Life’s not precisely rosy for Rhiannon.
She’s working a uninteresting dead-end job, ignored by store assistants, battling pulic transport within the rain and abruptly going through the loss of life of her father.
Dad had one parting piece of recommendation for his daughter earlier than expiring: “You want to study to face up for your self.. don’t let individuals stroll throughout you. Make them see how particular you might be.”
However life will get extra sophisticated when sister Seren (Alexandra Dowling) decides she needs to promote the household house from beneath Rhiannon, with former college bully-turned-estate agent Julia (Nicôle Lecky) appointed as gross sales agent.
Julia represents all that Rhiannon is missing: success, glamour, a circle of associates. So when Rhiannon’s solely remaining companion, her pet chihuahua Tink is killed by a automotive -in entrance of a billboard for Julia’s agency- one thing in Rhiannon snaps.
From this level ahead Sweetpea charts a path of revenge, gore, darkish humour and malevolence. Together with it comes an invigorating if poisonous coming-of-age path for our hero seemingly justified in her quest to behave out her deepest, darkest ideas.
I gained’t spoil her first kill, however suffice to say it’s sudden, car-crash viewing. You’re directly shocked and cheering the TV on the similar time. What has come over me within the final hour of viewing?
The reply is the magnificent Ella Purnell and the twisted, skilful writing of Kirstie Swain whose story by no means lets up, contrasting heightened kills with bland, working class Britain. If this isn’t escapism for Rhiannon, it certain is for us.
By episode two when it turns into clear her office is the native Gazette newspaper, Rhiannon is on the centre of dishevelled journalists making an attempt to research her very crimes. If this feels loads like Dexter Morgan -the blood spatter analyst killing below the very noses of the Miami Police Dept- you’re proper. However this time it’s by means of a feminine lens in a intentionally drab British setting, not sun-kissed Florida.
Purnell is fascinating within the title function, deftly juggling all of the oppression, vulnerability and starvation important to drag this off. None of it could work with out profitable us over to the darkish facet, nonetheless conflicted.
Particular point out goes to a number of the supporting male forged together with misogynist boss Norman (Jeremy Swift), so condescending of his worker he continuously asks for “Coffees please, Sweetpea?” and new cadet AJ (Calam Lynch), who swoops onto a journo place she harboured, however demonstrates some empathy the place so many had not.
Author Kirstie Swain and director Ella Jones have denied Rhiannon any feminine friends, to the purpose of not even having office colleagues who befriend her. It’s a bit far-fetched however a part of the necessity to isolate the character so as to justify her excessive rise to new-found energy.
The entire plot twists and turns are intoxicating, and like Michael C. Corridor’s anti-hero hit, Sweetpea turns into deliciously satisfying in a short time, regardless of the actual fact she is a one-woman killing machine. Hey, it labored for Killing Eve, so why not right here?
Ella Purnell is out for blood.
Sweetpea is now screening on Binge / Showcase.
