Except for the final episode, which I will not describe, this series is among the best TV thrillers I've ever seen. Regional accents make some of the dialog difficult to follow if you're not a Brit, but the story line is quite clear. Although most of the faces were unfamiliar to me, the cast is excellent from top to bottom, a hallmark of BBC productions. Each of the twists and turns prior to the final episode was imaginable (if in a couple of cases improbable). But the last twist makes little sense in light of what went before. I would have rated the series a 10 if it had ended with the fifth episode (and a small coda). The final episode subtracted three stars from my personal evaluation. Bill Nighy, James McEvoy, John Simm, David Morrisey and Polly Walker were particular impressive in their respective roles.
Review of State of Play
