As a big fan of the Messiah Series, I was disappointed with Messiah II and especially III. They lacked a lot of the suspense and inspiration of their progenitor (which, in my opinion was great). The fourth instalment, for me, showed the writing and the characters at their best, maybe even outdoing the original Messiah. Although by now, the idea of a killer with a slant for biblical/literary reference is relatively old news, this programme still managed to move me through many moods and shock me with the conclusion. Ken Stott's acting was, as always, top notch and Neil Dudgeon's rather light-hearted character provides a good foil for Stott's tortured detective. Strong performances were also seen from Hugo spear and Maxine Peake, however, for me, the performance of the programme belonged to Helen McCrory. Her revelation as the killer was a shock for me and in the climactic scene at the rooftop where Isabel killed herself, McCrory showed her diversity, switching from a twitching, almost frustrated character, to a lonely grieving mother, to a cold blooded killer who hadn't killed innocent people: she had just 'met them on the way'. She delivered a totally convincing contrast, whilst still reminding us that she was the same person. That scene alone moved me and for the first time in the series of Messiahs, I actually felt for the killer. That, I think, set this apart from all the others,even the first one. The killer is not just a psychopath with a biblical slant or a seeker of vengeance, but a complex and tortured character trying to save her daughter's soul.
Top Notch Emotional Thriller 10/10
Top Notch Emotional Thriller 10/10