A_Different_Drummer Review of The Bletchley Circle

The Bletchley Circle (2012–2014)

Astonishing premise, launch .... then a nosedive into CrazyTown

[5/10 · 2 February 2014]

I am trying to make a habit of not doing reviews for productions that I found weak, as the end product just seems to annoy fans, and often on the IMDb, fans are much more vocal than the window-shoppers and tire kickers. But I will make an exception here. The first episode hooked me like a flounder. It was brilliant and it was original and it was flawlessly executed. The idea that, during WW2, a group of ordinary women (some of whom may or may not have special abilities -- that's a wee spoiler) could be so instrumental, so pivotal, in the war effort, and yet so ignored afterwards. Wonderful notion. Followed by the idea that at least one member of this former squad, in the modern era, would eschew her life as an ordinary housewife to help the police catch a ripper -- and, in the process, re-unite her former team...? Brilliant. So brilliant that, as they say in America, the show was theirs to lose. Because only internal sabotage, only dropping the proverbial ball, would derail such a strong opening. And by George that's just what the writers did. Somewhere mid-story, the writers went barking mad. It is almost as though Guy Burt and his team didn't realize the bird they already had in hand, and went for the two in the bush. Suddenly the viewer is watching a UK version of Charlie's Angels. Suddenly the ladies are in the field actually playing cat and mouse with a serial killer. And suddenly this reviewer lost that key "connection" with the series, suddenly the action seemed forced, and the magic was plain flat gone.