Acorn brings yet another series that is stimulating and
suspenseful that delivers on all counts. I’m surprised that some US network
hasn’t gobbled up the rights to a number of these series to remake for American
audiences like they did in the past with British series that became ALL IN THE
FAMILY or SANFORD AND SON. I’m guessing that day will come.
Here we’re presented with a Welsh lawyer on maternity leave
named Faith Howell (Eve Myles) who’s married to lawyer Evan Howells (Bradley
Freegard). The pair seem happily married with two young children in addition to
the newborn. One morning Evan drives off to work and is suddenly never heard
from again.
Having been on leave from the practice after having had the
baby Eve is forced to return to work to handle the pending cases Evan was
responsible for. Among those she returns to represent is Steve Baldini (Mark
Lewis Jones), a reformed criminal seeking custody of his child. As the series
progresses Baldini will be able to help provide information Faith seeks while
the potential of becoming a love interest hangs over her tale.
As the days go by and with each no appearance of Evan the
worst is suspected. Investigating his disappearance is DI Williams (Eiry
Thomas), a woman with a grudge against Faith. The two had had a previous run in
when Williams presented false evidence costing her a promotion. Her immediate
response to Evan’s disappearance is to ignore searching for him and begin to
build a case of murder against Faith.
The only person on the force determined to find the truth is
Officer Terry Price (Matthew Gravelle), Faith’s brother in law who’s married to
Evan’s sister Bethan (Mali Harries). Terry finds evidence that can help Faith
but that Williams uses to do her harm instead. Bethan blames Faith for all
that’s transpired while his parents Tom (Aneirine Hughes) and Marion (Rhian
Morgan) offer her support.
With each passing day and seeking answers while trying to
maintain the business Faith learns more about her husband and his dealings that
she had no clue of before. She first discovers that the law firm is sinking
under a huge amount of debt. She also learns that Evan had worked on cases
involving many less than respectable clients as those that his father had nurtured
before turning over the firm have been passing away. Other evidence points to a
life Evan led under an assumed name.
Just when you think things can’t get worse they of course
do. On top of having to defend herself against the machinations of DI Williams,
Faith finds herself threatened by not one but two top criminal families who
Evan was in debt to. Both want to collect and don’t care that Faith has no
money or that the business is crumbling. As the firm’s secretary Delyth
(Suzanne Packer) and only other lawyer Cerys (Hannah Daniel) stay on to right
the sinking ship Faith struggles to either find her husband or discover what
happened to him while trying to protect her children at the same time.
The series works well on all fronts keeping the viewer guessing
from one minute to the next what will happen. It also guides you into wondering
if Faith is indeed guilty and putting up one hell of a show or if she’s being
manipulated by forced greater than her. Ever present is the question of where
is Evan. Alive? Dead? Hiding? No one knows and until the very last minute of
the show you don’t know for certain. In addition to that there are more secrets
to be learned involving all members of the family on hand here. This rounds out
the story nicely so that it never depends on the single mystery to keep things
moving.
As with many series from Acorn offered I found this another
where once the final chapter ended I wanted to keep on watching. I wanted to
know what happened next. It’s stimulating and frustrating at the same time. The
series is yet another example of a show that you’ll want to binge watch and
since it only lasts 8 episodes that can be done over a weekend. Word has it a
second series has been put in development but at present has yet to be
commissioned. Let’s hope it does so and we can carry on discovering more about
the Howells and what happens in this Welsh town they live in.
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