BBC TV series: Empathy

[Anthony G Williams]

I know this really ought to be in the film and TV section, but the TV one doesn't have a 'general' section to post it in, so here seems to be best!

From my blog:

I don't usually watch much SFF on TV or at the cinema, but I recently saw the start of a promising new series on BBC TV, called 'Empathy'. It is set in present-day England and concerns a man, recently released from prison, who has intense visions whenever he comes into contact with people or belongings associated with them. He discovers that these visions are real, that they actually show him what the people experienced at a moment of strong emotion – such as when killing someone. As a result, he stumbles across evidence concerning a murder. He tries to alert the police, but they arrest him for the murder instead, because he knows too much about it. Eventually he is able to prove his innocence and to convince the police that his ability is real, and he joins with them to track down the killer.

In an effort to identify the cause of his visions he has various medical checks, including a scan which reveals a brain tumour which he believes is causing his visions. In SF terms, there are some problems with this basic premise: to have him picking up images and emotions from people on contact with them is one thing, to have the same visions when handling their clothes is entirely another…and there's a suggestion at the end that he might be able to see visions of the future. So there's a greater than usual suspension of disbelief needed.

The mood of the production is adult and serious, like one of the better crime series. Some interesting tensions are building up between the protagonist, his ex-wife (now remarried) and the female police officer who works with him.

Despite the dubious plot issues, I found it a quite gripping and entertaining 90 minutes and will be watching at least the next one, to see how it develops.

[Connavar]

Hm it sounds exactly like The Dead Zone book and Tv Show.


It might still be good.

I hope its not as bad as Medium.....

[murphy]

Originally Posted by Connavar of Rigante

Hm it sounds exactly like The Dead Zone book and Tv Show.


It might still be good.

I hope its not as bad as Medium.....

Have to agree with you on Medium. And yet, the star of the show has been nominated for an Emmy Award. Go figure.

Empathy looks interesting and the BBC usually does a better job than network television here in the US.

[PTeppic]

I know it said during an intro that it was a one-off, but it felt like Pilot all over it. Thought it worked well. Not sure how long they can keep it up though, simply working off emotional responses...

[Anthony G Williams]

Originally Posted by PTeppic

I know it said during an intro that it was a one-off, but it felt like Pilot all over it. Thought it worked well. Not sure how long they can keep it up though, simply working off emotional responses...

Yes, I had the strong impression that it was meant to be a series. The final scene was a real teaser for the next episode.

[Jon George]

I thought they could have lost half-an-hour and tightened it up, but what grated with me was the protagonist divorcing the love of his life to protect her. A better trick would have been for her to divorce him after he’d killed the prisoner intent on harming/raping her. Then there was the end scene when the police – called by the murder’s wife to stop the protagonist – turn up and immediately drag away the husband without any discussion! Oh, a teacher having sex with a teenage child? Give us a break and come up with a new angle that doesn’t involve child-abuse – there are other crimes out there.

[PTeppic]

Which one was pregnant, his daughter or the other one?

[Connavar]

Originally Posted by murphy

Have to agree with you on Medium. And yet, the star of the show has been nominated for an Emmy Award. Go figure.

Empathy looks interesting and the BBC usually does a better job than network television here in the US.

Emmy means nothing these days.


Its a contest beteween the big public channels like NBC,ABC etc

Specially when show like Grey's Anatomy gets 20-30 emmy nomination every year.

Its the same with every genre, the same shows gets the same amount of emmy nominations and wins.

[Jon George]

Originally Posted by PTeppic

Which one was pregnant, his daughter or the other one?

The first girl.

[SJAB]

It was not bad, but what annoyed me it fell back on the old cliche of the main character having a brain tumour. It seems to be a standard, an illness being used as one of the main possible reason for causing the visions. Even Life on Mars used it, as of the othe possibles for Sam's condition. I seem to recall a short series a couple of years ago about a detective who was going blind and he saw visions of the crimes, this show seems to be a version of the same thing.

What I would love is for there to be no medical reason, aka tumour, and the character having to deal with the fact it could be a mental illness, and being treated for such.

[Briareus Delta]

Originally Posted by Jon George

Give us a break and come up with a new angle that doesn’t involve child-abuse – there are other crimes out there.

Not in BBC-land, where a left-wing, feminist man-hating agenda is the norm.

[the_faery_queen]

i love medium *cry*
and i thouight this was truly rubbish. suddenly he gets this gift and thinks its a punishment? for what reason! protecting his wife and killing some guy who wanted to hurt her?
i thought the acting was crap. i thought the ending, the father confessing, seemed false (he denied it and denied it then suddenly admits it, and not even in a particularly good fit of anger)
and it's so cliche and cheesy with everyone disbeliving him, then him proving it

there's no reasoning behind it. no reason for him to have suddenly gotten this gift and i don't like things that suddenly occur. and if it is a brain tumour, that's just a big *yawn* from me.

and to be honest, there seems to be only two real crimes in tv/fiction these days. rape and childabuse. cos thyat's all we seem to get as a motive for anything happening.