Over a weekend filled with the flu and fueled with Dayquil and hazelnut coffee I had the chance to subscribe to a free trial of Amazon Prime. Who sees this offer and goes "Nah, I don't need more bingeworthy content."? Well not me. After having seen the movie "Room" on Netflix about a month ago, when I stumbled acrossed BBC's "Thirteen" I was intrigued and decided to spend a day watching it from beginning to end.
The first thing you need to know is "Thirteen" follows 26 year old Ivy Moxom (Jodie Comer) who has been in captivity for the last 13 years. Her family has since moved on with her sister about to start her own family and her boyfriend, now a married man, an adult that she still sees as the same person he was when she left. Her dad, now in a new relationship, seems to have also left her an all but forgotten relic of his past.
In the first few parts of the show it is easy to feel sorry for Ivy. She goes through an incredible amount of police questioning as well as speaking with government officials who are all asking her the same thing. It is an inside chance to see how the process of coming back to society can be quite demeaning, both as a human being and as the victim. Ivy, through her constant poking and prodding, is put on the back burner because her kidnapper has now taken someone else. Ideas of jealousy and stockholm sydrome swallow the thoughts of one the detectives, DS Lisa Merchant (Valene Kane) , while the other, Elliot (Richard Rankin), seems to be blinded by getting too personal with Ivy.
As the show progresses it is easy to see a continuing theme of Ivy becoming attached to the men in her life. Her motives are questioned and one detective can't help but believe that she may be "helping" her kidnapper in some fashion and lying about being kidnapped at all. Ivy even has a moment back at the cellar where she was held that looks to corroborrate the idea that she was actually in love with her kidnapper. Her continuing jealousy surrounding her family, friends, and the police lead me to believe that instead of escaping she was actually tossed aside for a younger victim.
The series definitely put me on the edge of my seat and ready to click the next episode as soon as the current one ended. It was easy to decide who I was "rooting" for as it seemed the writer kept that open for interpretation. There were only a few moments that left me questioning, even at the end, but I won't spoil that for you. I give "Thirteen" an 8/10
