Coldwater is perfect autumn viewing but one thing takes me out of Andrew Lincoln's ITV show
Coldwater is spooky and intriguing - but one aspect is taking me out 😨
- Coldwater has started on ITV after much hype.
- It marks Andrew Lincoln’s return to British TV.
- But one thing keeps taking me out of the show - at least in episode one.
Autumn has started to make itself known and it is the perfect time to huddle under a warm blanket while watching something spooky. Is the tapping at the window from the wind or just the television?
ITV fortunately is on hand to offer up the perfect offering for the end of summer. Coldwater kicked-off last night and marked Andrew Lincoln’s return to British TV after his time on The Walking Dead.
The unnerving first episode might have scratched that autumnal itch, but there is just one thing that kept taking me out of it. Here’s all you need to know:
Coldwater makes for perfect autumn viewing - with one catch
Andrew Lincoln’s big return to British TV has finally arrived with plenty of high expectations. The six-part thriller debuted yesterday (September 14) on ITV1/ STV - with the full boxset already available.
It makes for a wonderfully unsettling first impression, albeit the slow pace may not be for everyone. The show might not be a straight-up horror, but it certainly captures those vibes.
The introduction of Rebecca (Eve Myles) and Tommy (Ewen Bremner) is delightfully off-putting and you quickly get the sense that something is wrong in Coldwater. Just what that is, I guess we’ll hopefully find out over the next few episodes.
Whether this is a supernatural force or simply just pure human evil, it manages to make my brain twitch and feel a chill run down my spin. Even with the heating switched on for the first time in months.
The episode’s slower pace gives plenty of room to introduce some of the seemingly central conflicts: John’s (Andrew Lincoln) issues with masculinity, his fracturing marriage to Fiona (Indira Varma), and the allure of whatever cult-like set-up Tommy has going on.
It is not a particularly explosive opening episode, though there is a ratcheting up of stakes at the end, which may not appeal to everyone. However, I am enjoying the slow burn and bubbling sense of folk horror - at least for now.
But there was one area that did repeatedly take me out during the opening episode and it might not be what you expect. It was actually Andrew Lincoln’s accent.
I have not seen Teachers or Love Actually - which is rather impressive considering my love of Christmas movies - so I most associate the actor with his turn as Rick Grimes in The Walking Dead. So hearing him with his native English accent was really jarring and took me most of the episode to adjust to.
Although, I am sure that by the end of episode six I will have forgotten that Andrew Lincoln had ever put on an American accent at all.
What did you make of the first episode of Coldwater? Let me know your thoughts by email: [email protected].
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