Unforgotten (My rating: 4+)
Follow the lives unwind
About the ITV series, Unforgotten (now in its sixth season on PBS Masterpiece), first let me say something about Nicola Walker. She has been one of my favorite British actors since I first saw her on Touching Evil (1997-99), where she stared with another of my favorites, Robson Green. She brings a vulnerable intenseness to her roles, especially in the first four seasons of Unforgotten. Probably worth seeing anything she is in. (Unfortunately, BBC cancelled Annika – despite leaving it with an end-of-season cliffhanger in 2023 – in which Walker played DI Annika Strandhed who regularly addressed the audience, breaking the fourth wall. She was made for that role.) Walker left the series after season four.
I briefly reviewed Unforgotten previously. The show follows a team specializing in cold cases, sometimes very cold. In season five, DCI Jessica ‘Jessie’ James, played by Sinéad Keenan, took over assisted by – despite initial misgivings – DI Sunil ‘Sunny’ Khan, played very soberly by Sanjeev Bhaskar (a British comedian). The series always covers just one case over the season’s episodes. Now it takes the form of six 45-minute episodes that unfold the crime and investigation. It’s fascinating to watch usually four possible suspects introduced and track them as the investigation itself affects their lives. Some roll down hill. Usually the team must first find a way to identify the victim, using forensics, digging through records and tracing whatever leads they turn up. By the end of season five, Jessie and Sunny find their joint rhythm.
Most of the supporting characters – the team – have remained constant through the six seasons. And as with Vera, there are other detectives always standing around for the chief’s meeting with the team that have no speaking roles. (I guess they’d have to be paid more? Wonder if sometimes they just want to shout, “hey I’m here too.”)
Chris Lang created the series and does the writing. It’s well crafted and well acted. A 4+ for sure.