Creators:
Allan CubittScreenplay:
Allan CubittCast:
Gillian Anderson, Jamie Dornan, John Lynch, Aisling Franciosi, Bronagh Waugh, Niamh McGrady, Sarah Beattie, Stuart Graham, Bronágh Taggart, Valene Kane (more)VOD (3)
Seasons(3) / Episodes(17)
Plots(1)
Five-part drama set in Northern Ireland following a PSNI investigation into a string of recent homicides. When the PSNI are unable to close the case after 28 days, Detective Superintendent Stella Gibson ( Gillian Anderson) of the Metropolitan Police Service is called in to review the case. Under her new leadership, the local detectives must track down and stop the serial killer who is terrorising the city of Belfast. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews of this series by the user Necrotongue (5)
The Fall (2013)
Despite a slightly non-addictive beginning, I gradually got hooked to the point that I couldn't tear myself away. Particularly the second season was superb. The creators managed to create great suspense and a grim atmosphere, and most of the performances were excellent, especially Gillian Anderson and John Lynch. I had a great time. It goes to show how a well-written script can do with a single killer without it being boring. I was only afraid of an overly optimistic ending. Fortunately, no such thing happened, so I was completely satisfied.
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Season 1 (2013) (S01)
This was my first encounter with a Northern Irish series. At first, I thought it would be a waste of time and it did get boring sometimes, but then it suddenly picked up momentum, the atmosphere became ominous, the characters got depth and I couldn't tear myself away from the story until the end. It’s excellently written, and the individual characters are well-portrayed. I was satisfied except for the slow start.
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Season 2 (2014) (S02)
The second season blew me away. The tension was palpable, atmosphere even better than in the previous seasons, and acting performances excellent for the most part. I just can’t say that about Jamie Dornan. While he was convincing as a serial killer, I think his ability to change facial expressions is similar to Ben Affleck's. Plus, like Kristen Stewart, he doesn’t seem to suffer from the inability to close his lips properly. Otherwise, I'm satisfied. The gradual gathering of evidence, along with some mishaps in protecting witnesses and suspects, gives the series a true-to-life vibe.
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These Troublesome Disguises (2014) (S02E01)
The second season kicked off with that same tense and dark atmosphere. I appreciate that the show doesn't introduce a new perpetrator each season. Instead, it delves deeply into the meticulous pursuit of a single killer, making the series feel much more realistic and engaging.
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Season 3 (2016) (S03)
I gotta give props to the creators for their approach. The case was solved in the third season, and each season had its own theme. The first one was about the police trying to identify the killer, the second one was about catching the killer and finding Rose Stagg and the third one about the killer's conviction. Unfortunately, all that paperwork, legal stuff and psychological assessment will never be as gripping, so a few dull moments were bound to crop up here and there. Regardless of that, I find this season very good and intriguing. Most importantly, the story was logical, and the season got a worthy and, thankfully, slightly depressing ending. Satisfaction.
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