First we start with the talent. Horowitz may well be one of those rare writers who could not pen a bad script even if he tried. Purefoy possibly one of the most under-rated A-listers around, he has the ability to ground an entire film (or mini-series), at the same time projecting intelligence, sophistication and most importantly likability. And Creed-Miles, an unexpected bonus, practically hypnotic in his ability to jump from one emotional extreme to another in about the time it takes for the Enterprise to reach Warp Speed.
That said, I flagged this mini-series as a "different kind of suspense" and I am sticking to that review.
I cannot easily recall a story that so challenges the viewer to engage with the characters. It is one thing to use flashbacks to reveal the history of a character at the appropriate time. It is another entirely to parcel out bits and pieces of the backstory here and there, as if offering tiny bowls of porridge to the central character in OLIVER.
The twist (to this reviewer) is not the story itself (that is more of an obstacle course, with the first one to reach the end winning) but that the writer (Horowitz) understood off the top that it is hard to connect with the story if you do not understand the characters.
And to be frank all the characters here are a little loopy and not entirely sympathetic. (Both Purefoy and Creed-Miles for example are arguably two sides of the very same coin, neither good nor bad, neither sane nor certifiable.)
So, by the finale, that is the brilliance of Injustice. It draws the viewer along even without a sympathetic character, even with blurred plot arcs and even though you are never entirely sure who you should be cheering on.
Impressive.
That said, I flagged this mini-series as a "different kind of suspense" and I am sticking to that review.
I cannot easily recall a story that so challenges the viewer to engage with the characters. It is one thing to use flashbacks to reveal the history of a character at the appropriate time. It is another entirely to parcel out bits and pieces of the backstory here and there, as if offering tiny bowls of porridge to the central character in OLIVER.
The twist (to this reviewer) is not the story itself (that is more of an obstacle course, with the first one to reach the end winning) but that the writer (Horowitz) understood off the top that it is hard to connect with the story if you do not understand the characters.
And to be frank all the characters here are a little loopy and not entirely sympathetic. (Both Purefoy and Creed-Miles for example are arguably two sides of the very same coin, neither good nor bad, neither sane nor certifiable.)
So, by the finale, that is the brilliance of Injustice. It draws the viewer along even without a sympathetic character, even with blurred plot arcs and even though you are never entirely sure who you should be cheering on.
Impressive.