The Fall – Tod in Belfast - Série 3

...and justice for all? I can understand the disappointment of those who expected another thrilling game of cat and mouse, instead of which they got Paul Spector’s six-hour anamnesis. At the same time, however, I appreciate the creators’ courage to take a different approach (more dialogue, less action, a slower pace) and stick with it from start to finish (with a constantly high level of directing and acting). The same is true for the series as for its first episode – it begins where other narratives end and goes into the smallest details about the men and, especially, the women Spector has affected and the procedural steps associated with verifying his medical condition, which would take only a few minutes elsewhere. The result is (psychological) believability and gradually rising uncertainty about what awaits us once the final layer of Spector’s personality has been revealed. The focus of the series thus essentially remains on uncovering the murderer’s identity and intentions, only this time, instead of suspense, it raises questions relating to morality, upbringing, parenting and justice (how to deal with a person who may not know that he is a murderer). Spector serves as a mirror of the fears and insecurities of the other characters, who are connected to him in various ways and share responsibility for his condition and the safety of those around him. In the finale, the others are paradoxically far more unstable than Dornan’s chillingly calm psychopath (one became an alcoholic, someone else is overcome with loneliness), who retains some control of the situation until the final moments. Despite the initial reservations, this turned out to be a meaningful and satisfying, if not breathtaking, conclusion to the series, which is extraordinary for, among other things, its even distribution of strengths (and attention) between the sides of good and evil. (31.10.2016)

I gotta give props to the creators for their approach. The case was solved in the third season, and each season had its own theme. The first one was about the police trying to identify the killer, the second one was about catching the killer and finding Rose Stagg and the third one about the killer's conviction. Unfortunately, all that paperwork, legal stuff and psychological assessment will never be as gripping, so a few dull moments were bound to crop up here and there. Regardless of that, I find this season very good and intriguing. Most importantly, the story was logical, and the season got a worthy and, thankfully, slightly depressing ending. Satisfaction. (23.03.2017)