Kiri tells the taught story of the murder of a girl in foster care. In addition to a mystery - who did it the deed? - there is also a persistent theme about the inhumanity of modern insitutions, and how a culture of accountability leads to a focus on competence in the narrowest of senses, a determination to keep control of the narrative, and a fundamental lack of empathy for those who are nominally served. It feels horrific and believable, but it's also one of those stories that would be overwhelmingly powerful if true. After all, even Harry Potter had to deal with Dolores Umbridge; the fact that a certain type of monster is a well-estanblished trope is not necessarily an acccurate reflection of the state of the world. Judged purely as drama, it suffers from the fact that its protagonists are sympathetic only to the extent that they are victims; there's little nuance in its portrait of power. Sarah Lancashire, playing a scapegoated social worker, is as excellent as you would expect; Lia Williams is also good, albeit in a somewhat contrived role. It's far from a bad series - but it's too schematic to have the full emotional impact to which it aspires.
Review of Kiri
