THE SHADOW LINE: Dark, Suspenseful, Surreal

I don’t know how they do it, but the British have an extraordinary talent for producing quality television series. Sherlock, Luther, Black Mirror, Utopia, Misfits—these are just a few titles (not necessarily recent ones) that come up immediately when someone throws the phrase United Kingdom our way.

And among these big-name titles, emerging quietly from the shadows is a series that went largely unnoticed, though it deserves at least a little attention. I’m talking about The Shadow Line from 2011.

The series was created by Hugo Blick—a true jack-of-all-trades—who served as writer, director, and producer. Blick himself could be seen as the young Jack Napier who eventually becomes the Joker in Tim Burton’s Batman, where, with a devilish grin on his face, he delivers the famous line: Tell me, kid, have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight? In an interview, Blick admitted that his inspiration in creating the series came from 1970s American thrillers starring the likes of Warren Beatty and Robert Redford—stories about morality (or immorality), ending with a striking truth.

The story of The Shadow Line begins when one of the UK’s biggest criminals, drug kingpin Harvey Wratten, is released from prison thanks to a royal pardon. But just a few hours after walking free, Harvey is murdered. The case is assigned to Detective Jonah Gabriel, who is returning to duty after a botched operation in which he was shot in the head, resulting in partial memory loss.

But Gabriel is not the only one trying to solve the mysterious death of the drug baron. The news also shakes the criminal underworld, which has just lost its boss and is determined to find the perpetrator. Both sides try to uncover the truth, using entirely different methods.

A tightly crafted production of seven nearly hour-long episodes, the series is a very dark, somewhat surreal, and slightly exaggerated thriller whose central theme is conspiracy. The heavy, depressive narrative is gripping, suspenseful, and persistently uncertain. Nothing can be taken for granted, and anything might happen.

One of the clear strengths that creates this atmosphere is the excellent cinematography. The tone is true to the title: on the shadow line. Darkness and black dominate—small, dimly lit rooms and narrow alleyways where no one is seen after sundown (except, of course, the characters). There’s a strong focus on detail: trembling hands, shifting eyes, or props that heighten the emotional states and moods of the characters. Another strong suit is the parallel presentation of possible events as seen from the perspectives of both the police and the criminal organization. Watching both sides of the barricade, the viewer pieces the story together bit by bit.

It’s also well known that the British delight in wordplay and, as proper gentlemen, in expressing themselves through metaphors, implications, and half-said thoughts. The series is packed with dialogue that must be read between the lines. Personally, I count that as a plus, though I know some may view the constant immersion in metaphorical language as a sign of pretentiousness or a lack of realism.

The cast includes top-tier British actors, nearly all of whom deliver very strong performances.

The excellent Christopher Eccleston (known from Doctor Who) as Joseph Bede, who reluctantly becomes the heir to the throne after his boss’s death, comes across as the brain of the whole operation. Rafe Spall, playing Jay Wratten, is magnetic and psychopathic—he steals the show whenever he’s on screen. It’s a shame he was so underused. Spall had a lot to work with in the first two episodes but then almost disappears, getting just a few minutes per episode. A real pity.

Anthony Sher also gives a strong performance as Peter Glickman (am I the only one who thinks steampunk the moment his character appears?). Of the whole cast, probably the weakest is Chiwetel Ejiofor (most recently of 12 Years a Slave), who plays Detective Gabriel. Completely lifeless. Boring.

Many believe The Shadow Line is the best thing to happen to British television in years. One Daily Telegraph reader called the time spent with the series the best few hours spent with the BBC since Edge of Darkness. And it’s worth noting that Edge of Darkness aired in 1985. So… there must be something to it.