Manhunt (TV Series) The Van (2019) User Reviews

Tedium in detective work!

[mgfmddwd · 8/10 · 30 August 2023]

I disagree with the two previous commenters. One thing this episode emphasizes is the dragged-out tedium that must often go with detective work. Clearly this type of work can take weeks, months, and sometimes years. Just watch any cold-case series ... sometimes decades.

And Colin's wife and 2nd-in-command, Chris - what downers they are! "You're not gonna want to hear this." So why did she say it? It's not supportive! And Chris - wow! - he seems to think crimes are solved in an hour or so. Has he been watching too much TV? But really - I know why these characters are presented as they are: they demonstrate a couple of the roadblocks detectives can encounter. That's reality!

This series is quite good, in my opinion.

Lacked the cutting edge of the first episode.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 6/10 · 23 February 2019]

I have to be honest, I found this second episode very boring, I have to agree with the other reviewer, thinking it could have been done in two episodes, I totally agree with that. This second episode was naturally well acted, well made, but had a complete absence of drama, it almost felt like a documentary as opposed to a drama, absolutely nothing happened, other then pretty mundane storytelling, Colin's personal life was well handled in the first episode, in this one it became melodrama, which was non relevant, and boring.

Martin Clunes was terrific once again, he just about got this one over the line. 6/10

Episode 2

[Prismark10 · 5/10 · 9 January 2019]

I really think that the story could had been wrapped up in two episodes.

We have scenes of DCI Colin Sutton cutting short a holiday with his wife, missing a birthday, even arguing with his wife.

I am aware that the serial is based on Sutton's memoirs, but was all this included for characterisation or was it just padding.

As Sutton's team try to trace a particular white van, they come across information about Levi Bellfield from an ex girlfriend.

The more Sutton observes Bellfield the more convince he becomes that he is the murderer. Sutton also thinks Bellfield was involved in two other mothers, including Millie Dowler.

However time is of the essence. A national newspaper plans to name Bellfield and he might soon abscond.

I did think there were pacing issues in the second episode. This probably has to do with having a sombre approach which chips away from taking dramatic licence. With so many police officers who are still active, so far this is one crime drama where everyone in the police seems to be on the same page.