Good story, a nice wet Welsh village but this same story would fit right in anywhere that people are left to care for others unsupervised. There will always be jealousy and petty problems between those being cared for, but if the people left in charge make bad choices, even if they are meant with the true welfare of the others in mind, long term effects can be fatal. This story takes that first fatality, and expands on it, until the entire web has been unstrung, and the full tale is told. Don't come into this expecting a thriller, but instead a smart real work of foot to the ground detective work. This first installment feels a lot like the "Girl with the" series in the best way. I Enjoyed what I have seen so far, and look forward to the rest. I would recommend this to older more thoughtful viewers, and real detective fans.
9 Reviews
Capable caring, and conscious. Our little town has secrets, but they won't be given freely.
face-819-93372625 January 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Excellent (slow paced) thriller.
jyflores-370526 December 2020
Have been watching this series in Netflix the last week or so. Im on Season 3 right now. It's actually a great series even though a bit slowpaced. The scenery is beautiful, it's inspiring me to visit Wales one day.
If you watch it, be prepared though to get used to the perpetual morose stare of detective Mathias. I think I've seen a total of 4 people give a slight smile on this show. Also, if you're American, you may get angry and upset as to why UK detectives get into dangerous situations and they're not packing! I'm really enjoying Hinterland!
Dark, but Not Gruesome
vintagegeek14 January 2019
The characters are not developed at all in the whole first story (ep1&2). I'm hoping 3&4 moves this along. It's amazing they open a new Detective Series focused on an abusive Children's Home which closed a couple decades earlier. A miserable overdone storyline. Mostly predictable. There is nothing visually gruesome. I'll invest in the next two episodes to see if it turns around.
A good start
Tweekums29 April 2014
Warning: Spoilers
The opening instalment in this, first shown in Wales but later shown to a wider audience on BBC4, introduces us to DCI Tom Mathias who has just arrived in Aberystwyth. He meets his team at a remote cottage where there are signs of a violent crime but no body. The missing resident is an elderly woman who ran a nearby children's home twenty years before. When her body is found in a ravine near the home which is now a hotel it looks likely that the motive may date from that time. As the investigation continues we learn that the home was not a happy place and that the woman treated the children badly so there will be plenty of suspects to sort through before the case is solved.
This series has been compared to the many Scandinavian dramas that have become popular recently; it certainly has their dark tone, however I was more reminded of the Irish series 'Single Handed'; perhaps because both are set in the remote west in rugged scenery. Being in the west of Wales both English and Welsh are spoken but the former is predominant as our protagonist isn't a Welsh speaker and what Welsh was spoken was clearly subtitled so it will only be a problem to viewers with poor eyesight! The use of both languages nicely emphasised the setting clearly British but definitely not in England. The story itself was interesting and even if the 'nasty children's home' is a little cliché it didn't feel stale and the final explanation left one feeling more sorry for the killer than anybody else. The setting gave us some beautiful if slightly bleak countryside to admire and the cast did a fine job I certainly look forward to watching further cases in the series.
This series has been compared to the many Scandinavian dramas that have become popular recently; it certainly has their dark tone, however I was more reminded of the Irish series 'Single Handed'; perhaps because both are set in the remote west in rugged scenery. Being in the west of Wales both English and Welsh are spoken but the former is predominant as our protagonist isn't a Welsh speaker and what Welsh was spoken was clearly subtitled so it will only be a problem to viewers with poor eyesight! The use of both languages nicely emphasised the setting clearly British but definitely not in England. The story itself was interesting and even if the 'nasty children's home' is a little cliché it didn't feel stale and the final explanation left one feeling more sorry for the killer than anybody else. The setting gave us some beautiful if slightly bleak countryside to admire and the cast did a fine job I certainly look forward to watching further cases in the series.
Good, Serious First Episode
Hitchcoc25 August 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Having travelled in Wales, it was nice to see the countryside of one of my favorite countries. We are introduced to Inspector Mathias who has a furrowed brow and appears quite serious. He is a taskmaster. He comes to a small town to investigate the murder of an elderly woman who ran a school for girls. It starts out like she is a kindly old woman, but as we begin to see the results of her actions, she is a tyrant, a possible sociopath. The case gets around to a couple of young women who may be suspects in her death. It's one of those cases where the actions of one may be justified, but it's much more complicated than that. We are also given a hint that there is a superintendent that reacts in an odd way to Mathias. I suspect there will be more to this before we're finished. I find this first episode to be pretty well done.
Unbearably dreary!
epacrisimpressa9 April 2020
Yes, amazing scenery, nice to hear the Welsh language is thriving, but oh dear me, what a dreadfully depressing tale. It would be far more palatable if the police characters were a little more interesting or likeable. I found DI Mared Rhys particularly off-putting.
A surprise package
Sleepin_Dragon9 October 2017
DCI Tom Mathias is transferred, albeit unwillingly to Aberystwyth. On his first day he's straight into action, dark secrets lay hidden.
There is real quality in this episode, the visuals are instantly striking, Aberystwyth is a beautiful place, and they certainly made the most of it throughout. It's a very dark story, thoughtfully told, featuring a rather bleak ending. Excellent performances throughout, Richard Harrington is fine actor, so well suited to this style is scandi drama.
The acting all around was excellent. For the small time Paul Morgans was in it, I thought he was brilliant as Hywel. Star of the show I thought was Sara Lloyd Gregory, who delivered an emotionally charged and dark performance.
An excellent opening episode, quality. 9/10
There is real quality in this episode, the visuals are instantly striking, Aberystwyth is a beautiful place, and they certainly made the most of it throughout. It's a very dark story, thoughtfully told, featuring a rather bleak ending. Excellent performances throughout, Richard Harrington is fine actor, so well suited to this style is scandi drama.
The acting all around was excellent. For the small time Paul Morgans was in it, I thought he was brilliant as Hywel. Star of the show I thought was Sara Lloyd Gregory, who delivered an emotionally charged and dark performance.
An excellent opening episode, quality. 9/10
Excellent Piece
sawells1 August 2020
Though the heavy accent was very difficult for my ear, the twists and turns in this episode always came as a surprise. Well written and portrayed. I will make it a point to watch more of these while wearing headphones.
Good acting, good scenery
stratus_phere14 April 2018
Warning: Spoilers
But after the good acting and beautiful Welsh scenery, the rest is pretty sad. You've got a young woman who was horribly abused as a child, and you've got three incredibly horrid people - the woman who ran the place, her accomplice, and the evil priest - all of which deserve to die in slow, painful ways. So when the woman finally snaps and starts killing them in a quest to find the child she had from a rape when she was 13, she of course ends up the bad guy. That's a shame. It's too bad she couldn't just kill them and get away with it.
And for anyone who thinks the priest is not evil, he certainly is. Children come to him telling him of the terrible abuse and he ignores them. She tells him she was raped and he ignores her. He knows it's true because he blessed the baby after it died.
A very sad show with a sad ending and not much redeeming value.
And for anyone who thinks the priest is not evil, he certainly is. Children come to him telling him of the terrible abuse and he ignores them. She tells him she was raped and he ignores her. He knows it's true because he blessed the baby after it died.
A very sad show with a sad ending and not much redeeming value.
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