TV Review: Without Sin

Vicky McClure and Johnny Harris lead psychological drama Without Sin through its depressive gloom

“I think I know who took her”

Without Sin premiered on ITVX at the end of last year and since everyone should love a bit of Vicky McClure, that’s no bad thing. And Without Sin isn’t a bad thing either, it’s just that I’m not sure Frances Poletti’s four-part conspiracy thriller is a particularly great one either, it just putters along in a slightly-too-familiar manner.

McClure plays Stella, a taxi driver from Nottingham, whose life was understandably shattered by the murder of her teenage daughter Maisy three years ago. The wound is as fresh as if it were yesterday, something made even worse when Charles Stone, the man convicted of the murder reaches out through a prison reconciliation programme.

And since we’re in the realm of psychological drama, Charlie is less concerned about rehabilitation than revelation – he’s adamant that he’s been framed and as he tries to persuade Stella, he finds a willing participant for his cause. Adopting this position as investigator will help her to work through her trauma, so she thinks, but as another local girl disappears, a much wider web of conspiracies emerges.

Without Sin is stronger in its earlier parts, when the prism of trauma is at its strongest and the murkiness of any and all truths leaves so much teasing ambiguity. As it progresses, the writing resolves into a more and more standard crime thriller, which whilst always well acted, just doesn’t have the same ring of uniqueness to it.

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