Now the time is here
For Iron Man to spread fear
Vengeance from the grave
Kills the people he once saved
If you don't know the song, then flog yourself mercilessly with a heavy lead boot, then come back here.
"To Be a Somebody" is perhaps the most chilling portrayal of a serial murderer because he is not some misfit scumbag who grew up torturing kittens. He is the epitome of an "everyman", a completely ordinary human being--if not a nice guy--who ends up turning into one of the most remorseless, amoral, detestable killers you've seen on TV. Why and how does he take this turn? Listen to Black Sabbath's "Iron Man" and you'll start to get the picture. Better yet, watch the show.
Also if you're American and completely ignorant of world news outside the USA bubble like me, you may want to keep your smartphone handy so you can google "Hillsborough disaster" near the end of the show. It is extremely significant, and you can spend a good day reading about the complex twisting of truth, lies and outrage surrounding the event. This episode of Cracker came 6 years after the disaster, and that was still almost a decade before the scandal was properly investigated. So the gravity of the event and its significance to this story is very pressing.
You will find yourself disgusted, intrigued, hateful and sympathetic toward the killer. As always, this excellent show bends the boundaries of good guy vs. bad guy, forcing not only your brain but your heart to work overtime to keep up.
This 3-part episode is full of top notch acting by everyone, especially Christopher Eccleston (police chief "David") who gets to shine with an explosive performance. The story is very provocative, and I'm not just talking about a psycho killer who guts people with a bayonet. I'm talking about the story of a serial killer who is exactly like you or me, a normal person who, for reasons that are shown in the beginning and which unfold & intensify all the way up to the rattling conclusion, switches over to the dark side.
Give this show your full attention, and I promise you won't be disappointed. I say this after watching every episode of Cracker, this is hands down the best crime drama that ever hit the screen.