Liar has gone from potboiler to something more important
After Dr Andrew Earlham (Ioan Gruffudd) was revealed as a rapist at the conclusion of last week’s episode of (ITV), it seemed inconceivable that the writers (brothers Harry and Jack Williams) could maintain enough intrigue to justify a further three, hour-long episodes. But crikey, they haven’t half pulled it off. We might now need a second series just to get to the bottom of it all.
Laura Nielson (Joanne Froggatt) travelled to Edinburgh, where she hoped to find out more about the circumstances surrounding the death of Earlham’s wife, Mary. Instead, Nielson discovered that she was not Earlham’s first victim – he had previously drugged and raped Mary’s best friend, Catherine Mcaulay (Dawn Steele). And later, in a scarring scene, he did the same to DI Vanessa Harmon (Shelley Conn), who had been investigating Nielson’s case. How many other women have been attacked by Earlham?
Liar has been criticised for its supposedly irresponsible premise: was Nielson telling the truth? We saw her shamed online, have her story repeatedly questioned by police, and her past pored over for clues, which might discredit her – all, it turned out, as a cheap way of ratcheting up the tension. Certainly those early episodes would hardly have encouraged a rape victim to come forward.
This week, however, marked a definite shift in tone. The conversations between Nielson and Mcaulay were sensibly handled and not at all sensationalised for our entertainment. We simply bore witness to their trauma. “He said it was my idea and I believed him,” Mcaulay explained. It was not easy viewing – and nor should it have been – but it did give us an insight into the obstacles faced and the pain suffered by rape victims. “You wake up different,” Nielson explained. “And suddenly you don’t know what’s important anymore.”
Earlham, meanwhile, emboldened by the refusal of the CPS to prosecute him, is now in full monster mode. In truth, Gruffudd has slightly overplayed his hand; with his creepy mannerisms and increasingly aggressive tone, Earlham, who is threatening to sue Nielson for defamation of character, is in danger of becoming a caricature, rather than any sort of believable threat.
But actually that doesn’t matter because Liar isn’t really about Earlham any more. It’s about Nielson, Mcauley and DI Harmon, and their efforts to bring Earlham to justice and to come to terms with their own horrific ordeals. This is their story now, not his. I do hope I’m not proved wrong next week but Liar, which started off as a rather silly, morally dubious potboiler has become something altogether more important.
OK, I’m just going to come out and say it: (BBC Two) isn’t very funny any more. In fact, it’s quite irritating. It hasn’t really changed a jot in three series and the concept is, frankly, tired. I suppose it’s a bit like that favourite song, which you play and play and play (and play) until you simply can’t bear it.
So, where I used to howl with laughter when BBC Head of Values Ian Fletcher (Hugh Bonneville) said something vaguely sensible, only to be met with a wave of inane drivel (“Yes, exactly, yes”; “No, very strong”), now I just groan and hope that it will all be over quickly. God, I’m actually turning into that grouchy old Controller of News and Current Affairs, Neil Reid (David Westhead), who’s favourite word seems to be “b-----ks”.
Unsurprisingly, then, this episode was much the same as all the others. The gang discussed how to do more of less, better (or something), it went terribly wrong (this time, rumours that the BBC Big Swing Band was going to be axed somehow got out) and Fletcher was left to clear up the mess. Then we cut to BBC brand consultant Siobhan Sharpe (Jessica Hynes) doing something funky and idiotic with her funky and idiotic team.
Sharpe used to steal every scene she was in but the writers are trying too hard with her now. I have been in lots of meetings with people who speak the kind of Pr-babble that Sharpe does. That’s why the character is funny. But I’ve not seen anyone in any office pretend to be at a silent disco, as she did at the end of this episode.
Look, there are still some nice touches. I very much enjoyed hearing Senior Communications Officer Tracey Pritchard (Monica Dolan) complain about “some 14-year-old from The Buzzfeed”, for example. But someone at the BBC really ought to find the courage to kill this particular darling.