the past in his education days and told her about his life now, but it was clear that there was still some feelings between them, and I liked how Lauren and Nick were able to show that through our screens through the former lovers (at least that’s what I think they were anyway). Episode 8: Orbital, saw Katie, played by Caroline Pluta, Nick’s fiancée, who in previous episodes suggested that things weren’t going well, but Bill found a newfound appreciation for her at the end of the episode, and Malcom Reeves, played by Brandon Morris, Nikki’s Canadian colleague who gave her some information, but was also aware that time was of the essence. There was also Evelyn, played by Masha Breezs, a colleague at a bookstore (and also was brilliant at representing the trans community) who was able to help Colin give some clues, soon revealing the weapon is more dangerous. But the main guest character of the show was Jonah Le’Roux, played by Donal Logue, Colin’s contact who made a tense entrance but was able to give Colin some information on the next case but he was a no show as he and Bill were in danger, and opened up about his job, soon sacrificing himself to save everyone, which gave Bill a newfound perspective on life. The two main villains were Mateo Kola, played by Glenn Fleshler, the guy who had the nuclear battery but soon met a dreadful fate, and Sasha Kotov, played by Costa Ronin, of Russian intelligence who definitely did his homework on making his character intimidate Gina, showing how tense a villain like him should be. Episode 9: Blood Money, saw Levni Company leader Zara Demnir played by NAME, who helped Colin with the case in exchange for asylum for her by being a plus one, and Kinski, played by Kat Murphy, and ho was a technical expert who helped Colin with some information, who turned out she was part of a previous investigation which gave Bill another clue into the mole of the CIA. We also saw actor Damon Dayoub as Nasir Levni, Selma’s brother who gave a speech about her wedding (showing how much of a brilliant brother he was), but it soon turned when he got drugged and sadly met a dreadful fate. There was also the married couple to be Selma Levni and her fiancée Ali, played by Leon and Ramin Karimloo, who eventually revealed some money problems, gaining reassurance from Bill (who also showed compassion when asking for help to get the killer). But it looked like the wedding was off Ali was revealed to have done the job, which caused some disagreement between Bill and Colin on whether to hire him as an asset and the danger they’re in. But it was eventually solved when Ali admitted to everything (and quite at an extreme length at that) and Selma eventually thought about being an asset. Then there was Kerem Levni, played by Ennis Esmer, who was also part of the company linking to the case and took Colin for a spin to help him grieve and explained his relationship with his brother, but some money discoveries from Zeeb soon got Colin and the gang discovering he’s not who he said he is, which for him and Gina going through a plan, which eventually paid off. Finally, Episode 10: rare earth saw Mario Padiila, played by Alberto Bonilla, who sadly met a dreadful fate but had some dodgy fate, and Angelina Bison, played by Shiva Negae, one of his clients who declined his offer and didn’t give out anything. There was also Bobby played by Giorgio Panetta, a driver accused of hitting Mario, but soon later discovered it was far more bigger than this. One person who was in danger was Robert Davies, played by Aaron Stanford, a member of the NSA who got caught in the firing line when another person died, but put his family in danger when Bill and Colin disagreed with Nikki on how to handle it. Someone standing in his way was Luis Zamora, played by Goya Robles, a worker at the hotel who got shifty, and was interrogated by Colin to open up about where Robert’s wife and daughter is.

The last two episodes, which were “Forbidden Eye” and “Broken Glass”, were all linked with the mole itself. Because of this, it then led to Zeeb, Kevin and Nikki being the three suspects, and Kevin being the mole this whole time (which I was not expecting), which then led to Colin revealing the truth of his job to Sarah, ending their relationship. But whilst finding out who recruited Kevin, it came to be that Colin’s former partner Toni, was in fact alive! For this revelation, I liked how whilst Bill understood how important it was to him, he knew when Colin needed to slow down. But I could see how much he cared for her, but also made it clear of his boundaries. Sarah was also in crossfire as she worked for the company, which ended up in nearly a disaster, but managed to achieve her objective by helping Colin and Bill. Episode 11: Forbidden Eye, saw Sanford “Sandy” Harrison played by David S, who for a man of his age, definitely had physical stamina, looking for the forbidden Eye, but was linked to Colin after he revealed his past and was the mentor who went missing. One thing was for sure, he definitely sent them on a wide goose chase and used codes to help the team solve the case, something that Colin knows and was clearly paranoid about the case. But Colin’s lessons from him to help Sandy open up to his wife Anne Harrison, played by Caroline Lagerfelt, who enlisted Colin for help in the first place. Without her, I don’t think the mole would be identified in the first place, so she definitely made an impact on the case! Someone else who was in the firing line but gave an important clue was Nora Ayad, played by Alexa Mansour, an asset from Sandy and wasn’t convinced of Sandy being retired and was wanting to help but met a dreadful fate (which Sandy was heartbroken about), but used her phone to locate Sandy and possibly find the mole. But one person who gave the biggest clue to the mole being revealed was Omar Al-Idri, played by Faruk Amireh, someone who gave more than one meaning of what Ayn-Al Haram and not just the “Forbidden Eye”, which was actually linked to the mole. So I guess you could say that without him, the mole wouldn’t have been found! Finally, Episode 12: broken glass, finally saw the appearance of Antoinette “Toni”, played by Angela Sadafyan, Colin’s former work partner and love interest as we saw in a very saucy flashback. She was also on a very dangerous mission to finish what she started a year prior to the series. Two other people that were featured in the flashback were Jacob, played by Don Castro, an asset who gave Toni the mission from Pyramid, and Harry Tan, played by Rob Yang, someone from Pyramid schemes who could sense Colin was running late and escaped just in time. In the present, Gina gave a full background on him and his undercover past, but when managing to locate him, he definitely felt Colin’s wrath when wanting to know the truth, which he did eventually (and Tom Ellis did a brilliant job at being intimidating whilst Rob did his homework to make Harry feel intimidated, showing the communication between Tom and Rob really paid off when filming it). But he met a dreadful fate when Toni revealed what he was going to do. Finally, there was Stan Kovulcheck, played by Fredric Lehne, who made it clear to Nikki about the mole, and Joanne Kerkering, played by Laila Robins, the head of the pyramid scheme who refused to cancel the event in shedding, although she could see why the CIA suggested it when she found herself in danger, but managed to escape safely when Colin got hurt (but thankfully nothing series). 

I don’t think I have any downsides to this show, as it was full of action and high stakes moments. But like with Granite Harbour, I felt like the ending of this season was abit “sudden” and it didn’t feel very complete. So it would’ve been nice to not only get a small glimpse of the aftermath of the characters following each case, but a good ending that would set up the next season nicely. I also would’ve liked to see more of Bill and Katie’s relationship and navigate it within the job (maybe even get a glimpse of a wedding), and also get a glimpse of Bill's family and if his dad managed to get the treatment he needed. But with the second season already out on American platforms, I can’t wait until it comes to the UK.

Overall, I would give the show a 4.80. It was powerful, tense and had LOTS of action and high stakes. It also had moments of the unexpected which I thoroughly enjoyed and I liked how each case linked in with Bill and Colin’s main objective. I can’t wait to see how that main objective pans out when the second season hits the UK. 

The Witness:

The final show I’m going to talk about is The Witness, starring Jordan Bolger and featuring Kerry Godliman.

As stated in IMDb, the synopsis of the show goes as follows:

"In 1992, Rachel Nickell was murdered on Wimbledon Common and her son, Alex, just three weeks from his third birthday, was the only witness. The drama is based on the memoir and experiences of Alex and his father, André Hanscombe."

Like with films or tv shows based on true events, I’m going to review this show as if it was a history lesson, which will be a lot, but I’ll separate it into different chunks, from the main characters, to the day player roles from each episode. 

The role of André Hanscombe was played by Jordan Bolger. What I learnt from him were alot of things, one of which was a working as a delivery driver at the beginning of the series. Yes to some people it’s a regular job, but it was something to pay the family. Jordan’s performance also told me that André loved Rachel very much, and it was obvious that he clearly struggled when she got killed, and can sense his frustration on looking after Alex. Episode 2 saw him moving to France, showing him that he wanted to move from the past, which was understandable given how everyone was on his case and some of the racist comments he received and the fact that he didn’t want any pressure on his son at such a young age. I’ve also learnt that he may have labelled the murder as an accident so that he could inform which I understand why. As time went on and we saw André 15 years later, thinking he was doing right, but it was clear that how he felt hasn’t changed, as seen in episode 1 when he forbids Alex to go vegetarian. What also learnt that André was a Tennis coach in Spain as seen in in episode 2, and despite backing Alex during a meeting with his teacher, and whilst he thought he was doing the right thing, he maybe was being too harsh on Alex due to anger and grief from Rachel. But he eventually revealed what really happened, and wasn’t convinced about the real killer back in 2005, but was still unsatisfied with it even after the verdict. That I understand as because of the length of time they had to wait to get justice, but I'm glad he managed to find some common ground at the end of the series where along with Alex’s help, they worked together to not only find peace but also help other cases when they took action themselves. The role of Andre’s son Alex had two actors. The younger version was played by Jahsaiah Williams and the teenage version played by Max Fincham, with the older version narrating the beginning of the show (which after seeing posts on social media I think was some of his book he wrote as an adult). I don’t know how you get a child of Jahsaishs age to do what he did, but I wanted to give a shoutout to the department who helped him give off the feel of what a young Alex felt during that horrific period in his life. From his performaxe, I’ve learnt that Alex was clearly in shock, and there was a lot to process at such a young age, and was clearly showed through rage that he was traumatised. But like all toddlers, he was being curious as seen in episode 2, which was lovely to see, but he also gradually revealed about things he saw before, which aligned with the suspect in question, even if it was the wrong person. As a teenager, whilst he was being a typical teenager, I also got from him that his trauma still haunted him. But he clearly showed his rebellious side in episode 2 and was accused of stealing and smoking marijuana, which is get as maybe he wanted some sort of escape from his trauma. Through Max’s performance, it clearly showed that he wanted to move on as seen in episode 3 during his 18th birthday, turning to faith, which isn’t a problem at all as long as it makes you happy. I also learnt from Alex that because of the trauma, he was someone who made his boundaries clear when it came to deciding on whether to speak out in court, telling me that it’s the fear or reliving it, but soon he decided to get some answers which enabled him to move on. And after doing some research, I’m now wanting to read his book “Letting Go” where if it’s linking to what he wouldn’t said in court that day, then it’s a great way as a form of therapy. What I loved about this show was the chemistry Jordan had with both Jahsaiah and Max’s, really embodying the real André and Alex and all that they went through. I also liked how the first two episodes were going forward and back in time from younger Alex to older Alex, showing the buildup and the aftermath of their move to Spain whilst the final episode purely focused on older Alex and the final case. After hearing casting director Catherine Willis talk about the casting of André and Alex, I can see why they were paired together, as it gave us a glimpse into Andre and Alex behind the media and what people may not have seen during their horrific ordeal. This was clearly shown in episode 1, when as mentioned before, even though André thought he was doing the right thing, little things like going vegetarian was something that Alex wanted to do for himself. It was also shown in episode 2 when Alex is convinced that André felt guilty about what happened to Rachel following a fight that ended up in hospital. It also showed in episode 3 when everything got too much for the pair, and how André thinking that religion is a bad thing when really it’s a good thing. Soon their relationship was mended after what Alex learnt in London, despite when André was still wanting proof of what the killer did, they finally got moving on with their life, which led to the narration of Alex’s book and also cases that the CPS didn’t look through properly. I also don’t know if they added languages before filming this show, but I can tell that they really did their homework on their languages, and it was flawless and precise. 

Throughout this show there were other people who had impact on André and Alex’s life for different reasons. One of them was Alex's Grandma June, played by Kerry Godliman. She was Andre’s mother who was also affected by it, and was weary of André deciding to move abroad, but again respected his decision knowing it’s Alex’s wellbeing that’s important. What I learnt from her was that she is a caring person who also wanted André to let the police do their job, as Episode 2 saw her convincing André that since Rachel died nothing has been the same There was also Rachel Nickell herself, played by Eleanor Williams, the woman in question who got murdered (and I could tell that she cared for André and Alex very much, with Alex still reliving her personality through his teenage years), and DCI Wickerson, played by Kevin Eldon, who led the case to find the murderer. We also saw actor Neil Maskell took on the role of DI Keith Pedder, who was recruited by new Scotland Yard to help with the case, which he was keen about, as he wondered why only Rachel was killed and not Alex. I could sense him feeling pressure when suspect Colin Stagg, played by Jamie Bispang, denied killing her, and Episode 2 saw them revealing of an undercover operation to prove that Colin was the killer, but I could only imagine their frustration when Andre made it clear on his thoughts. But it paid off when he was arrested and kept André up to date with the investigation. But after Colin’s court trial, I could sense Pedders’ guilty when revealing the news which ultimately led him to be off the case. But seeing a glimpse of him in episode 3 tells me that he has a mixture of relief knowing that André and Alex could move on, guilty because he wish he could’ve done more, and angry at the CPS for not picking it up sooner. We also saw actors Jon Pointing as DC Nick Sparshatt, and DC Paul Miller played by James Dryden. They were the two DC’s who had to break the news to Andre and whilst they put no pressure on him, they recommended that he’d come forward, and were very good with child Alex (with one moment in episode 1 being quite light and entertaining). I couldn’t imagine what DCs like Nick and Paul were feeling when having to tell a family the worst news, but Jon and James really showed how yes they didn’t want to have to tell Andre, but they knew they had a job to do to help them. We also saw actor Sean Gilder as DCS Nicholas Campbell, who was someone who convinced André that it was important and the media in the case, also pressuring his comments. Episode 2 saw him giving Pedders orders on the reality of the case, but he as impressed by the undercover operation, and Episode 3 saw him reveal to André of the facts and not to get involved in the media’s getting him to focus on what’s really important. But he clearly didn’t achieve his objectives with André, as he wasn’t satisfied despite the real killer being in custody. Another important figure in the case was Professer Paul Britton, played by Paul Chahidi. He was a prominent British clinical and forensic psychologist, who was able to picture the killer from the clues a young Alex mentioned, so was a vital part in the case, even though it did lead to the wrong person for Rachel’s death. Someone else who made some big clues in the case was DS Ivan Agnew, played by Mark Stanley. He was the one to give André the news of reopening the case in 2002, and Episode 2 saw Ivan give Andre the name of the real culprit and along with his colleague, he had to convince André in episode 3 they’ve found him. He was also someone who wasn’t one to give up and think outside the box, and in episode 3 he managed to find a breakthrough when it came to a vital clue even though they had one shot, which somehow paid off. We also got a glimpse into the real killer of Rachel, which was Robert Napper, played by Steve Stamp, who was also involved in the murder of Samantha Bisset, and a map was a big clue into that and Rachel’s murder. He was also a patient at Broadmoor secure hospital, which shouldn’t be excused for a horrific crime. I don’t know if what homework Steve did, but I tell you something, he made it clear that Robert was someone who literally made you feel uncomfortable the second you see him. Episode 3 showing his interrogation got a glimpse into his life and how because his mom left him, along with revealing his conditions liked Asperger’s and how it caused that impact. In a shocking turn of events, he pleaded not guilty to the murder but guilty to other stuff, but it was soon revealed of his parents relationship which I think was the root causes of why he did what he did. And whilst I don't excuse the crime committed, its moments like this that fascinate me, as there's always a reason for someone's behaviour, and Robert's backstory may be an example of it.

I also wanted to give a shoutout to the day player roles/guest appearances from each episode who whilst I was wasn’t sure if they were real people or fictionalised for this story, they definitely gained leverage on André and Alex’s story. The main first role I was to talk about in Episode 1 was Claire Rushbrook as Dr Jean Harris-Hendricks. She was a child psychologist who helped try to get through to Alex, and was very professional when he lost his temper, which also showcased the experience child psychologists like Jean has and how she comes across situations like this. Episode 2 saw Lizzie James, played by Holly Hagood, the lady who bravely decided to be part of an undercover operation to expose Colin. We also saw the appearance of DS Micky Banks, played by Ben Cartwright, another officer who worked on the case for Samantha Bisset. He was someone who made it clear that he won’t rest until they catch the culprit knowing he’s dangerous to the public. This tells me that it’s officers like him who maybe thought that if it was their wife and daughter, they would do anything to stop it happening to them. I don’t know if that was Micky was going through, but Ben clearly worked really hard on Mickeys objective. There was also French teacher played by Lilou Des Bois, who queried André about Alex and his lack of communication with the adults, and Carla played by Lena Chan, the au pair who cares deeply for Alex as a teenager and André, and whilst she agrees that André wants what’s best for Alex, she also tries to see that he’s nearly an adult, so was wanting to make his own mistake. Finally, Episode 3 saw the appearance of DI Tony Nash, played by James Bradshaw, who had to convince André that Robert Napper was guilty and worked to prove that it was him. I liked how he had a phrase which was useful in the case, which definitely brought in some light amid the darkness of this show, but like DI Keith Pedder, I could tell that he had a mixture of relief knowing that André and Alex could move on, along with guilt and anger at the CPS for not picking it up sooner. There was also Anna, played by Paulina Piwko, a girl Alex got with, and was very supportive when Alex opened up about everything, and Act On This member Nick Dutton, who took on as Peter Collier, a member of “The Sun” who somehow he and some followers have him to get some questions (and with him having a base in Spain, this was a brilliant opportunity for him). There was also a Forman, played by John Blackman, who owns the flat Robert was in and gave his side of the story for the police to find some major clues to prove his alibi, and Sean AugustLewis as the nurse of Broadmoor Secure hospital. There was also Shelley Williams as Nappers solicitor, who regardless of whether she believes him or not, she was only doing his job, and Dr Shah, played by Gary Pillai, Roberts psychiatrist who used a very gentle approach to get through to Robert, and much like shelly, regardless if he knew of Robert’s crimes, he was only doing his job. But one person who made Alex wanting to move on with his life and have a wake up call was Dr Monroe, played by Jane Gurnett. She used to treat Robert Napper and gave Alex some information after wanting to know more about why he did what he did, and without her, Andre and Alex wouldn’t have gotten the closure they needed. I was very impressed with Jane’s performance in particular and the chemistry on screen she had with Max, as I don’t know if Dr Monroe was her real name, but if she was, she certainly did her homework when it comes to medical facts. 

Throughout this show, some of the true events to get a feeling of stepping into Alex and Andre’s shoes included Footage of Alex and Rachel, and a reconstruction of the police examining the place Rachel was murdered, which was then followed by the news of Rachel’s murder, with footage of everyone laying flowers. There was also a reconstruction of going back to square 1 following the crime watch appeal, and a recreation of some of the racist comments André got whilst people were trying to talk to him. This was then followed by the news of Samantha and Jazmine Bisset and their murder, and the aftermath of Colin’s trial with some protests taking place, followed by an interview with Sir Paul Condon interview, JOB ROLE. There was also the radio talk of the case, and Roberts exposé but under an anonymous name, followed by the he news of his murder charge. The final part of real life footage included the news following the aftermath of the case, and footage of the real family when Alex was little and a picture of the family, reminding the viewers that this was a real life story. 

I think my only downside to the show was that there were some moments that were hard to watch because it was based on a true life crime. Robert Napper himself really did disturb me, but from an acting perspective it was a good thing, as Steve Stamp really showed what sort of person Robert was. It also gives me a glimpse as an autistic person as to how to handle something like this if anyone tries to come onto me without my consent. 

Overall I would give the show a 4.90 out of 5. It was tense, it was emotional, and it showed how important the story was to André and Alex. And I think the real André and Alex would be proud to have their story be shown on a big streaming platforms, in the hope that if anyone is going through something like their situation, it’ll push them to keep going and get the justice they need! 

And that is it for my latest instalment of TV Reviews. Let me know which show you watched and your thoughts on them.

See you soon for another blog. Until next time…

This is The Autistic Actress signing off :)