"We'll jump off at eleven..."
After eight episodes, it all finally comes to an end- with an episode that feels awkward and, ironically, rushed. Seven episodes of too much padding and so much happens in this episode.
I can see what Hammond was going for, and there's some good stuff here. All the timey-wimeyness is shown very effectively with camera trickery rather than expensive effects. Sapphire's dark eyes- and Joanna Lumley's performance- give us a terrifying Darkness... to whom Steel, of course, is as rude as ever.
There's even a horrifying twist in Steel's betrayal of Tully, which appals even Sapphire, and Tully's trust and need for approval are heartbreaking. Yet the deal doesn't really make any sense from the Darkness' perspective, and Sam Pearce, who thinks (rightly) that Steel is a total bastard, agrees to stop being a ghost very suddenly, and appears to speak for all the other ghosts.
It doesn't work, despite the emtional kick of what happens to poor Tully; the plot holes are too big in a finale that relies on ideas rather than character drama and so can't get away with plot holes.
This serial is based on sound ideas, and there's a good (albeit much shorter) serial in here. But it's not just overly long; it's poorly paced throughout with an ending that doesn't work We end Sapphire & Steel's first season with a disappointing serial which, unfortunately, covers more than half of the season as a whole. Unfortunately the season as a whole, after a promising start, is dragged down.
Surely things get better?
No comments:
Post a Comment