Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
Cast: Henry Lloyd-Hughes, Thalissa Teixeira, Lucy Hale, Michael Smiley, Sam Troughton, Angus Wright, Samantha Spiro, Phil Davies, Natasha Little, Clive Mendus, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Perry Jaques, Amita Dhiri, Douggie McMeekin, James Barriscale, James Tarpey, Robin Weaver, Camilla Beeput, Tim McDonnell, Ava Masters, Oriana Charles, Cannon Hay, Eric Raymond Lim, Paul McEwan, Dave Hart, Peter Bottley.
The sense of the extraordinary comes from out of nowhere and hits you where you least expect it.
Such is the burning residue that comes with the adaption of Daniel Cole’s Ragdoll that it seems the digital channel Alibi, to which this six-part series found its home, has scored one of the most surprising, dynamic, and alluring hits; and it is a reflection of how the writing, the sensationalism, and the spirit of the investigation follows with dry black humour and with a case of almost psychotic anarchy that is against type in detective dramas.
For anyone who was fortunate enough to witness Sam Troughton as he toured as part of the company involved in A Streetcar Named Desire in 2012, will understand why he has been called one of the finest actors of his generation, and in his scenes with Lucy Hale and then with Samantha Spiro, he excels in the role, a gift, a part that really gets under the skin of both the performer, and of the actor.
It is though to the presence of Ms. Spiro that the six-part series comes alive with, barely noticeable at first, the audience just, arguably unjustifiably, regards her character as being part of the scenery, of being in a way playing up to the wonderful charismatic, jovial personality she exudes on screen. However, it is to her absolute credit that she slips in unnoticed and becomes such a pivotal and extraordinary part of the action. Ms. Spiro doesn’t just take your breath away, as force it of you whilst punching you in the stomach with her slick facial expressions and her eye for detail.
Ragdoll is evidence of growing number of detective serials, or even investigation led dramas, that are willing to be bold, that show a side of the fractured nature of the human mind, and for Daniel Cole, the original author of the piece, it shows just how well, how positively, a book can be adapted given the right circumstances and actors for the small screen.
Outrageously superb, Ragdoll is no mere plaything for television, it is a symbol of art caught on camera.
Ian D. Hall