What
drew me to this miniseries? PC aside, it
houses an army of familiar Scottish faces.
There are the Who veterans, Dougray Scott (from “Hide” earlier
this year) and Bill Paterson (Professor Bracewell from “Victory of the
Daleks.”) David Robb, Downton Abbey's
Dr. Clarkson, gets in on the fun, and this episode includes a (very) brief
appearance by a young Sean Biggerstaff, best known as Gryffindor's Quidditch
Keeper. That's just too much Scottish
goodness to pass up.
My
appetite was whetted further when I saw Bryan Elsley's name pop up in the
opening credits as the writer. Granted, The
Crow Road is based on a novel, but my enduring affection for Skins
runs deep. This first episode drops us
into a story carefully stitched together from strands of memory and
imagination, whose characters are moved by both God and magic.
“Prentice”
is named for its narrator, a young man in search of an anchor. Prentice McHoan keeps being touched by loss –
his aunt, his friend, and his grandmother have all passed in recent memory, and
his uncle disappeared years ago. The
story roughly follows a line that begins with his grandmother's funeral, but
Prentice slips often and effortlessly into flashback, sometimes leapfrogging
several times back through the annals of his past before resurfacing. He doesn't seem to know what to make of any
of it and pans memories for evidence of meaning.
Even
Prentice's plan of forward action calls for looking back: before she died, his grandmother directed him
to find out what happened to his vanished uncle. In the coming episodes, Prentice will no
doubt probe the circumstances surrounding the disappearance and try piecing
together his uncle's life the way he does his own. Time will tell what picture he can form.
Since
PC plays Rory McHoan, the uncle most noted for being gone, I don't have too
much to say yet. Despite his absence,
though, he remains very present.
Prentice's memories glimpse at an aspiring travel writer with a drive
too large for a small village. Numerous
conversations prove him to be on everyone's minds, and they all have their own
belief whether he's still alive. He even
appears in Prentice's subconscious, occasionally interrupting his nephew's
inner monologue to argue, advise, or flaunt his unspoken secrets. I'm looking forward to piecing him together.
Accent
Watch
Scottish,
along with most of the cast.
Recommend?
In
General
– I'll revisit at the end of the miniseries, but so far, I'd say yes. I'm a fan of the narrative structure, the
rootable protagonist, and all the weighty conversations.
PC-wise – Too early to
tell – I haven't seen enough of Rory yet.
Warnings
Sexual
content – discussion and two short sex scenes – plus swearing and recreational
drug use.
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