Messiah: The Harrowing (2005– )

A woman stung to death by bees, two women hooked together like meat, a man starved to death in chains.... As the bodies mount up Red Metcalf (Ken Stott) and his team race to get ahead of a ... See full summary »

Writer:

Boris Starling (creator)

Stars:

Ken Stott, Helen McCrory, Beatie Edney

1 nomination.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Ken Stott	...	Red Metcalfe (3 episodes, 2005)
Helen McCrory	...	Dr. Rachel Price (3 episodes, 2005)
Beatie Edney	...	Grace Eccleshall (3 episodes, 2005)

Storyline

A woman stung to death by bees, two women hooked together like meat, a man starved to death in chains.... As the bodies mount up Red Metcalf (Ken Stott) and his team race to get ahead of a killer who is literally taking his victims to Hell.

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Plot Keywords:

tv mini series

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Official Sites:

BBC [uk]

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 August 2005 (UK)

Also Known As:

Messiah 4: The Harrowing

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

BBC Northern Ireland, Great Meadow Ltd., Great Meadow Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

180 min 180 min (3 parts)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

DS Vickie Clarke: A man said he saw a woman in a red coat hurrying away from the flat. His description of the woman was "she was angry".
DI Duncan Warren: Well that's got to narrow it down. An angry woman

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Connections

Follows Messiah 2: Vengeance Is Mine (2002)

User Reviews

Haven't I seen you somewhere before?

I have been a fan of the Messiah series since its beginning way back. The first story was a masterclass in the crime genre being influenced by some of the great cinematic thrillers (namely Se7en). The next two were somewhat of a disappointment (although never being THAT bad) as they never quite reached the dizzy heights of the first Messiah. And now we get to Messiah IV: The Harrowing.

This is a return to form for Red and his team. Gone are the sub plots concerning his wife or the rest of the squad (although one of his squad are linked to one of the deaths that kicks off the story). This allows for a tighter story that keeps the Police/Killer relationship central to the narrative.

Without going into detail the killer in this instance is offing people in the manner that sinners are punished in Dante's Inferno. This literary reference lifts this thriller into something out of the ordinary.

Cracking acting from all (especially Ken Stott whom I hope continues to make these ad infinitum) and some great directing ensures an excellent 3 hours worth of television.

My only problem is with the writer who seems to have shamelessly ripped off Matthew Pearl's superb novel 'The Dante Club'. If this is not the case then I would like to be proved wrong.

Above all: a return to form for my favourite BBC drama.