I'm truly shocked by the low ratings that this programme has received. This is the second week of watching and the acting has excelled in every way. The atmosphere of the whole drama is claustrophobic and secretive. A sinister air floats. Unpredictable actions by all. The little girl is mesmerising. This is the sort of story that dives off at tangents, enabling little opportunity for second guessing. It is clever, intriguing and quite possibly the best drama the BBC has produced in many years. Hardly anything has been dramatised about that critical moment after WW2 when all sides were scrabbling for any piece of intel from German scientists they could get their hands on. This dramatisation paints a fascinating picture, and the internal tension amongst those wanting to elicit the information by different means enables strong characterisation to emerge. If you want to watch something that captures you, and holds you for its duration, and then gets you talking long after the programme has finished, this is the drama for you. It's brilliant!
3 Reviews
Continues to build, in typical Poliakoff style
Sleepin_Dragon8 June 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Callum faces many problems, his wayward brother Victor proves troublesome, but worse, his mission to get Dieter working for the Brits within six days looks in peril, Callum's underhanded tactics anger Dieter, particularly when War Crimes investigator Kathy is used to unsettle him. Callum's attraction to glamorous American Rachel continues to grow, as does that for hotel resident Julia, with the latter realised. Finally Callum learns more about the intriguing and charismatic Harold Lindsay Jones, the Foreign Office mystery man encourages Callum to drive him to the remains of a grand house, where he talks of glittering social nights, and also reveals he knows of people that had the power to stop the war failing to do so. The mysterious Mr Emmanuel is allowed by Dieter to tell Lotte a bedtime story, he spooks her, she flees with a foolish Victor.
I was so impressed with the opening part, and this second instalment continues to build the story and add intrigue, as a viewer you're asking countless questions, is someone a traitor, who else has their room bugged, is Callum truly trusted? I am truly intrigued by those words from Lindsay Jones, Alfred Molina is such a class act. Baffled by Mr Emmanuel, so creepy.
It is such a fascinating story, told in inimitable style. It looks impressive, with incredible attention to detail. Those bomb sites are incredible. So many characters with different stories to tell, quality viewing. 9/10
I was so impressed with the opening part, and this second instalment continues to build the story and add intrigue, as a viewer you're asking countless questions, is someone a traitor, who else has their room bugged, is Callum truly trusted? I am truly intrigued by those words from Lindsay Jones, Alfred Molina is such a class act. Baffled by Mr Emmanuel, so creepy.
It is such a fascinating story, told in inimitable style. It looks impressive, with incredible attention to detail. Those bomb sites are incredible. So many characters with different stories to tell, quality viewing. 9/10
Episode 2
Prismark1025 November 2016
After an underwhelming opening episode, the second episode seemed to have flowed better but it does mean that this serial is actually getting anywhere.
Still we have Alfred Molina as the mysterious Mr Lindsay-Jones to steal the show as he returns to a dilapidated stately home and reminiscences about a party he attended there with his wife before the war. Lindsay-Jones was something big in the foreign office and tells Callum Ferguson he knows people who could had stopped the war from ever starting. This was the best scene of episode two.
The Connington Hotel also holds mysteries. Who else has their hotel rooms bugged? Is Callum's room being bugged?
Callum has plans to make the German scientist Dieter Koehler come over to the British side by using Kathy from the War Crimes Units but at the end he realises that he and his daughter has nowhere to go. Not back to Germany that just leaves him with the choice of the Americans or the Russians and he lets him leave the hotel with Lotte. The gambit pays off as they later return but who is this mysterious German who comes to Lotte's room, no wonder she would rather run off with Callum's wayward brother for a nice cup of hot chocolate.
It certainly is going at a leisurely pace and we have not seen outlines of some characters such as the big band singer, Eva.
Still we have Alfred Molina as the mysterious Mr Lindsay-Jones to steal the show as he returns to a dilapidated stately home and reminiscences about a party he attended there with his wife before the war. Lindsay-Jones was something big in the foreign office and tells Callum Ferguson he knows people who could had stopped the war from ever starting. This was the best scene of episode two.
The Connington Hotel also holds mysteries. Who else has their hotel rooms bugged? Is Callum's room being bugged?
Callum has plans to make the German scientist Dieter Koehler come over to the British side by using Kathy from the War Crimes Units but at the end he realises that he and his daughter has nowhere to go. Not back to Germany that just leaves him with the choice of the Americans or the Russians and he lets him leave the hotel with Lotte. The gambit pays off as they later return but who is this mysterious German who comes to Lotte's room, no wonder she would rather run off with Callum's wayward brother for a nice cup of hot chocolate.
It certainly is going at a leisurely pace and we have not seen outlines of some characters such as the big band singer, Eva.
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