Season 1-5 Discussion

[dcalley]

On 5/6/2019 at 11:27 PM, elle said:

I was able to catch the red letters for this episode - DVLA -  acronym for Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.  Do the red letters in the credits refer to something that happened in that episode or a hint for the next one?

Always something from the episode. The DVLA provided a list of moving violations for the doctor that showed he returned to the vacation town on Jan. 3 in the early morning.

On 5/7/2019 at 7:36 AM, Mermaid Under said:

I'm not sure I caught everything, but they cleared everyone but the doctor and poor dead Pete?

Pete was busy stealing from the church, away from where Hayley would have been walking at 11:30 pm, so they ruled him out.

[MakeMeLaugh]

Totally unspoiled but: My money is on the local cop who Cassie had dinner with but who is returning to his own turf. Cassie will find something in the files that shows he was the one (not the now dead lead detective) pushing the runaway and London boyfriend story when the girl first disappeared. And she will then be in jeopardy. 

Most of the four guys are creepy with secrets but a giant red herring imo. 

Nicola Walker has the most beautiful eyes. The blogger Tori Allen-Martin is also in London Kills as a rookie detective. Sunny (Sanjeev Bhaskar)? I am happily married but will drop the hubs for him!

[Pickles]

Oh gosh, I was crying through that. 

[MakeMeLaugh]

Well that sure had everything tied up with a pretty bow on every little plot line. 

[Dowel Jones]

I kept thinking (and still think) that Finch would start naming some accomplices or people who knew about him and just ignored the facts.  I'm too used to twists, I guess.  I can imagine the frenzy the London press would be having with each new discovery.  Even that blogger would eventually get noticed again.

[tootsie]

At first, I thought ep 6 was too much of an anti-climax. The right guy was arrested in ep 5 so all the excitement is over. And I suppose as far as excitement goes, it was, but thinking about it later, I really admired the production for showing the after-shocks of catching the criminal. Usually, it's bad-guy-in-jail and everyone heads for the local bar to celebrate and the victim and perp families are lost to history. Here you saw how much healing still needed to happen to everyone involved, to victim families, to families of the guilty, and law enforcement, too.

Imo, all the acting was so very fine! Cassie falling slowly but inevitably apart, just masterful. And the murderer's capitulation so creepy, with those very slight smiles that made me want to smack him silly. Really believable, all of them! 

My only wish is that we'd have seen more of the murderer's family after his confession. It seemed to me that his second wife always knew more (wouldn't she have had to?) but couldn't bring herself to admit it, let alone say it. I may watch this episode a second time...something I seldom do...to watch that actress's reactions.

One thing I recall from previous years is that there were satisfying resolutions for many of the characters (though this perp was the easiest to loathe) and I personally like that there might be redemption for poor choices and broken relationships. Realistic? Maybe not but I like to think it's possible anyway.

Looking forward to season 4, which I read is a real thing. (Sighs with contentment)

Edited May 13, 2019 by tootsie
Typo

[AZChristian]

3 minutes ago, tootsie said:

Looking forward to season 4, which I read is a real thing. (Sighs with contentment)

One of my concerns about being old is that I might not be around to see another season of shows like this (and all of the "Fantastic Beasts" movies).

On the other hand, this might be what's keeping me going!!!

[Ohwell]

I thought this final episode was too predictable, and kind of ended with a thud.  

[ShelleySue]

2 hours ago, tootsie said:

Looking forward to season 4, which I read is a real thing. (Sighs with contentment)

I just hope that Alastair Mackenzie is in it.

That doctor was pure evil.  He looked at himself clinical and objectively without any trace of emotion.  Shiver.

[AZChristian]

17 minutes ago, ShelleySue said:

That doctor was pure evil.  He looked at himself clinical and objectively without any trace of emotion.  Shiver.

So different from the way he played Prince Charles in "The Queen."  

[SunnyBeBe]

I thought it was a pretty good finale.  I'm not opposed to wrapping up lots of things. 

One thing that really confused me and then annoyed me was  Cassie's demeanor during the interrogation of the suspect and out on the hill when suspect took them to yet another victim's body.  Granted, people can be emotional, but, in that role, under those circumstances, a lead detective of either sex would not behave that way, imo.  I say this as a former law enforcement officer and someone who has worked in the justice system for many years.  IF she had felt that coming on, she would created a reason to exit and let someone else continue.  It just didn't ring true for me.  She could have fallen a part anywhere else, but, not in front of that suspect.  I also didn't find her acting in those emotional scenes very believable.  The scene with her father in the end was more authentic to me. 

I was glad that the show allowed the killer to reveal so much about himself. The public needs to know that killers are not always big, mean looking violent criminals.  They come in all kinds of packages.  That's one reason when I see someone speak of a colleague, friend or family member who is accused of a crime,  say that they are not capable, that the person is too kind, nice, friendly, etc.  it REALLY bothers me.  You never REALLY know a person, so don't defend someone when evidence says otherwise.  Charming and outwardly nice people can seem wonderful, but, be cruel and violent.  

I can't say enough good things about Sunny.  Even after Cassie broke down in the interrogation, he supported her and acted like she was in the right.  Good work and instinct on his part.  No need putting her down, after it was done. 

I will look forward to the next season.  Great cast and pretty good writing.  

[AZChristian]

As someone who has had what is commonly referred to as a "nervous breakdown," I felt like that's what Cassie was going through.  She reached her limit in the interrogation room, and then totally went over the line at the burial site.  JMO.

One thing I couldn't figure out . . . why did they have Pete Carr's funeral - complete with coffin - three months AFTER he died?

[SunnyBeBe]

Yeah, I was wondering about that funeral too.  Odd.  What did I miss?  Not enough funds for the service? 

[Brattinella]

Maybe, since he was officially still a suspect, they waited to bury him?

[dcalley]

I would have liked to see something of the woman who accused Dr. Tim of abusing her elderly mother. Just her watching the news conference like everyone else. Or did I just not remember what she looked like and they did show her?

What happened to Hayley's dad? I swear he used to be hanging out in Hayley's mom's house, and then he just disappeared. The mom mentioned him when she was talking about laying Hayley to rest somewhere pretty and all of them being happy, but then he wasn't there at the site (which had lush grass growing on top of it, so it wasn't recently disturbed earth). Were they in fact divorced?

Dr. Tim truly seemed to care about Chris (of the van), so he really fooled me there. His "the girls used to tie their hair up with knickers" excuse was soooo bad. It's no wonder he confessed soon after that!

51 minutes ago, AZChristian said:

One thing I couldn't figure out . . . why did they have Pete Carr's funeral - complete with coffin - three months AFTER he died?

I wondered too. They did throw in there that Chris and Jamila were expecting. (I didn't catch this; I thought the scan he mentioned was a brain scan, but the WETA blog said it was a pregnancy scan, and that makes more sense.) That may be the only reason it took so long!

[Brattinella]

Sure, all the girls used to tie their hair back with knickers!  Geez. 

[ShelleySue]

4 minutes ago, Brattinella said:

Sure, all the girls used to tie their hair back with knickers!  Geez. 

Used knickers bought at a fete.

[tootsie]

To me, Cassie 's tears were like steam escaping from a pressure cooker. I'm with AZChristian on the fact that Cassie was slowly breaking down. Unlike Sunny at home with his loving daughters, Cassie has no one, father gone, her kid(s) not calling their mum, and she's deleted John's number from her phone. Sunny gets group hugs. Cassie sits stone-faced at the kitchen table. A perfect storm of emotional pressure and as the boss of a team looking to her for guidance and example, no acceptable way for her to share or release it. Her carelessness played a huge part in a man's death. Her boss's remarks indicate his confidence is slowly eroding. (Is her job on the line? If that goes, what 's left for her?) She's privy to the raw, overwhelming grief of others and wants answers for them so very badly! The way her tears seeped out and her fingers drummed on her face showed me a solitary woman on the edge.  I thought the whole interview scene with dreadful doctor was well done on all parts. (And I do love that Sunny. What a good, smart guy)

[SunnyBeBe]

49 minutes ago, dcalley said:

I would have liked to see something of the woman who accused Dr. Tim of abusing her elderly mother. Just her watching the news conference like everyone else. Or did I just not remember what she looked like and they did show her?

What happened to Hayley's dad? I swear he used to be hanging out in Hayley's mom's house, and then he just disappeared. The mom mentioned him when she was talking about laying Hayley to rest somewhere pretty and all of them being happy, but then he wasn't there at the site (which had lush grass growing on top of it, so it wasn't recently disturbed earth). Were they in fact divorced?

Dr. Tim truly seemed to care about Chris (of the van), so he really fooled me there. His "the girls used to tie their hair up with knickers" excuse was soooo bad. It's no wonder he confessed soon after that!

I wondered too. They did throw in there that Chris and Jamila were expecting. (I didn't catch this; I thought the scan he mentioned was a brain scan, but the WETA blog said it was a pregnancy scan, and that makes more sense.) That may be the only reason it took so long!

Ref. boldface above.  These people can appear to be outwardly, charitable, attentive, generous, etc., but, it's all an act. There is something in it for them.  Like, they are able to gain control, obtain positive attention, bask in praise, gather information they can use against others later on,  etc.  They can do kind acts, but, they are not kind people. There are varying degrees of these sociopaths.  Most of those featured on tv shows are serial killers, but, they are actually much more prominent in all walks of life. 

Edited May 13, 2019 by SunnyBeBe

[SunnyBeBe]

1 hour ago, hummingbird said:

I watched all 3 (US Seasons) and didn't love this last one as much, still can't distill down to why.

First 2 plots were much tightly constructed and I think were not as long, this recent was stretched too long. 

still good  acting etc, 

thoughts?

I can't comment, because, this was the first season that I have watched.  Should I try to catch the other seasons now? 

[One4Sorrow2TooBad]

I kept expecting a crazy twist to the ending with someone else being a part of hiding the bodies.  All in all,  a great season and it makes me want to check out the first two seasons.

[Irlandesa]

I was expecting a twist where we'd find out someone else did it but once again I appreciate that collecting all the evidence simply brought them to a killer.  The twist was this wasn't an accident but part of a pattern.

His performance was just nicely chilling but subdued.  "I'm just asking for respect."

[atlantaloves]

If anyone has missed the other two seasons, get to it, they are fantastic. Maybe a little bit better, but this years was still outstanding. 

[AZChristian]

4 hours ago, hummingbird said:

have you seen in her Scott and Bailey? completely different character, 

Just watched the first 10 minutes of Four Weddings and a Funeral. Talk about Nicola Walker playing a different character!

[athousandclowns]

I’m confused by the funeral. I thought I must have missed  something because  the framed photo shown was of a young dark haired man. 

i really like Sanjeev Bhasker and I was addicted to The Indian Doctor.  Watched Scott & Bailey also.  

[Rickster]

10 hours ago, hummingbird said:

Mr bird and I were talking after he just watched was it ever definitely said what exactly happened in that house or millennium night? 

I might have missed something but not sure 

I don't think so. I thought the point was that they found out the men were all lying about being there at midnight. I suppose each had a reason to (although I can't remember what the guy who lived in the van was doing).

I did think this season ran out of gas a bit in the last two episodes.

[bosawks]

I thought I hated the doctor before the finale.

[Mermaid Under]

One thing I liked, and one thing that I found unbelievable about the finale.   I loved when Sunny told the psychopath to "skip the Silence of the Lambs shtick" and his face crumbled a bit.  And I found it difficult to believe that Sunny's teenaged daughters didn't want him back with their mother, simply because it made him happier to be with his new girlfriend.  Teenagers just don't think that way.

[seasons]

I loved pretty much every second of Season 3. Went back and watched Seasons 1 and 2 on Amazon Prime (which was awesome and made me glad I was getting something else finally for my Prime membership!). Season 3 definitely my favorite though. So nice to come here to read other posts and opinions and discuss. Can't get anyone around here to watch it with me yet!!

There are also some good clips to watch on the PBS website under the "Unforgotten" tab under "extras", "features", "videos". Worth checking out if you like the behind-the-scenes stuff like I do.

I also love the different filming locations throughout England. There is a specific video on the PBS site where show creator/writer Chris Lang and some of the cast discuss some of the location choices. (Appropriately called "Locations"!)

Now I am a huge fan of Nicola Walker and Sanjeev Bhaskar. I love their chemistry in the show. Acting and writing are superb. The whole vibe of the show just really works for me. 

Brilliant!

Really looking forward to Season 4!

[12catcrazy]

18 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Ref. boldface above.  These people can appear to be outwardly, charitable, attentive, generous, etc., but, it's all an act. There is something in it for them.  Like, they are able to gain control, obtain positive attention, bask in praise, gather information they can use against others later on,  etc.  They can do kind acts, but, they are not kind people. There are varying degrees of these sociopaths.  Most of those featured on tv shows are serial killers, but, they are actually much more prominent in all walks of life. 

I agree with this 100%!  When most people think of "Psychopath" or "Sociopath" they think of Ted Bundy or Saddam Hussein.  The reality is, most of them are not serial killers or 3rd world dictators but walking out among the rest of us.  Frankly, many of them seem to wind up in top or middle management in companies where they can exert power and control over those unlucky enough to work under them.  I worked for one for 12 years and I'll tell you, after the experience it becomes very hard to trust other people.   I had this woman pegged pretty early on but all the damage she did to the people who had to work under her or in the company in general.   It was like she lived to take the smile off of other people's faces, and she'd lie, cheat, and steal to do it and got away with it for many years.   It was chilling - hope I never meet anybody else like that ever again.  

[dcalley]

10 hours ago, athousandclowns said:

I’m confused by the funeral. I thought I must have missed  something because  the framed photo shown was of a young dark haired man.

It was a younger Pete Carr (Neil Morrissey).

4 hours ago, Rickster said:

I thought the point was that they found out the men were all lying about being there at midnight. I suppose each had a reason to (although I can't remember what the guy who lived in the van was doing).

Having a mental health crisis.

[geekgirl921]

Overall, I liked it. I was afraid they were going to go for a twist and make it be Chris. He had such a hard life, I really wanted him to get a happy ending. I think it all just became too much for Cassie and it broke her. I do wish they had spent a little more time with Dr. Tim's family, I do think the second wife knew or suspected something so I would have liked to know a little more about that. I really liked the ex wife of the tv presenter guy; basically saying that yes, what he did could have been the thing that messed up the son but it also could have been any number of other things. Regardless, the son is a grown up now and it's time for him to start figuring out life for himself. 

[Pickles]

4 hours ago, Mermaid Under said:

One thing I liked, and one thing that I found unbelievable about the finale.   I loved when Sunny told the psychopath to "skip the Silence of the Lambs shtick" and his face crumbled a bit.  And I found it difficult to believe that Sunny's teenaged daughters didn't want him back with their mother, simply because it made him happier to be with his new girlfriend.  Teenagers just don't think that way.

Well, I think the daughters really like Sunny's girlfriend and see how happy he is with her. Even though they love their mom, perhaps they witnessed arguments and a lot of misery in the marriage. 

[AZChristian]

1 hour ago, Pickles said:

Well, I think the daughters really like Sunny's girlfriend and see how happy he is with her. Even though they love their mom, perhaps they witnessed arguments and a lot of misery in the marriage. 

And they're old enough to wonder whether she'd abandon them again when her next "soul mate" comes along.

[Dowel Jones]

I found the interrogation scenes interesting because they differ so much from American police shows.  The two detectives very calmly state to the suspect "We think you did it and you're lying to us" and proceed to lay out their case to him.  Whereas, in US cop shows, the emphasis is usually on the police trying to trick the suspect into an admission.  I have to say, half the time I am talking to the tv, saying "What the hell did you just tell him that for?"

[One4Sorrow2TooBad]

I prefer the Sipowicz method of interrogation. It usually was successful.

[dalek]

4 hours ago, Dowel Jones said:

I found the interrogation scenes interesting because they differ so much from American police shows.  The two detectives very calmly state to the suspect "We think you did it and you're lying to us" and proceed to lay out their case to him.  Whereas, in US cop shows, the emphasis is usually on the police trying to trick the suspect into an admission.  I have to say, half the time I am talking to the tv, saying "What the hell did you just tell him that for?"

I think one big reason for the difference in interrogation techniques, at least in shows depicting modern police work in the US and the UK, is that in the UK, police aren't allowed to lie to suspects.  I believe the Police and Criminal Evidence Act is the relevant law here.  Which is not to say that the police in the UK are required to disclose everything they know, and those "sins of omission" so to speak, can leave a suspect and his layer with a mistaken impression, but it's quite a bit different than in the US where in a lot of jurisdictions, it is perfectly okay for the police to tell a suspect there's a witness or evidence that doesn't exist.

[JudyObscure]

Another reason it's different on TV is that real life murderers are mainly idiots.  This fictional doctor was intelligent enough to recognize the moment when the accumulation of evidence  tipped over into a place where none of his stories about buying used  knickers at fetes were going to be enough. The real criminals we see on "Dateline" and "48 Hours" would still be claiming that red box belonged to some guy named Shady G and they just happened to be in town when that other girl died.

[howiveaddict]

I liked how cocky the Dr was in the early police interviews, but during the last one, he looked rumpled, and starting to look broken.  He tried his Silence of the Lambs routine, but gave a name up when he saw it was getting him no where.

[seasons]

1 hour ago, howiveaddict said:

I liked how cocky the Dr was in the early police interviews, but during the last one, he looked rumpled, and starting to look broken.  He tried his Silence of the Lambs routine, but gave a name up when he saw it was getting him no where.

Yes! I noticed how they made dr. finch finally look so affected by something (prison) - the dark shadows on his face, the weariness, how his demeanor had changed. As a viewer, that was some good payoff!

I also liked the scene when the team was heading up the mountain to try and find the supposed remains of Finch's latest victim. It was shot from above and the whole procession reminded me of a funeral cortege. Actually turned out it kind of was. Brilliant.

[seasons]

*sigh*

Missing having the Sunday night new episode to look forward to. Those six weeks went by too quickly!  Might take the previous suggestion of an earlier tip I read here and check out the DVD episodes from the library. They are apparently the longer versions that are shown in the UK?

Edited May 19, 2019 by seasons

[buckboard]

On 5/13/2019 at 9:03 AM, AZChristian said:

So different from the way he played Prince Charles in "The Queen."  

Alex Jennings (Dr. Tim Finch) has made the rounds in the royal family.  In "The Crown," he played the Duke of Windsor.

[Lynder]

Need help with red letters in Season 1 of Unforgotten: Remembrance of the Maleks

??

[dcalley]

On 7/27/2019 at 3:07 PM, Lynder said:

Unforgotten: Remembrance of the Maleks

I see from page 1 of this thread that it's Remembrance of the Daleks (as in Doctor Who).

[One4Sorrow2TooBad]

I caught the last 30 minutes of Unforgotten on PBS last night. The team was working a cold case from the late 70's? Must have been an earlier season. Appeared that a woman's son named Jimmy (?) had gone missing and never found or had gotten mixed up with a bad crowd ,something about a 20(?) yr. old girl and her skin head boyfriend back then. I'll have to see when it will be back on , the little I saw was excellent.

[AZChristian]

11 hours ago, One4Sorrow2TooBad said:

I caught the last 30 minutes of Unforgotten on PBS last night. The team was working a cold case from the late 70's? Must have been an earlier season. Appeared that a woman's son named Jimmy (?) had gone missing and never found or had gotten mixed up with a bad crowd ,something about a 20(?) yr. old girl and her skin head boyfriend back then. I'll have to see when it will be back on , the little I saw was excellent.

First season got me hooked.  I loved the way they interwove the stories.

[One4Sorrow2TooBad]

Excellent episode last night, lots of different people seem to be knowing something ,but afraid to say anything to the team.

[One4Sorrow2TooBad]

Season 3 started up again on PBS. I had missed this episode the last time they showed it, riveting to say the least.

[SunnyBeBe]

I just watched most of season 1.  I didn't think it was as good as season 3, but, still good.   Now to watch season 2. I’ve just started and so far think it’s really good. I wish I had watched Season 1 first.....oh well.  Perhaps, I'll watch them all over again.  

Edited May 30, 2020 by SunnyBeBe

[LisaM]

Halfway through a binge of Season 1 on Amazon Prime. Fabulous show so far. The two detectives are terrific and I love how the 4 stories of the potential suspects wind throughout.

ETA: I thought that Season 1 was excellent. I really liked Beth's redemption story. I'm still not sure that I buy Claire as the killer but I can live with it. Really did not like her son's horrible tormenting of her in the care home. 

Started Season 2 last evening. I like how they seem to be following the same formula: we are shown a cold case together with 4 seemingly unconnected - and interesting - people who will ultimately be involved with the dead person. Cassie and Sunny are terrific, as usual, and I enjoyed seeing some of the cops (especially Murray) from Season 1. 

ETA: Finished Season 2. Terrific... Even better than Season 1. Loved seeing Holly Aird and Mark Bonnar. Mark Bonnar blew me away in his final scenes with Cassie. 

 

Edited August 23, 2020 by LisaM