The newest BBC One series ‘The Jetty’, which is full of shocks, twists, and more turns than you can shake a stick at, will immediately grab your attention and won’t let go until the credits of the final episode roll.
Created by Cat Jones, all episodes of your newest obsession premier on IPlayer, Monday 15th July, with episodes airing each Monday at 9pm on BBC One. (Side note, you’ll also get the theme, which was also written by series writer Cat Jones, stuck in your head for days!)
It’s safe to say, from the opening few scenes, The Jetty is an outstanding piece of cinematography! The beautiful lakes of West Yorkshire are almost characters themselves, from their haunting stillness to their choppy and aggressive waves. The metaphor never seems lost with this series.
With a stellar cast helmed by the ever-brilliant BAFTA and Emmy Award nominated Jenna Coleman (The Wilderness, Doctor Who) as recently widowed and single mother, Detective Ember Manning as she investigates a fire in a small town in Lancashire, but as the investigation deepens, Ember begins to wonder if there are connections to a girl names Amy Knightly, the subject of an old missing person’s case that has close reaching consequences, not just for Ember, but the entire community.
Coleman shines as Ember, just as she does in almost all of her dramatic roles, she plays grief in a new light and as the case rears its head, Coleman just goes to prove she really is one of the best actress of our generation.
But it’s not just Coleman that shines throughout, the entire supporting cast including Archie Renaux who plays Ember’s junior partner Hitch… their chemistry between the characters, both comedically and emotionally definitely grounds you more within the world Cat Jones has masterfully created.
Jones’ refusal to shy away from showing blatant sexism, the lack of trust some of the locals have of the police, to the not so perfect female character’s, again helps you get a feel of what this small, close-knit community is like. And if there’s one thing, they like more than the rapacious blokes they live with, well, it certainly isn’t outsiders.
As Riz, played brilliantly by Weruche Opia (I May Destroy You) arrives to the town, the host of a podcast that focuses on crimes against women and her latest cast is about the disappearance of Amy Knightly. Think Serial with Riz being our very own Sarah Koenig.
The locals are rather displeased to see Riz, as the case, in many of their own options, is dead and buried, but as Riz and Ember join forces to get to the bottom of what happened to Amy all those years ago, they soon realise there’s more to the case than meets the eye.
We learn that Amy was involved with an older man, played by House of the Dragon star Tom Glynn-Carney, Glynn-Carney thrills in the role, especially if you’re a fan of his work on Dragon, you’re going to love to hate him here. Whilst there are shows and people who would happily idolise the older-man-young-girl-relationship trope, The Jetty and Jones call attention to the horrendous consequences that these types of ‘relationships’ have. It’s definitely a series that will strike up conversations between people, not just online, but households too.
Riz informs us that there’s others within the community that have been aware of the teenager being sexually abused and there many more men still doing it.
Whilst this review is spoiler-free, there are several moments that will leave you shouting at your television! It feels great watching a tv show and not having a clue what’s going to happen next. The Jetty and its drama and storytelling feels as if it’s already up there with the likes of Broadchurch and Line of Duty.
The series itself is more than just your average detective story. It’s a coming-of-age, familial, almost political drama, in the sense of the questions it asks with just how dangerous it is to be a young woman in the world. But whilst the series does dive into the Me-Too era and the repercussions of that, and delves into them quiet brilliantly, there are some aspects to the story that just feel a little too soap like.
We can’t write about the series and not comment on the wonderful job of Sundance and Raindance Film Festival Winner, Marialy Rivas. Her way of drawing out tension, and filling out the comedic beats, are nothing short of perfection.
Rivas’ direction captures the series superbly and makes you feel like you’ve been there all your life. You fell at home with Ember and her teenage daughter Hannah (Locke and Key’s Hanna Stokes), which almost fells like you’re watching a British version of Lorelie and Rory Gilmore, feel the strained and complicated relationship between Ember and her mother, Syliva (played by Amelia Bullmore of Ashes to Ashes), and find yourself rooting for Ember to get to the bottom of just what exactly has happened and how she can come to terms with the results of her own youth.
Whilst you’re going to have many, many questions through the four-hour series, one thing is for sure, if you think you’ve figured it all out. Think again.
