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jclark-84207
Reviews
Riptide (2022)
Poor script, wooden acting, predictable
The idea behind Riptide, whilst hardly original, could have been something that might have been very interesting.
But almost everything about it was "unbelievable" it had so many flaws that we kept watching thinking it could get better.
But it really doesn't.
There were too many occasions when belief was suspended beyond normal levels of expectation.
The bad "guy" is flagged too easily so there was no suspense as the episodes unfolded.
Elementary questions by all involved were never asked including Police procedures.
It was quite insulting for viewers thinking that we'd buy these continual misjudgments and events that really are beyond reasonable belief.
Broadcasters shouldn't take their audience for granted and expect them to like a "drama" like which was of such poor quality.
We're not C5 Watchers so this hasn't endeared us to this Channel.
Screw (2022)
Misses the plot
There are several positives about Screw.
It does try and address the conflict/tensions between prisoners and screws quite well.
We, as a Society, recognise that when someone breaks the law, and are found guilty, they have to pay the price.
Prison takes away your freedom and, in some ways your identity, and the series does try and show some better ways of rehabilitation.
It's the age old question of how to help people from re-offending again.
Whether this works, or not, I'm not sure.
It's billed as a Drama but uses "comedy" quite a lot but, in my opinion, the humour is quite cliché or derivative.
Part of this is to do with the characters which these days seem to require a hygiene checklist of do's and don't s.
The story should drive the cast and characters not public agendas and politics.
And this is where Scews misses the Plot.
Having recently watched Jimmy McGovern's quite harrowing The Accused it's a no pulled punches piece of work.
Screw tries too hard to cater for too many extraneous audiences, it's neither fish nor foul.
Casting Nina Sosanya in the lead was smart.
She's a very accomplished Actor and plays her part very well.
Some of the rest of the cast are too stereotypical with a "loveable" cockney screw spewing out dialogue that even the most ardent Cockney lover would risibly laugh at.
And a randy female screw who seems permanently on heat!
There are also too many moments which stretch credibility to the limit.
We had it on catch-up TV and in some ways a clincher for us is really wanting to watch the next episode.
It never quite fired our imagination to do this.
If there's a second Series then the writer might learn from this 1st Series as a work in progress which is what it felt like.
As a point of detail one reviewer stated this was a BBC production, it's not its Channel 4.