REVIEW Yr Amguedffa (S1 E5/6)

I’m calling this now: Yr Amguedffa is the craziest, most fun, most bonkers crime drama you’ll see all year.

Just when you think it’s going in one direction, it careers off onto another entirely unexpectedly. There’s some mad, warped genius behind this, and this episode – the penultimate pennod – revealed so much and then went off in yet another direction.

What started off as a relatively simple and enthralling domestic noir (of sorts) has ended up as a twisted tale of vengeance, redemption and adventure. And art crime.

We perhaps always knew that art crime was at the heart of this story, but we certainly didn’t know what or how.

And now we do.

This episode all began when Dan and Margs burst into the family home, telling Della that they had been robbed by Caleb and The Man In Black. Already strung out by her disastrous conversation with Sadie – and the wine she had guzzled (there is a lot of wine consumed in this series) – the situation was compounded when Alun stormed in and demanded to know what was going on. It all came out. Caleb’s record, the affair, the everything.

It was a very well-played scene, full of exactly the kind of emotion that you required from such a huge reveal. Alun was angry and tearful, and Della now had nothing. She moved into her mum’s.

And that’s when the remaining pillars of her world came tumbling down. Della asked her mother about the letter Caleb and his pal had stolen. Elinor told her that her father – boss at the museum before his daughter – had fallen in love with Violed, who demanded items from the museum as gifts. But she always wanted more and more, leading to a demand for a Rembrandt painting. Della’s father refused, but knew she would steal it herself. So he stole it and had hidden it. That’s what the letter contained – encoded instructions on where to find it.

The Interlude showed the full extent of Violed’s power and reach. It was her who engineered Caleb’s early release from prison, and it was her who paid to keep his family’s house. As she showed him around her lair – because she really was a Bond-like villain that had an actual lair – he saw an attic full of criminals Violed had ‘saved’ from prison producing fake pieces of art. And she was hell-bent on finding that missing Rembrandt, which is why she skilfully manoeuvred and manipulated Caleb into position and he did her bidding without even knowing it was her who was behind it all.

The third and final act saw Della go rogue and, like a woman with nothing left to lose, become hell-bent on retrieving that painting herself and bringing Violed down.

And we haven’t even mentioned Mags being drugged by Lisa and Mark after she refused to them permission to use one of her eggs for IVF treatment (I’m still not sure how this storyline fits into the grand scheme of things) and Elfryn’s plan to oust Della from her job by pinning a fake Renoir on her.

See, I told you it was bonkers. But the best, enjoyable kind of bonkers.

Paul Hirons

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

READ MORE: OUR EPISODE ONE REVIEW

READ MORE: OUR EPISODE TWO REVIEW

READ MORE: OUR EPISODE THREE REVIEW

READ MORE: OUR EPISODE FOUR REVIEW

Yr Amgueddfa is on S4C, S4C Clic and BBC’s iPlayer in the UK

REVIEW Yr Amgueddfa (S1 E4/6)

After last week’s episode of Yr Amgeuddfa (episode three, I should say… S4C seems to have dropped a cheeky fourth episode in the middle of last week, before its regular Sunday-night slot) I needed a cold shower. The twists, and the turns and the revelations came thick and fast in a breathless crime drama tsunami.

The the revelations just kept on coming in this episode, too.

All along, we thought – well, I thought – that Caleb and Caleb alone was behind the manipulation of museum boss Della. But after this episode, we found out that he was not only being blackmailed by Elfryn but also a new, Big Bad.

The episode started with Della realising that she had made a huge mistake with Caleb, and her day was about to get worse. Elfryn had told her that there was a problem with the vase that had donated (by Caleb) to the museum and that the provenance of it might not be all it was cracked up to be. She then visited the charity shop and spoke to Fioled, who told her about Caleb’s past.

Elfryn, who in episode three didn’t stop Caleb taking information from Della’s computer, was obviously blackmailing him. And so it proved. His hatred of Della and the fact that she got the job he so desperately wanted still rankled to the point that he was willing to do anything to take her down.

And yet…

The Interlude provided much more information. Elfryn did indeed know all about Caleb’s past and was using it against him. But there was more – an email address or whatsapp name (Davies82) kept popping up, giving Caleb instructions. We thought that this might be Elfryn, but no.

It was someone else, and Caleb was obviously in thrall to the person behind that particular curtain, too.

I didn’t quite know how to feel about this. In the beginning, Yr Amguedffa felt like a Welsh version of The Talented Mr Ripley, simmering with sexual tension and looking for all the world like a good, old-school noir. However, now we knew that there was someone behind Caleb pulling the strings – Elfryn or this so-called Davies82. Things had shifted, and had become more complicated and arguably more convoluted.

And yet, it was impossible not to watch.

Not when Mags was revealed to be working with Mark and Lisa to produce a baby for them (why?), not when Sadie – Ralph Lloyd’s sister and Della’s work colleague – met with Caleb to apologise to him for her brother’s terrible actions after wiping out his family thanks to his reckless driving, not when Alun was revealed to have had a one-night stand with Lisa… and not when Fioled was revealed to be Davies82.

It all came down to the letter that Dan had found in his grandmother’s trunk, instructing the owner of the letter to only open it in the advent of Dan and Mags’ grandfather and grandmother’s death.

It seemed The Man In Black was working for Fioled, and she had instructed Caleb to get hold of this letter. As Mags was just about to open it, in stormed The Man In Black and he and Caleb forced the siblings to hand it over.

We don’t know what’s inside it, but once they were in the car, Fioled appeared, a transformed woman. Gone were the dowdy charity shop clothes, and in came a look Cruella de Vil would be proud of. Was it ridiculous? Absolutely. Was it stretching the bounds of credibility. Of course. But what fun!

Paul Hirons

⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 3 out of 5.

READ MORE: OUR EPISODE ONE REVIEW

READ MORE: OUR EPISODE TWO REVIEW

READ MORE: OUR EPISODE THREE REVIEW

Yr Amgueddfa is on S4C, S4C Clic and BBC’s iPlayer in the UK

Channel 5 releases first trailer for Lie With Me

Channel 5 has released the first trailer for Lie With Me, which starts in a matter of weeks.

Charlie Brooks stars as Anna Fallmont and the story centres on the chilling tale of Anna and her family who move to Australia after infidelity rocks her marriage.

They hire a young local nanny who isn’t as innocent as she appears, and deadly consequences follow.

Australian actor Brett Tucker stars as Charlie’s on-screen husband, while newcomer Phoebe Roberts stars as Becky, the nanny Anna and Jake invite into their home.

Here’s the first trailer…

BOXSET REVIEW Bosch (S7)

Bosch takes a bow.

The 10 Best Crime Dramas This Week (Monday 28th June – Sunday 4th July)

For a week in the middle of summer, there’s a lot going on this week. Beck returns for its seventh series, while we also get series three of Dutch drama Blood Pact over on All4/Walter Presents. But that’s not all: look out for BBC America’s adaptation of Terry Pratchett’s The Watch (it’ll come to BBC Two after its iPlayer premiere) and an intriguing mystery on Alibi called Limetown. And we also say goodbye to Yr Amgueddfa. Enjoy!

1 Beck *NEW UK PREMIERE SERIES*
S7 E1/4
Martin Beck and the team investigate a drugs gang after the death of a young man, putting them on a collision course with an undercover operation.
Saturday 3rd July, 9pm, BBC Four

2 Yr Amgueddfa *NEW UK PREMIERE EPISODE* *LAST IN SERIES*
S1 E6/6
Della’s life is in tatters. Having betrayed her husband and son, she decides to leave the marital home – but not before making a startling discovery.
Sunday 4th July, 9pm, S4C

3 Fargo *NEW UK PREMIERE EPISODE*
S4 E8/11
Pursued by both Cannon and Fadda muscle, Rabbi Milligan and Satchel distance themselves from an all-out war brewing in Kansas City.
Sunday 4th June, 12.20am, Channel 4

4 City On A Hill *NEW UK PREMIERE EPISODE*
S2 5/8
Kelvin struggles to lead the Braxton Boys and Jackie homes in on Grace. Decourcy finds himself at a disconnect with Siobhan, as he seeks vengeance and she focuses on recovery.
Tuesday 29th June, 9pm, Sky Atlantic

5 Blood Pact *NEW UK PREMIERE SERIES*
S3 E1-10/10
A man who works for the tax authorities ends up becoming friends with a dangerous criminal after their daughters become best friends and he accidentally saves his life.
From Friday 2nd July, All4/Walter Presents

6 Limetown *NEW UK PREMIERE SERIES*
S1 E1&2/10 
Lia Haddock, investigative reporter, journalist and American Public Radio host, unpacks a mystery through her podcast.
Tuesday 29th June, 9pm, Alibi

7 The Watch *NEW UK PREMIERE SERIES*
S1 E1-8/8
The Watch follows an unlikely group, The City Watch, who are forced to find the guts to save the world, surprising even themselves in the process. The comedic yet thrilling series pits trolls, werewolves, wizards and other improbable heroes against an evil plot to resurrect a great dragon which would lead to the destruction of life as they know it.
From Thursday 1st July, BBC iPlayer

8 Professor T *NEW UK PREMIERE EPISODE*
S1 E4/6
No synopsis available.
From Monday 28th June, BritBox

9 The Prodigal Son *NEW UK PREMIERE EPISODE*
S2 E3/12
Martin is delighted when a murder at Claremont brings the NYPD into his territory, allowing him direct involvement with one of Malcolm’s cases. While working the same job, Ainsley’s suspicion grows when she feels Malcolm may be hiding something from her, and the pair must dodge their mother, who is wondering why they got rid of her favourite rug.
Wednesday 30th June, 9pm, Sky One

10 Before We Die *NEW UK PREMIERE EPISODE* *LAST IN SERIES*
S1 E6/6
The undercover police team attempt to bust the Mimicas’ drug smuggling operation, but they are in for an unpleasant surprise. With Billy and Christian’s help, can Hannah turn the tables on the crime family as events draw to a dramatic showdown?
Wednesday 30th June, 9pm, Channel 4

UK EXCLUSIVE Amazon picks up TV rights for Antti Tuomainen’s The Rabbit Factor, Steve Carell to star

Amazon Studios is turning Finnish author Antti Tuomainen’s The Rabbit Factor into a TV series.

The streaming giant has picked up the rights to Tuomainen’s seventh novel, and will produce a series that will star Steve Carell from the US version of The Office.

It marks Tuomainen’s switch to darkly comic and quirky stories, and The Rabbit Factor is the fifth novel to be released in the UK by independent publisher, Orenda Books, and will be the first in a trilogy.

The Rabbit Factor will be launched in the UK in September.

The Rabbit Factor tells the story of insurance mathematician Henri Koskinen, who inherits an adventure park after suddenly losing his job.

The worst of the financial issues appear to originate from big loans taken from criminal quarters… and some dangerous men are very keen to get their money back.

But what Henri really can’t compute is love. In the adventure park, Henri crosses paths with Laura, an artist with a chequered past, and a joie de vivre and erratic lifestyle that bewilders him. As the criminals go to extreme lengths to collect their debts and as Henri’s relationship with Laura deepens, he finds himself faced with situations and emotions that simply cannot be pinned down on his spreadsheets.

Tuomainen told The Killing Times: “I’m beyond thrilled with the news and, to be honest, still have to tell myself that it is actually true.

“I’ve been a fan of Steve Carell for a long time so this really is a dream come true. I’m also very much looking forward to unleashing insurance mathematician Henri Koskinen to the unsuspecting UK public in September when the first book in the trilogy will be published.”

REVIEW Yr Amgueddfa (S3 E3/6)

At the beginning of the middle episode of this series I began screaming at the television. By the end of it by I was saying “wow”, utterly breathless.

After three episodes Yr Amgueddfa really did catch fire and suddenly became a must-watch, addictive affair where you couldn’t wait to see what happens next. And it was all thanks to writer Fflur Dafydd’s ingenious, mid-episode interlude. These interludes have taken place throughout the series and have provided a really interesting device from which to see the story from a totally different point of view.

To begin with we saw Della, all giddy and throwing caution to the wind, visiting Caleb at his house early in the morning for a bit of pre-work rumpy-pumpy. She was taking some serious risks now, completely blinded and utterly in the moment. He relationship with poor, hapless Alun had almost reached the point of no return (in a meeting she had found out about his failure to secure promotion). Pity had turned to disdain.

And yet… as Della was leaving Caleb’s house after breakfast she was photographed by a mystery snapper. Furthermore, while she was there her son Daniel turned up demanding to know why Caleb hadn’t texted him. So Caleb ended up sleeping with Daniel while Della sneaked out of the house.

Let that just sink in: CALEB SHAGGED DANIEL AFTER HE SHAGGED DANIEL’S MUM DELLA, WHO WAS IN THE SAME HOUSE WHILE CALEB WAS SHAGGING HER SON.

It was a crime drama equivalent of a farce, but somehow it worked.

All this was happening as I was screaming at the screen: “What are you doing Della??” “Why aren’t you asking why Caleb, for someone so young, lives in such a big house all on his own??” “Why aren’t you asking about his family??” “WHY DIDN’T YOU RUN A MILE WHEN YOU SAW THE DOLL’S HOUSE???!”

Also: “WHAT ARE YOU DOING DELLA??”

(To be fair she did ask these questions before the episode was out.)

And then we had The Interlude.

While Della was upstairs showering, we saw Caleb recieve a password via text from a mystery person. We saw him access her laptop and take photos of sensitive documents of a specific exhibition. We saw him receive a photo of a mystery man that had been placed underneath his front door.

We also saw him refuse to meet the family of his victim – Ralph Lloyd – after his probabtion officer Kay suggested a session of restorative justice. The information coming tick and fast now. We saw, in flashback, how Caleb had seemingly murdered Lloyd on the street after an altercation. We saw Caleb’s family trapped in a sinking car.

Could Lloyd have been responsible for Caleb’s family’s death, and he took revenge?

Suddenly I couldn’t catch my breath and I wanted more.

The final act – back in the present day now – saw Caleb become a volunteer for a new space-themed exhibition at the museum. He sneaked into Della’s office and downloaded some information from her hard drive. It was a fancy-dress event so we saw a tall figure dressed in a Scream-style outfit follow up to the office and watch him do it. After he or she moved on, Della’s assistant Elfryn caught him downloading the info. But, instead of reprimanding him he let him do what he needed to do and let him off Scott free.

First wow.

Second wow? The person in the Scream-style outfit who also saw Caleb was Della’s other assistant, Sadie. And Sadie was somehow related to Ralph Lloyd.

It was clever, breathless stuff, with twists and turns you just didn’t see coming.

And I haven’t even mentioned the strange letter Daniel found at his gran’s house or the gently evolving storyline between Marged and Lisa.

As I said earlier, this was a terrific episode and now I want more.

Paul Hirons

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

READ MORE: OUR EPISODE ONE REVIEW

READ MORE: OUR EPISODE TWO REVIEW

Yr Amgueddfa is on S4C, S4C Clic and BBC’s iPlayer in the UK

REVIEW Yr Amgueddfa (S1 E2/6)

Fflur Dafydd’s six-part thriller Yr Amgueddfa laid down some intriguing markers in its opening episode (yes, I know I’m late on this but I’ve had a stressful, busy couple of weeks and haven’t had a chance to write down my thoughts).

Lest we forget, Yr Amgueddfa tells the story of museum boss Della who launches into a torrid, illicit affair with the mysterious Caleb, a troubled young man half her age.

From that first episode, we know that Caleb ‘has a past’ so the intrigue centred around what kind of past Caleb actually has.

Sure enough, we found out more in episode two.

We saw Caleb visit with probation officer Kay who brought out his file. A file marked ‘violent offender’. It seems that Caleb recently got out of prison and is now trying to stay on the straight and narrow. Answering questions from Kay in a perfunctory fashion, he did mention he was seeing someone. Not who or why, just someone.

And that someone, of course, was Della. At the end of episode one she issued an ultimatum – I’ll sleep with you once and then you leave my life. Caleb seemed up for that, but you just knew this homme fatale wouldn’t leave it at that.

And so it proved.

Caleb sneaked back into her life, charming her with a vase (he had ordered online, from somewhere, probably not Wish) and then craftily turning up at Della’s own house for her mother’s birthday party. He had snuck in thanks to his own Trojan horse – Della’s smitten son, Daniel. In that house was Della’s unsuspecting husband Alun (look out for an uncomfortable role playing scene between Della and Alun designed to reignite some passion into their relationship… which absolutely didn’t work), and daughter Marged, and Della’s snipey work colleague Sadie and Elfryn.

And yet for all of her suspicion and shock at Caleb being there – in her house – all it took for her to collapse into his arms was one sultry look. The had a clinch on the stairwell and someone saw it.

So it’s all bubbling up and you have this feeling of dread in the pit of your stomach, because as the affair becomes riskier and riskier, it will no doubt be revealed.

The scenes in the house were delicious in their invention and choreography. They made us feel maximum anxiety as Caleb circled his prey like a vulture.

And yet there’s more to consider here.

How did Caleb get hold of a vase so expensive and from whom? What relationship does Caleb have with his boss at the charity shop, Fioled? What did he do time for? And what is going on with Marged and Lisa?

All to play for.

Paul Hirons

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

READ MORE: OUR EPISODE ONE REVIEW

Yr Amgueddfa is on S4C, S4C Clic and BBC’s iPlayer in the UK

BBC Two releases new images for The North Water

We can’t wait for The North Water, the dark period drama starring Stephen Graham and Colin Farrell.

The new photos feature Jack O’Connell as Patrick Sumner, Farrell as Henry Drax, and Graham as Captain Brownlee, alongside Tom Courtenay as Baxter, seen here in character for the first time. The North Water also stars Peter Mullan, Sam Spruell and Roland Møller.

Based on the acclaimed novel by Ian McGuire, the five-part series tells the story of Patrick Sumner (O’Connell), a disgraced ex-army surgeon who signs up as ship’s doctor on a whaling expedition to the Arctic. But the ferocity of the elements is matched by the violence of his crew mates, with Drax (Farrell), a harpooner and distinctly brutal force of nature. As the true purpose of the expedition becomes clear, confrontation between the two men erupts, taking them on a journey far from solid ground and beyond the safe moorings of civilisation.

Look out for it on BBC Two from late summer.

NORDIC NOIR BBC Four confirms transmission date for Beck

We knew it was coming, but Beck finally has a transmission date.

BBC Four has confirmed that the first of four new films – Undercover – will air in early July.

In Undercover, a young boy has been found murdered and Beck and the group’s investigation leads them to a narcotics network.

Beck: Saturday 3rd July, 9pm, BBC Four