Written by Steve Thompson and primarily directed by Ed Bazalgette, from start to finish, everything about BritBox’s Lynley Season 1 feels both fresh and familiar. Gritty and honest, yet surprisingly tender and cozy. It’s the exact British crime drama I’ve been waiting for since Endeavour’s ending, and I hope the series gets the chance to stay on air for a while.
Starring Leo Suter and Sofia Barclay, along with Daniel Mays, Niamh Walsh, Michael Workeye, Joshua Sher, and more, the show is an unmistakable must-watch for fans of the genre. It follows the book series by Elizabeth George, and while I can’t speak to the adaptation’s accuracy, I can talk about how gripping every case is, and how it’s impossible to look away from the screen. With only four episodes, we not only get substantial character work but a thoroughly enticing plot that’s easy to invest in.
Lynley isn’t just an excellent crime drama, but it’s an incredible character study. It’s a quiet examination of what happens when people aren’t taken seriously in their line of work, and how they have to go about proving their worth consistently. It’s also a fine testament to partnership, which always provides something worthwhile to look into with shows in the genre.
In every great series, there’s an equally fantastic partnership for viewers to cling to. Something that’s both exciting with the banter viewers get and something that’s simultaneously (and perhaps, surprisingly) warm. The partnership between Lynley and Havers is that relationship—it’s the one viewers will hold onto after the credits roll, and a simple Google search tells us that it’s a thrilling presence in all the versions, meaning its greatness transcends. Dynamics like this aren’t just necessary in crime dramas, but they’re an essential piece of the show’s heart.
As with all great shows, it’s the characters who make it special, and here, that’s also the case. With series like Apple TV+’s Slow Horses also returning this year and the tremendous success of Netflix’s Dept. Q, fans of both are guaranteed to love Lynley Season 1. But at the same time, anyone who’s seen these actors in different properties shouldn’t be surprised by the incredible range they have and tune in for that very reason alone. Suter continues to astound me with his means of playing both soft, tender-hearted heroes (Sanditon) to rugged vikings (Vikings: Valhalla). His means of embodying layered characters who hold a plethora in each of their expressions is no small feat, and everything he does is genuinely impeccable to witness. The same can be said for DI Lynley and how this might already be his best role yet. Pair him with a phenomenal actress like Sofia Barclay, whose every expression is worth analyzing, and we’ve got something really strong in our hands.
With this, as we hopefully get more seasons, the opportunities to get to know these characters will continue to give the actors strong material to persist in showing off their chops. There’s a rich history and layers of grief that haunt our heroes, and though we make cracks in the surface, we’ve still got a lot to break through fully. Production wise, Lynley is utterly fantastic. There’s a rawness in the filming that makes it feel more intimate, like we’re right there with the characters, experiencing everything right alongside them. It makes the series feel cozier in a way that maybe shouldn’t be the case, yet that’s exactly why we’re tuning in episode after episode.
Lynley Season 1 premieres exclusively on BritBox on September 4.
First Featured Image Credit: ©BritBox