Jasneet Singh is a writer who finally has a platform to indulge in long rants about small moments on TV and film in overwhelming detail. With a literature background, she is drawn to the narrative aspect of cinema and will happily rave about her favorite characters. She is also waiting for the Ranger's Apprentice novels to be adapted... but the cycle of hope and disappointment every two years is getting too painful to bear.
No one does crime quite as dark and uncanny as British detective shows. The cobblestoned, dreary London will always be one of the best backdrops for alleyway crimes and gnarly serial killers, where stories can also easily branch out to the cold isolation of the Highlands whenever it's needed. In 2016, Netflix released a British crime show that hit all those notes, but also mixed murder with trauma in the vein of Killing Eve. Like the hit spy thriller, Marcella delivers a female-led drama where the detective simply cannot be trusted, but the murders are still delightfully horrific.
Netflix's 'Marcella' Is Led By a Detective We Can Never Really Trust
Across three seasons, the titular detective (Anna Friel) investigates three separate crimes, the first two being genuinely grisly serial murders and the final dipping into espionage. However, Marcella is not only the exhausted and sharp detective we are used to, but is deeply troubled as she deals with stress-induced blackouts. The effects tear apart her family, as her two children move to boarding school and her husband (Nicholas Pinnock) leaves her for another woman. This also ripples into her work life, as her coworker Rav (Ray Panthaki) treats her with significant distrust. How do we trust a detective who constantly loses chunks of time and derails investigations on impulse?
Marcella delivers a fascinating case of unreliable narration, where we generally know the protagonist is telling the truth, yet we still cannot rely on her for answers. Her blackouts are often violent and fueled by rage, and we never quite know when her next episode will be triggered. From physically attacking her loved ones to strangers on the street, Marcella's behavior constantly raises moral questions, especially when the aggression trickles into her conscious personality and fuels her obsession with her job. Her position in the show is so dubious that, at one point, we even believe she may be the serial killer.
Marcella is the most unlikely main character for a genre dominated by detectives who are always one step ahead and meticulous in their deductions, but her erratic demeanor is what makes the show so intriguing. The crime drama itself is strong and twisty as it should be, but Marcella's outbursts and her potential to impulsively thwart the investigation drastically heighten the suspense and stakes. We are constantly on edge while witnessing events unfold, not only hunting for clues, but for signs that she will be waking up from another blackout — either covered in blood or under a bridge. That's not to say that Marcella is unlikable; she's unpredictable, ambiguous, and addictive to watch.
Anna Friel Delivers a Truly Unsettling Performance in Netflix's 'Marcella'
Marcella constantly dances on the line between hero and villain, charged by Friel's dynamic performance that makes the show bingeable. She's certainly harder to empathize with than most characters — especially in the beginning, when we are faced with the destructive force of her actions. Friel delivers these scenes with an uncanny precision, switching from cold and unfeeling to a feral intensity in mere seconds, encapsulating the dichotomy that is the character. But as the series progresses, Friel softens her edges and allows hints of vulnerability that, at the very least, allow viewers to understand Marcella's plight — even if we cannot justify her actions. Friel's subtle touches make Marcella a layered character, one we want to follow even if it is with suspicion.
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Marcella's evolution throughout the three seasons is consistently interesting, especially since sometimes, it feels as if she is more morally askew than the criminals she brings to justice. Season 2, in particular, sees Marcella essentially confronting her alter ego while working on a case that is somehow more gruesome than the first. She shares the screen with Detective Leanne (Sophia Brown), who is far more discerning and strict about Marcella's unreliability than her gentler partner Rav. It makes for more visceral and poignant scenes, which contrast neatly with the wider conspiracies of the ongoing cases that involve wealthy people's secrets or even the occult.
Going into Marcella, you definitely have to suspend your disbelief to a degree. After all, why would anyone entrust a gun (or a tire iron) to someone who has violent blackouts? But it's a show where the main character demands your attention throughout the entire runtime, while having a backdrop of equally captivating investigations. While Friel handles the faltering character with skill, there is not one moment in Marcella where you will be bored, as you're busy helping a detective solve a case you don't quite know if you can trust her with.
Image via © Netflix/ITV / Courtesy: Everett Collection
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