Series: The Fall (S1 Ep 1-3)

Same-o situation for this weekend as for last. Funnily enough, highest on my film list now is Fleabag! (which I've already finished a season of, on Amazon Prime Video). I tried to start Season 2 - and would you credit it, it's not licensed here! Bah humbug. I ended up having to buy a dvd boxset of both seasons - it's being delivered from Germany. I couldn't bear not to see the rest - won't be delivered for a couple of weeks or so, though. (Just got word that it's been posted, at least.) Next up - on the same platform - is The Fall. About which I heard good things.

So, I just watched the first three episodes. Gillian Anderson is a detective, sent from the Met to investigate an unsolved murder in Belfast - only to discover it seems to be one of a series. As she acclimatises to life in this grey city - where she discovers, after the murder of a colleague, that she must go armed - the action switches between her (and the other PSNI officers) and the killer. Who, we discover, is mild-mannered bereavement counsellor Jamie Dornan - who seems to have something against professional women in their early thirties. With long, dark hair. Simon Delaney was the officer in charge of the investigation that Gillian Anderson was initially sent to review.

Mmm yes, I'll keep watching this - three seasons to get through. It's a cut above your average cop drama - the camera rests for longer on the actors, we get longer to process their feelings: which makes it less about the action, and more about reactions. In addition, I love the angle that Gillian takes the standard position (as stated openly in Episode 3) usually adopted by the man; sees someone she fancies, tells him where to find her, has a one-night stand. Not blinked at in a man - but to have a woman do it bucks the trend. As opposed to, say, Jamie Dornan, the New Age man - cares for the bereaved, happy to look after the kids for his hard-working wife.. love how the programme plays with stereotypes.

More of the same tomorrow. I see he stays in it through the whole three seasons - it'll be interesting to see whether they can sustain interest in the story! I also wonder, with all the topless shots of him, and suggestion that he derives sexual satisfaction from the murders, whether this wasn't the inspiration for his casting in Fifty Shades of Grey..?

Next Saturday - well, you won't believe it, I'm attending a Meetup. Finally, they have something I can attend! Up in the Cheap Seats are watching Hope Dances, again on Amazon Prime - and this time, it's available in Ireland. All right then..