The Suspect review: Aidan Turner dials up the intrigue in murder mystery
A key to a good old murder mystery is to never trust the protagonist who sets the ball rolling. So many examples in this genre have played with this exact same parameter, where the fatal flaw lies in trusting the protagonist, so we, the viewer, are as complicit (to some level) in the end when the truth is revealed. We tell ourselves, the truth was literally there, in front of our faces, how on earth could we not spot it? Aidan Turner plays a clinical psychologist named Joe O'Loughlin in The Suspect.
The premise
The Suspect, a new show currently streaming on Lionsgate Play, builds on this plot point from the beginning. So we know for a fact that trusting Aidan Turner's Dr. Joseph O'Loughlin, a clinical psychologist who is having an internal crisis as he comes to terms with a recent diagnosis of Parkinson's disease, is not wise. The show begins with Joseph trying to save a dying teenager from committing suicide, which turns him into a mini-celebrity. He has a loving family and practices as a psychologist… so it all seems perfectly fine for him until a rather shocking discovery takes the proceedings to a different gear.
It is the sight of a young woman who is found stabbed to death, half buried in a graveyard. Detective DI Ruiz (Shaun Parkes), along with his young sidekick Devi (Anjli Mohindra), takes up the case. She has been stabbed 21 times. It's a ghastly turn of events. Joseph is called in as a consultant on this case, and he blithely hides the fact that he knew this dead woman for a while. Ruiz and Devi are shrewd enough to see below his demeanour and trace the links to connect why he is definitely lying about this woman. Is he guilty?
What works and doesn't
So the narrative ploy works in no favour of Joseph, which works well in the beginning, but then this is also not enough to stretch out for the next 5 episodes of this twisty and dramatic murder mystery. There's a brief appearance from Fleabag's Sian Clifford, who plays Joseph's colleague Dr. Fenwick. Then there are signs that Bobby (played by Bobby Schofield), who is a patient under Joseph at the moment, is somehow linked to the case as well. Coincidences much? Too many rats under the bed? The Suspect is glossy and never too serious about the way it plays with these tropes, piling up information for the viewer without really delving into the whys and hows.
Aidan Turner is quite good here, but he is saddled with a script that does not let his character breathe enough to really make his point. For instance, his family life is only shown in a brief, intermittent fashion that does no favour to prove his alibi. The manipulative ploy of keeping him under the scanner does not work after a point because the show diverts off towards more unexpected twists and supporting arcs to bring semblance to the story. It rather feels disjointed and incongruous when the mystery itself is forced into the chase.
Still, The Suspect is a mildly fun and interesting affair, but expect no lasting impact from its revelations. At the end, it's not who we suspect or choose to believe, but why. Chances are, they exhibit some sort of realistic, idiosyncratic traits that help us see through that person. It helps mirror certain emotional truths about how one processes grief and shame. The Suspect does not seem too keen on listening to these secrets, which is why it does not stick. The key is to listen, always.
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