Motive 4.12
Joanna Cassidy, Emily Tennant. A heartbreaking story, cleverly told with twists/turns and a tragic final reveal.
- Right from the get-go, this one deviates from the formula by including Angie in the victim’s life. Also: the victim doesn’t die until several scenes have gone by. All of that is different to the way the show usually tells it’s stories. And the ending, too, is very different. Normally the cops solve the case…
- There are some nice reversals in the storytelling. Near the start - in one short scene - our perception of victim and killer changes abruptly. Suddenly the victim seems less likeable and the killer more sympathetic. All in one scene. Remarkable. The script continues to play with us in this manner. Near the end it looks as if we have been wrong all along and the killer is actually incredibly cold and calculating. But, no… there are further details to come… Ones that will pull at the heartstrings.
- The story - the backstory - is very, very sad. It screams “injustice” and makes us feel for all the kids who were scarred by what happened to them. Great writing and great performances lead to stories that make us really feel. It’s something that this particular show excels at. And one of the reasons I will miss it dreadfully.
- The final flashback was especially powerful. The misunderstanding that fueled the suicide? Just awful. Watching it, and empathising with the Lexi character…? Gut-wrenching.
