L J
Great period drama....quite extraordinary how these women went from code breakers in WWII saving thousands of lives to the hum-drum of home life after the war. I can only imagine how difficult the transition must have been. Anna Maxwell Martin, who plays Susan, does such a great job. I had no idea how fantastic she was--very believable and her passion is deeply portrayed here. This show is enigmatic---quite refreshing. Great actors and very interesting..I couldn't stop watching--I found this by accident and was truly impressed with the production quality. If you like this...watch "Call the Midwives"--another great British show.
A_Different_Drummer
I am trying to make a habit of not doing reviews for productions that I found weak, as the end product just seems to annoy fans, and often on the IMDb, fans are much more vocal than the window-shoppers and tire kickers. But I will make an exception here. The first episode hooked me like a flounder. It was brilliant and it was original and it was flawlessly executed. The idea that, during WW2, a group of ordinary women (some of whom may or may not have special abilities -- that's a wee spoiler) could be so instrumental, so pivotal, in the war effort, and yet so ignored afterwards. Wonderful notion. Followed by the idea that at least one member of this former squad, in the modern era, would eschew her life as an ordinary housewife to help the police catch a ripper -- and, in the process, re-unite her former team...? Brilliant. So brilliant that, as they say in America, the show was theirs to lose. Because only internal sabotage, only dropping the proverbial ball, would derail such a strong opening. And by George that's just what the writers did. Somewhere mid-story, the writers went barking mad. It is almost as though Guy Burt and his team didn't realize the bird they already had in hand, and went for the two in the bush. Suddenly the viewer is watching a UK version of Charlie's Angels. Suddenly the ladies are in the field actually playing cat and mouse with a serial killer. And suddenly this reviewer lost that key "connection" with the series, suddenly the action seemed forced, and the magic was plain flat gone.
Kiaran-ryan1
Although much of the visual period detail is authentic, the background has been very poorly researched and the viewer is treated as a simpleton.Specifically: it is implied that a 17-year-old would be liable to be hanged-in 1953??!!!! Also, there is reference to trial of a civilian by a secret military court. Civilians would only have been tried by military court had martial law been declared. What I presume the writer meant was trial in camera: a very different procedure, the verdict of which would have been public. There are other similar flaws.Also, the protagonists often reach conclusions without it being clear to the viewer how they have done so, and there are gaps in the logic of the plot.Another sorry example of how mainstream British drama has been dumbed down.
