Messiah.

Taking a break from Spectacular Spider-Man to review another TV series, then back to Spider-Man we'll go... enjoy!

Messiah is typically English in that sense that rather than being twenty two, forty minute episodes, the first season is just two ninety minute episodes. I personally prefer the twenty two episode structure, but very few shows actually do anything with all the time you are given, so you at least know one thing with British Drama, not a second will be wasted.

This season was based on a novel, all the others are original productions. It's a cop show with really gruesome killers. The lead actor is Ken Stott who ain't that pretty, but he is an actor I really, really admire. He is extremely talented and you know there is bound to be a certain amount of quality, when he is the heart of your production. I've always said he'd make a great Doctor, if New Who wasn't trying to make the Doctor young and hip. The supporting cast are basically a who's who for anyone even half interested in British film or TV productions and do a good job, although the same really can't be said for the extras, who seem to be fighting to see who can win the most wooden actor award. Although Michelle Forbes is Stott's wife in this? She is so much hotter than it is ridiculous.

The first episode is called 'The First Killings' this tells the first half of the story. The second half is entitled 'The Reckoning;, which closes it for us.

Set in 'the present day', this was released in 2001, so I guess 2001 it is, we get fed a series of increasingly more gruesome killings as the show progresses. They all have the same theme, stripped to their undies, silver spoons in mouth and tongue removed. The first major lead is the fact the first three victims were all gay but in the end this was a red herring and the connection was 'the apostles', hence the shows title. Our killer really knows what he's doing, removing the tongues in such a way as to cause the victims to choke on their blood, alive as the tongues are removed. By the end of the show, only one victim will survive....

The second half although mainly focused on wrapping up everything introduced so far also is really a showcase of Stott's acting ability, we learn about Metcalfe's dark past and just generally watch him fall apart as the case does around him. With the killings getting more and more gruesome. From here, I'm not going to say anything, there are more spanners, more twists and the way it all comes together is just so beautiful, you need to see it for yourself.

There is also a check list of cop drama clichés that surround the central case too which are completely unnecessary. A relationship forming amongst two members of the team? Check. One character who is basically an utter mess? Check. The Media made out to be the main villain other than the killer? Check and so on. Like I say, clichéd isn't a criticism, but I just don't know why we need all this when the central case itself is already so interesting.

The episode also jumps between 2001 and 1990. The 1990 portion involves Metcalfe's brother, Eric who went to prison and was possibly the reason Metcalfe became a policeman in the first place. In the 2001 portion he's just got out of prison and the 1990's portions outline why he went there in the first place.

What is nice, is the show takes place over several months, giving it a much more realistic feel to the progression of the case. In most American cop programs a killer murders about a hundred people one day and then is nicked the next, as the cops solve the case in five minutes using flashy gifs - Messiah proves that you can give the more natural police time frame without making the show boring. What is also nice is these cops aren't all Sherlock Holmes, in modern cop shows they have all these made up sciences and make these wild deductions like it's an episode of Scooby Doo however Metcalfe and the team are 'real' police and the case really does just go so wrong and fall to bits and it just makes for such incredible drama, especially when you have Ken Stott at the heart of it.

The show plays heavy on horror conventions, lots of dense atmosphere and jump scares to be found. I mean there are some moments so suspenseful and tense you curl your toes and hold your breath.

Messiah has a weird sense of humour... you know how everyone has that one friend, who shoves jokes into every conversation only they aren't really jokes he just kinda says 'boobs' and giggles to himself because the conversation is too clever for him? Yeah that is kinda how the humour works here... It's annoying. That isn't to say all the humour misses, there are moments that are laugh out loud hilarious, but they are the minority.

In many senses The First Killings plays much more like a stage play than a TV show, although there are visuals and so on to describe what the police say, much of the case is just the police talking to one another in static shots. There is nothing really wrong with that, but in modern police dramas, especially American ones you are bombarded with images and montages so there is always motion and movement, even if it's just people having a conversation, so it can be jarring how static a lot of this show is and how basic and unflashy much of it is, it's more concerned with the writing and acting than the montage scenes. Whether this is better or worse, I think really depends on personal taste.

That isn't to say it's a bland looking production, most of the crime scenes are artistically shot, probably to lower costs showing as little of the crimes as possible - and Metcalfe has this thing where when he drives and it rains he starts to have flashbacks and has to pull over...bit weird. There is also this truly bizarre sequence, easily the most artistic in the whole one...where Metcalfe almost chokes...it's so odd, it has no connection to anything.

You know one problem with this show is just how desensitized to violence this modern world has made me, the reactions of the characters to the guy who has been skinned and the use of clever cinematography make that scene really horrific, but when one of the gruesome possibilities is a guy being sawn in half, the line delivered like the X-Factor announcer announcing the winner of the show - all it lacked was a drum role to pad the dramatic pause and I just found myself more amused by the corny delivery rather than horrified, the things I have seen in films...sawn in half sounds like a holiday. I know that isn't the shows fault, but some of the more dramatic moments fell flat for me and I'm sure that will be true of most. Although the four month old upside down crucifixion...Jesus Christ...no pun intended.

Although the show is beautifully tight and focused there is one problem and that comes in the form of characters, namely that we just don't see enough of them so when we're given 'emotional scenes' like friends against friends and they make those lines like 'We've always had each other's backs', well I've never seen that, so I'm not invested in this, the friendship was never established.

So do I recommend it? Messiah isn't flawless or perfection but I'd argue it's a masterpiece. The story itself is so tightly written and focused, with such a great sense of pacing giving you a heap of twists, tense and exciting moments before the whole thing masterfully comes together. It's gruesome, fascinating and brilliantly acted. Anyone who likes a good story and can put up with the gruesome, needs to see this. Brilliant.

Think About It!

-Locke