Liar (2017)

Watchseries; No matter the execution, anything that explores the subject of rape and its consequences is to be applauded. Rape is a very harrowing and sensitive subject and a difficult one to explore, considering how it affects the victims afterwards, and other people's misconceptions and ignorance (how many times have people resorted to victim blaming and saying they asked for it?). Talking about it and the consequences in real life and on film and television is incredibly brave and important to address.

'Liar' had such a good premise and had potential to be a strong, thought-provoking, harrowing and poignant character study and exploration of this horrible crime, the questions of who's innocent and who's guilty and how it affects the victims afterwards. While it is nowhere near as bad as some of the reviews have said, and some of the criticisms have been blown out of proportion, 'Liar' was a let down and didn't do enough with such a good and potentially relatable premise. There are good things here. 'Liar' actually does start off very well, excellently in fact.

The first two episodes were riveting and were exactly what the advertising promised. They held our attention and really made us question who was guilty and who was innocent without ever making it obvious either way. One really feels the female lead character Laura's pain and anguish. Credit is due too in that the subject is never trivialised although not fully explored from Episode 3 onward, Laura's desperation, emotional journey and her scrutinised, harsh treatment are more than capably acknowledged and convincing.

Visually, 'Liar' looks great with atmospheric locations, cohesive editing and photography that's slick and matches the characters' thought processes very well. The music is haunting but understated. The acting is very good, with the series being carried by a heart-wrenching, emotionally complex and clearly troubled Joanne Froggatt and an intense and charming (one effectively questions whether this charm is genuine or deceptive) Ioan Gruffudd, haven't seen him this good in a long time and his confusion is also believable. Of the supporting cast, all good considering what they had to work with, the most interesting and sympathetic is the female detective Vanessa played dynamically by Shelley Conn.

It is such a pity that such great potential goes off the boil, with the series taking a complete 180 and never really recovering. This is including the ending, which some have said was shocking, to me it wasn't that surprising and it felt rushed too. The tautness of the first two episodes script-wise is replaced by clunky dialogue and that it becomes biased and one sided (not sure about the sexism and feminist complaints but can kind of understand that about negative male stereotyping). What started off as an intriguing and promising character study became from Episode 3 onward overwrought melodrama and odd decision making.

Apart from Vanessa, the supporting characters are completely stock and as flimsily developed as you can possibly get, so the character study promise is thrown out of the window after the first two episodes. Let's not get started on the portrayal of a strong contender for the most incompetent police force in film and television in a long time. The initially riveting story-telling of the first two episodes becomes contrived, dull, muddled and one-sided for the other two thirds.

Rape, the conflict of guilt vs. innocence in the series, whethe

No matter the execution, anything that explores the subject of rape and its consequences is to be applauded. Rape is a very harrowing and sensitive subject and a difficult one to explore, considering how it affects the victims afterwards, and other people's misconceptions and ignorance (how many times have people resorted to victim blaming and saying they asked for it?). Talking about it and the consequences in real life and on film and television is incredibly brave and important to address.

'Liar' had such a good premise and had potential to be a strong, thought-provoking, harrowing and poignant character study and exploration of this horrible crime, the questions of who's innocent and who's guilty and how it affects the victims afterwards. While it is nowhere near as bad as some of the reviews have said, and some of the criticisms have been blown out of proportion, 'Liar' was a let down and didn't do enough with such a good and potentially relatable premise. There are good things here. 'Liar' actually does start off very well, excellently in fact.

The first two episodes were riveting and were exactly what the advertising promised. They held our attention and really made us question who was guilty and who was innocent without ever making it obvious either way. One really feels the female lead character Laura's pain and anguish. Credit is due too in that the subject is never trivialised although not fully explored from Episode 3 onward, Laura's desperation, emotional journey and her scrutinised, harsh treatment are more than capably acknowledged and convincing.

Visually, 'Liar' looks great with atmospheric locations, cohesive editing and photography that's slick and matches the characters' thought processes very well. The music is haunting but understated. The acting is very good, with the series being carried by a heart-wrenching, emotionally complex and clearly troubled Joanne Froggatt and an intense and charming (one effectively questions whether this charm is genuine or deceptive) Ioan Gruffudd, haven't seen him this good in a long time and his confusion is also believable. Of the supporting cast, all good considering what they had to work with, the most interesting and sympathetic is the female detective Vanessa played dynamically by Shelley Conn.

It is such a pity that such great potential goes off the boil, with the series taking a complete 180 and never really recovering. This is including the ending, which some have said was shocking, to me it wasn't that surprising and it felt rushed too. The tautness of the first two episodes script-wise is replaced by clunky dialogue and that it becomes biased and one sided (not sure about the sexism and feminist complaints but can kind of understand that about negative male stereotyping). What started off as an intriguing and promising character study became from Episode 3 onward overwrought melodrama and odd decision making.

Apart from Vanessa, the supporting characters are completely stock and as flimsily developed as you can possibly get, so the character study promise is thrown out of the window after the first two episodes. Let's not get started on the portrayal of a strong contender for the most incompetent police force in film and television in a long time. The initially riveting story-telling of the first two episodes becomes contrived, dull, muddled and one-sided for the other two thirds.

Rape, the conflict of guilt vs. innocence in the series, whethe

Liar watchseries. I can not understand all the bad reviews, I have enjoyed all four episodes very much. The story is good, the twists are unexpected and good, the acting is good, the cinematography is good..What else do people want? Nudity?graphic violence? sex scenes? No, there is none, but there are clever twists,interesting characters,and a story that unfolds revealing things that make you say Wow that was good!

Had high hopes for this drama, but it was dragged out too long. It would have been more intense and edgy if it had been edited to about 3 episodes. Lost credibility when Laura takes on the investigative role and tries to solve her own case.

One episode and you'll know exactly where this ode to feminist theology is going. She'll act in such a way that no one would ever believe her account over his. Seasoned veterans of the police force will fail to ask the questions or pursue the lines of inquiry that would be obvious to any fresh grad from the academy. He will be totally believable and no one will support her, causing heart wrenching trauma as she takes more and more desperate measures to gain justice. Then, when all seems lost either 1) some fluke will uncover paradigm shifting evidence or 2) Mr. ALL Smooth and Innocent will, thinking he's alone,confess showing his totally evil character. But alas someone, somehow will have witness him and - Justice!! It will be so brilliantly and sympathetically acted by, Joanne Froggatt, that you will be helpless but to come to the conclusion that you should have just done the right thing and, "Listen and Believe" because, well you know - she is a she. You'll also believe this happens all the time and that false accusations never do. There you go. You got those 6 hours back. Your welcome.

As a fan of British crime dramas, and who watches many, I thought Liar was very good. It kept us guessing who was telling the truth and who was lying.

Such a great potential! First episode set up intriguing enigmas. Yet episode after episode I was hit with one disastrous writing train crash after the other.

Acting is great! Alas what can one actor with such disappointing material?!

I read quite a few reviews on here. I do not have a problem with representational set ups that go against the heteronormativity; see beta male stay-at-home dad; queer police officer.

Sadly, this drama reinforces itv's negative expectations aka populist drama that deliberately avoids engaging the audience in any cerebral shape or form. Cliché after cliché whose only function is to make the audience respond on the moral panic plat du jour.

This gets just 5 stars thanks to acting, filming, visual mood and feel that has been carefully constructed.

The other 5 starts have been lost in deplorable writing; see archetypal villain with cringe-worthy lines; police officers being represented as dumb sidekicks; main hero "taking matters into their own hands" in the most surreal, improbable and unrealistic way; side plot devices, characters with even more cliché lines; single parent father - son relationship infested with poor dialogue; supporting characters whose function is only to help the hero deliberate some kind of common sense before all that is thrown into the wind in a New York minute. .. the list is endless.

The subject mater is of very high interest, yet I fear that many itv viewers will simply bite on the moral panic bandwagon. Such a shame, especially considering how much input the writers have had from a range of relevant support groups.

... and then series 2 came along... WT! (I really would have liked to be a fly on the wall in the room where the series 2 commissioning meeting took place). Baffled...