This is England '86

There's no denying the stylistic quality and consistency of this four-parter, as a continuation of Shane Meadow's fine movie: This is England.

I found it thoroughly engaging and compelling. I loved the contextualisation of the drama for the more memorable events of the 80's (the Falklands War, the 1986 World Cup and Diego Maradonna's Hand of god goal), and the distinctively vibrant soundtrack that characterized the original movie. But there was something about it that just didn't sit right for me.

It wasn't the raw and visceral scenes of sexual abuse, or of the rather comical entrapment of one of the side characters by an older woman (a la The Graduate)... It was more of the contrivance of the story, like an episode of Friends (and I do like Friends, by the way!).

I'm not sure whether it's because I'm of the 'glass-half-empty' disposition, but I did find it a touch unbelievable that the rather amiable and care-free troupe central to the movie storyline were still together 3 years later... That they happened to come across Sean, via his one-time girlfriend (Smell), in the first episode was also an extended suspension of reality... And everything else just seemed to fit neatly in... It didn't feel natural, or organic to the narrative, which is perhaps what I found most disconcerting. I feel the need to reiterate that I did enjoy the series, it's just a minor niggle that I had.

The supposed 'villain' also literally crashes back into the picture at the end of the third act, whose redemption for past sins also feels forced, contrived, as well as fleeting to the point of indifference...