Harlan Coben's Netflix hit Fool Me Once gave us more than just an intense desire to own every single one of Michelle Keegan's coats. It served up a strong mystery with several tangled threads leading to the answer of who killed Joe.
Keegan played a large part in catapulting the show to its success as viewers became deeply invested in her strong-willed and fierce character Maya.
Now 'tis the season for another Coben limited series to become a smash hit.
Missing You you is the New Year's offering hoping to replicate the same success on its own merit.
Headlined by Slow Horses Rosalind Eleazar, Missing You sees Detective Kat Donovan's (Eleazar) life thrown into turmoil when she comes across the dating profile of her ex-fiancé Josh (Ashley Walters), who abandoned her eleven years earlier.
His reappearance comes at a time when the mystery surrounding her father's murder is reignited by current events. The echoes of Josh's presence push Kat further down a dangerous path in search of answers.
If there's one element of Fool Me Once that Missing You gets right is that it is gorgeously character-driven. Instantly it's easy to fall in love with Eleazar's Kat, who is a nest of complex emotions.
It may sound a little poetic but that's what Kat Donovan inspires, great feeling and a wealth of empathy. Eleazar is so expressive in her delivery of Kat: she is raw and soft yet simultaneously strong and guarded. Everything Kat does is with great determination and passion.
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Eleazar's fluid transition between these emotions is best illustrated both in episodes one and five: there are layers of vulnerability, anger, disgust and love that sit uneasily within her as she is forced to confront difficult truths.
Where Missing You sets itself apart in a wonderful way is through the diverse lens through which the story is told.
The predominantly Black ensemble cast, featuring Walters, Jessica Plummer, Lenny Henry and Jo Martin adds cultural texture to the show and its all in the details. From Kat's drenched hair not retaining its bounce as it succumbs to the deluge of water from the fire sprinklers to the 'Candy' dance that is obligatory at every Black gathering.
One of the most gratifying ways in which Black culture is celebrated is through the aunties. Kat's circle of boundary-less, well meaning women elders who mother her alongside her own mother. They ask invasive questions but also love and strengthen her. Those scenes are warm, real, relatable and wholesome.
It's the cinematic choices as well: the soft lighting that alludes to comfort and the easy music that carries their laughter in the scenes. Their contagious vibe makes you feel like you're at a family gathering watching your aunties connect.
When speaking about this aspect of Missing You, the show's writer Victoria Asare-Archer opened up at a screening and Q&A attended by Digital Spy:
"It's a chance to write incredible stories for some of the best Black actors and actresses working today. That representation went all the way through," she added, referring to behind-the-scenes talent.
"We've got two extraordinary directors of colour, we had diversity in sound and makeup and costumes and across the whole thing and to do that in one of Netflix's biggest shows (fingers crossed), it's a pretty extraordinary thing."
The show's diverse representation goes beyond Blackness, notably when Missing You connects Aqua's (Mary Malone) queerness in a meaningful way to another character's, giving their shared dialogue body and deeper meaning.
Equally, Flo, one of Kat's elders, celebrates passing her viva to become a doctor; this speaks to the show's intentional inclusivity. It's just a small nod to the diverse experiences people can have once they reach what is usually determined as 'retirement age'.
Where the show lets itself down is with the mystery itself. There are many red herrings scattered around, all urging viewers to take the bait, but they try a little too hard.
The storyline involving the missing people was, in isolation, interesting and gritty with some great performances by Steve Pemberton as Titus, Rudi Dharmalingam as Rishi and Oscar Kennedy as Brendan.
The connection to the wider story, however, feels somewhat tenuous. While admittedly there were a few surprises in the show as a whole, the whodunnit aspect of it all felt rather simplistic. Consequently, while the limited series starts and ends in gripping fashion, the middle lags.
The acting, however, is stunning across the board and makes the lack of chemistry between Walters and Eleazar forgivable. That's all we're willing to say on that before we reach spoiler territory.
All episodes of Missing You are available to watch now on Netflix.
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.
