Gillian Anderson
Jamie Dornan
Bronagh Waugh
Niamh McGrady
John Lynch
Archie Panjabi

Allan Cubitt

2013-
Drama, Crime, Thriller
Netflix
TV-MA

“The Fall” is surprisingly engrossing. Instead of telling you, it shows you. The little things matter here; you see the details of the characters’ normal routines. You may not know exactly why you’re seeing what you’re seeing, but nothing is superfluous. The pace is steady (not slow); it flows like a river of honey, like a calm current of water with many jagged edges underneath its surface. (Gillian Anderson’s character is an avid swimmer, by the way.)

The dialogue isn’t the driving force of “The Fall”; I think that’s the secret to its success. The writing is efficient enough and expert enough to get out of the way, when it needs to, to let us see and feel what’s going on. We don’t need to be told every, single thing. This is confident stuff.

We see all sides here; we don’t just see the police in action. We understand where the police are coming from, especially Anderson’s character, Stella Gibson, who’s the SIO (Senior Investigating Officer); but we also understand where the killer, Paul Spector (played by Jamie Dornan), is coming from. We see how each of those main characters thinks; that’s the distinguishing trait. We know how Stella thinks and how that informs how she behaves at work and outside work. We know how Paul behaves at home with his family, at work with his clients and co-workers, and when he’s grooming his next victim. We don’t know everything, but we do know the important things; we can feel it. As a result, at times but definitely not always, it’s difficult to pick sides. As viewers, we’re given a taste of omniscience. That’s the secret sauce here. You’re interested in both sides.

That, among other things, is what separates “The Fall” from “Prime Suspect” or “The Killing.” This show also avoids the pitfalls of those other shows; I don’t feel like I have to watch and wait, and I don’t feel like I’m being strung along for who knows how long. However, its first season doesn’t end by wrapping things up. In that way, it is similar to “The Killing.” But “The Fall” doesn’t leave you feeling unsatisfied as a result.

Anderson, once again, delivers. I believe her as a woman in charge, in a male-dominated field, who doesn’t have to do much to put those men in their place when necessary. This is in contrast to Helen Mirren’s character in “Prime Suspect.” That character struggles to maintain her authority over her male subordinates, but much of that is due to the difference in time period (not all of it, though).

When Stella’s boss confesses that she has a (sexual) power over men, including him, you believe him. And that’s not because of the way she looks; it’s her bearing. Anderson gives a confident, observant, smart, and calm performance; it’s hypnotic. This is something that has come to be normal for her as an actress. All of her work that I’ve seen since “The X-Files” has had a similar quality. She’s always imminently watchable. (I always want to know what she’s thinking.) I feel the same way about “The Fall” overall.

Verdict: Great

About: (Source: thefall)

When the Belfast police are stalled in their investigation of a spate of murders, Detective Superintendent Stella Gibson is drafted to investigate.