Belfast, 2012. The community is in shock after the murder of a local politician’s daughter-in-law. The young woman was strangled in her home, with no apparent sign of forced entry. The investigation is stalling. The chief of police decides to call in Detective Superintendent Stella Gibson from the Met, who has already investigated a similar case. Shortly after Gibson arrives, another young woman is killed in her home. Gibson is convinced that the murders are connected. Her superiors are reluctant to follow her lead, but they soon have to face the facts: a serial killer is at work, intelligent, calculating, and brutally cruel.
In the head of a serial killer
This series is not a ‘who did it’. From the very first scenes, we know the identity of the killer and his modus operandi. The entire plot revolves around the question of why, but also around the double life of the serial killer, who is a good father and a therapist -grief councelor- who cares about his patients. The appeal of the series lies in the charismatic duo of Gibson and Spector, but also in the police team and the methods they use to identify and track down the killer.
The narrative arc is divided into three stages, one per season: identification of the killer, the hunt, and the killer’s past and its impact on the investigation.
The casting is excellent, and the characters are well developed. My only complaints are the frankly heavy music and the length of some episodes, particularly at the beginning of season 3. The Fall remains a landmark series, chilling in its portrayal of the killer’s psychology.
3 seasons, 17 episodes (60 mn), 2013-2016, on BBC 2
Created by Allan Cubitt, WITH :
- Belfast’s police : Gillian Anderson (Sex Education) as DSU Stella Gibson, John Lynch as ACC Jim Burns, Stuart Graham as DCI Matthew Eastwood, Niamh McGrady as PC Danielle Ferrington, Archie Panjabi (The good wife, Departure) as Professor Reed Smith (seasons 1-2), Colin Morgan as DS Tom Anderson (seasons 2-3), Michael McElhatton as DI Rob Breedlove, Ben Peel as DS James Olson, Bronágh Taggart as DC Gail McNally, Emmett J. Scanlan (Peaky Blinders) as DC Glenn Martin, Kelly Gough as PC Hagstrom
- Civilians : Jamie Dornan as Peter Paul Spector, Bronagh Waugh as Sally Ann Spector, Sarah Beattie as Olivia Spector, Aisling Franciosi as Katie Benedetto, Valene Kane as Rose Stagg, Jonjo O’Neill as Tom Stagg, Laura Donnelly as Sarah Kay, Ian McElhinney as Morgan Monroe, Séainín Brennan as Liz Tyler, Brian Milligan as Jimmy Tyler, Aisling Bea as Nurse Kiera Sheridan, Krister Henriksson as Dr August Larson, Aidan McArdle as Healey, Richard Coyle as Dr O’Donnel, Denise Gough (Andor) as Dr Walden
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