#katherine stevens

Bummer. And a lame excuse, that doesn’t really make sense to us...

The formidable Det. Superintendent Elizabeth Bancroft (Sarah Parish, Broadchurch) is leading the charge against the violent Kamara gang. Meanwhile, DS Katherine Stevens (Faye Marsay, Game of Thrones, Black Mirror) is given a cold murder case. In 1990, Laura Fraser was stabbed 18 times in frenzied attack at home. As Elizabeth and Katherine’s paths cross for the first time, Katherine finds that there’s more to the Fraser case than it seems – and Elizabeth has some secrets in her past which may prove difficult to hide.

From the first moment I watched the trailer, I was drawn to this four part British crime thriller. The first episode completely sold me, and I was captivated by Elizabeth Bancroft, played by Sarah Parish. Bancroft is a brilliant cop, but she’s not afraid to get her hands dirty. She’s ruthless, ambitious and up for a promotion, when a cold case is opened and threatens to ruin the position she’s fought so strongly for – and reveal the secrets of her past.

Throughout the four episodes, Bancroft’s innate control wavers as the cold case unravels, and exposes the truth of her connection with it. From the very beginning, there’s no doubt that Bancroft is hiding skeletons in her closet, and through flashbacks the whole story starts to reveal itself. But Bancroft is fascinating because she is such a multi-layered character, and because even with her villainous nature, she is so damn charismatic. It’s difficult to completely define this show and character, because though Bancroft is the main character, and Stevens is her main adversary, Bancroft is the one in the wrong. Yet, I couldn’t help but enjoy her manipulations. Parish is brilliant in this role – she creates such an interesting character that you want Bancroft to win. And the more underhanded and devious she is in the process, the better. For much of the series, Bancroft is in complete control, and I absolutely loved it. I wanted her to win.