Room for Doubt
In the first episode of Suspicion, we follow the characters as they travel to New York to attend a conference. It would appear that they were all there at the same time, but were they responsible for the kidnapping?
Vanessa interviews her suspects one by one, but they all seem to be confused about what’s happening. Natalie decides she doesn’t want legal representation, even though her fiancé is a lawyer. However, the interviews don’t make much sense and we end up running with it.
Our suspects are asked about the whereabouts of Sean Tilson. Although they don’t know where he is, we as the audience most certainly do. He’s still in Ireland, and has gone to visit his blind grandfather.
Sean has not been seen in a while, but he stops by to help feed his son. He knows Sean is in trouble and a sympathetic pat on the shoulder to his pa confirms that.
Sean arrives to see his lover aboard her boat. They head out onto the water together.
Natalie’s movements in the hotel are mysterious. There’s no CCTV footage of her returning after leaving that night, so she must have had an alibi. But could they track down a trail of CCTV cameras outside the hotel and around New York? Anyway, all Natalie can remember is drinking way too much and then waking up in her hotel room.
Natalie’s bed is cluttered with cash and messages from her friends telling her to pay up. The police search the room, but find nothing. Monique quickly leaves the room, with the money hidden in a safe place.
We learn that Leo went to the same university as Tara, who apparently had a college investigation against her. The evidence though came back as no wrongdoing. Leo’s notes are full of details about Tara too, but she claims it’s “old news” and has more important things to worry about.
Scott Anderson is getting restless and claims they “still have no idea who took him or why.” So why are these four guys being questioned then? Leo’s whereabouts are still unknown too and Owen urges him to get this nailed down. After all, there’s only a mater of time before this goes public.
Scott touches down in London and immediately begins to interview the suspects. He is relentless in his questioning, making an infuriating noise with his mouth and eventually taking control of the interviews himself. He is not challenged by Vanessa over it, beyond a quizzical look and a quick, scathing statement. ..
Sean makes it to Liverpool, killing someone else and taking their car after they’ve filled up at the petrol station. It’s all on CCTV by the way, but the security guard is busy and doesn’t actually notice.
Vanessa and Scott return to their lives after being released from prison. They each decide to watch their every move, and wait for them to crack. Sean shows up in London, and they decide to take him on as a challenge.
As the episode comes to a close, we see a video feed hacked in Washington of the kidnappers demanding that Katherine “tell the truth” which shows off Leo who is tied up but very much alive. ..
The Episode Review
Suspicion is a well-done mystery with an interesting premise. However, the execution leaves a lot to be desired. In an attempt to be creative, the sporadic cutting between scenes completely offsets the pacing.
Criminal built suspense and tension organically in my interview room. By asking questions that left me on the edge of my seat, I was able to create a sense of tension in the room.
Vanessa asks questions and then gets two or three answers as we jump between our central characters. It’s distracting and actually quite annoying at times.
The show feels like it has ADHD because of the constant switching between different characters and scenes.
The Witness is a series that BBC aired in 2017 that tells the story of a young girl who is accused of a crime she didn’t commit. The series has similarities to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which is also about a young girl who is accused of a crime she didn’t commit. While both series have been criticized for their endings, I believe they are worth watching.
Natalie claims she left the hotel, so why not just follow the CCTV cameras outside? We’ve established that the hotel has cameras and they didn’t see her return, so why not just follow the trail through the urban jungle to figure out where she went? ..
The plot is hindered by a lack of interesting details that keep it from being a more competent thriller. The music and cinematography are both enjoyable, but the lack of interesting details makes the story feel incomplete.
The episodes ahead will improve because right now this one is going to be a real acquired taste.
