Published by Mason Oldridge, 22 March 2024
CONTAINS SPOILERS!
Jason Watkins leads the lineup in this new Channel 5 drama.
The plot is straight forward yet nevertheless compelling. Mild-mannered husband and father-of-one Simon Henderson is struggling with mortgage payments and being made redundant. When he is intimidated by youth gang leader Jordan, he lashes out and punches him, landing the teen in a coma. Simon claims to have found him unconscious in the street but the lie soon escalates.
The pacing isn’t the best given its four-episode run, but there is decent storyline progression as his wife learns the truth, the police edge closer to what really happened and Jordan wakes up and feigns memory loss in bid to blackmail his attacker, leaving Simon torn between handing himself in and going on the run.
The acting plays a major part in keeping the story gripping. The contrast between Jason Watkins’ meek and anxious protagonist and Jonas Armstrong’s threatening and violent father of the victim is likely to keep viewers nervous over what will happen next.
The ending is somewhat disappointing, however, as more questions arise than answers given. What happened to Harry? Why did Jordan lie about who attacked him? Why was the detective always rubbing her neck? The latter was a recurring motif that teased a purpose that ultimately didn’t exist. Furthermore, it is irritating that Jordan got to keep the money Simon gave him and that the Hendersons are now fearful to return home given the lifelong threat from Paul.
Coma is easy-watching but nothing groundbreaking, only what is expected from a Freeview production.
6/10