TV shows we love: Marcella

There are two things I love watching on TV, British series and Nordic noirs.

I realise there is no link between them, the latter is a very specific genre while the former is as broad as it gets. That said, there is something about British series, whatever palate they may cater to, that compels me to watch and keeps me interested.

I think I might have found a show that combines my two great passions.

Produced by ITV, the first season of Marcella (there are two more which I am yet to watch) is available on Netflix and stars an inspired Anna Friel as a policewoman who returns to duty after a long maternity leave.

After spending (too many?) years taking care of her children while her husband climbed the corporate ladder in a gigantic real estate and construction company, she suddenly finds herself completely alone.

Her return to work, in fact, coincides with her husband’s decision to leave her. With her children gone to study away from home, Marcella finds herself caught in the middle of a family drama and a relentless criminal chase at work when a serial killer she had previously investigated comes back into action.

If you think you’re about to witness yet another typical crime series featuring a ruthless serial killer, think again. Of course, the investigative part is ever present, but Marcella decides to carry out the chase on her own.

There is, however, much more. We get thrown into the very personal story of the protagonist, the crisis of a woman whose certainties are crumbling. Alongside it, we get a glimpse of her husband’s crude and heartless cynicism at work.

Add to that the company’s own turbulence and dirt, as the owner’s daughter is also Marcella’s husband’s secret lover.

Do you see where I’m going with this? Three seemingly unrelated stories that deeply intertwine. Marcella is much more than a crime series, as it is much more than a family drama.

And to top it all off, Marcella suffers from occasional episodes of violence, which she later forgets.

Dark, mysterious and tremendously real, the series is guaranteed to keep you glued to the TV.