Easter Crimes: Confession

This article is more than three years old

British series in six parts. Broadcast on NRK1 from Sunday April 5 at 21.45. All episodes will air on NRK TV on Friday April 3.

There is a recurring – and completely understandable – discussion about whether it is right to make entertainment out of tragedies that occur in the real world, and how one should act in such cases. The series creators behind “The Confession” are clearly concerned with respect for those left behind in their depiction of two real-life murder cases in England. There are no bloody murder scenes or tense hunts for frightened women here. Instead, the action begins as a disappearance mystery, after the crime has been committed, and the audience doesn’t get any flashbacks to the event either.

A young woman was reported missing by her partner. We are then introduced to many people, both family members, police officers, and people in the larger circle of the missing person. We are also introduced to a neighboring family, where news of the woman’s disappearance adds to their concerns about what might happen to their own daughter, who has long been silent.

Realistic and chaotic

Martin Freeman plays detective Stephen Fulcher, who immediately searches for the possible culprit. Then we become flies on a number of walls, both within the police force, with families struggling between fear and hope, as well as with a number of other people who are indirectly related to the story. There are a lot of people to keep track of, which makes the series feel realistic, but also quite chaotic. The same can be said for the near-groping shots, which many will find heavy-handed and disturbing.

The big theme in this series is not primarily about the murder itself, but rather what opportunities the police have to circumvent regulations in order to catch the perpetrator. Fulcher failed to follow the book because he saw this as the only way to solve a case. This had major consequences for the case and Fulcher’s career, and the internal investigation was probably given as much latitude as the murder investigation itself. Likewise with the depiction of the victim’s family’s struggle to get justice. Especially Imelda Staunton and Siobhan Finneran as the bereaved mothers make a strong impression. One becomes a public figure leading a political campaign, while the other retreats from the limelight and tries to improve family life. Both of their stories are equally heartbreaking, each in their own way.

Excessive bureaucracy

However, there are quite a lot of transportation stages here, and a lot of detailed (and realistic) depiction of bureaucracy. As mentioned at the start, the series primarily depicts the reactions of the bereaved, and gives them the respect and attention they deserve. It also spends a lot of time showing how the police investigator is torn between wanting to do what he thinks is right and not what the rules say is right.

Therefore, along the way, the series loses its tension and intensity. So if you want classic Easter shenanigans, this might not be the right choice. On the other hand, if you want to see a realistic drama with many good actors, you just need to watch “The Confession”.