ITV's latest crime drama Code of Silence is centred on Alison Brooks (Rose Ayling-Ellis), a smart and resourceful deaf woman who gets caught up in a world of danger when she begins using her lip-reading skills to help the police take down a gang of criminals.
The previously overlooked Alison is seduced by the thrill of the job and at being depended upon. However complications arise when Alison begins to fall for the newest member of the gang, Liam Barlow (Kieron Moore).
The chemistry between Ayling-Ellis and Moore is undeniable as they breathe life, love and vulnerability into the fragile romance.
It is played so perfectly that one can easily see why they would fall for each other. Their bond, however, is deeper than just physical and emotional. They understand each other in a unique way owing to their ability to recognise each other's pain.
Code of Silence creates an intimacy between them from their shared feeling of invisibility.
Despite coming from two very different walks of life, Liam's past and Alison's deafness mean they both know what it's like to fall between the cracks of a broken system, for their needs to be unmet, to feel unseen and have little support.
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It's a tender romance made fragile by the deceit on both ends and the six-part limited series will unfairly have you rooting for a love that can't last… or can it?
The central love story is not the show's only strength. One of the best things about Code of Silence is how layered the storytelling is.
On the surface it's about a woman falling for a criminal while aiding the police in their mission to prevent the high-stakes heist he's involved in. Juicy, yes, but there's much more than that going on.
Like with Ayling-Ellis' breathtaking BBC thriller Reunion, deafness in Code of Silence is not a tokenistic tool to tap oneself on the back for a job well done in the disability representation area.
Alison's deafness isn't just a way of using lip-reading as a quirky plot device: her struggles, limited employment opportunities and even her financial difficulties are all filtered through her experience as a deaf individual. Not just hers – her mum's too, as she struggles to get adequate support to enable her to work. These events all form part of the wider story.
The show's approach to deafness is not all skewed towards the negative. Code of Silence doesn't miss the chance to give viewers a taste of the beauty of deaf culture in the way in which Alison doesn't see her deafness as a limitation. She acts boldly, takes risks and is not limited by her inability to hear.
Her lip-reading almost feels like a superpower, something that is sought after, needed, valued and not burdensome.
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There's a beautiful line in which Alison admits to not wanting to be hearing but wishing that the world was just a little bit deaf in order to know what it feels like to walk a mile in her shoes. While there is pain in that truth there is also something so deeply wonderful about her loving her deafness.
Code of Silence also takes a beat to tell a mini story about Alison's connection to her hearing aids. In just a moment you understand the intimacy in her experience of using them, which makes what happens later all the more uncomfortable.
The crime drama may not be as emotionally punchy as Reunion, but it is every bit as important as it highlights deafness in a different way.
Its quietly political approach in how it explores the ways in which the disabled community continues to be let down deserves praise.
Away from Alison there are some brilliant performances by the villains of the piece. Joe Absolom's unfeeling, cutthroat approach to gang leader Braden plays nicely against his more respectable partner-in-crime Helen Redman (Beth Goddard), who is slick, oily and well-versed in evading problematic situations.
The show isn't perfect, though. Andrew Buchan's (Broadchurch) tortured DI James Marsh carries around a burden of regret from a previous case, but his trauma stays very much surface level despite Buchan giving a solid performance.
An adultery storyline doesn't add any real value and serves as more of a distraction.
However Alison's tendency to act impulsively is what drives the anxiety-induced intrigue. Despite her daring behaviour her actions feel wholly appropriate considering she is a novice who is out of her depth but is still determined to prove herself at any cost.
Creator Catherine Moulton's skill at drawing from her own experience with lip-reading and hearing loss has created a beautiful slow-burning story that will grip you tighter and tighter as the episodes tick on.
Code of Silence is available to watch on ITV1 and ITVX.
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TV writer, Digital Spy Janet completed her Masters degree in Magazine Journalism in 2013 and has continued to grow professionally within the industry ever since. For six years she honed her analytical reviewing skills at the Good Housekeeping institute eventually becoming Acting Head of Food testing. She also freelanced in the field of film and TV journalism from 2013-2020, when she interviewed A-List stars such as Samuel L Jackson, Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson. In 2021 she joined Digital Spy as TV writer where she gets to delve into more of what she loves, watching copious amounts of telly all in the name of work. Since taking on the role she has conducted red carpet interviews with the cast of Bridgerton, covered the BAFTAs and been interviewed by BBC Radio and London Live. In her spare time she also moonlights as a published author, the book Gothic Angel.
