Coma is the latest gripping Channel 5 drama, following in the footsteps of recent shows like Too Good to Be True and Love Rat, and fans are all seriously impressed by Jason Watkins in the lead role.
Jason's character Simon is a kind-hearted family man who lives an average life, until one split-second event changes the course of his life. After being terrorised by a group local teens, Simon ends up punching 17-year-old Jordan Franklin (Joe Barber) in retaliation. But Joe is out cold and ends up in a coma, and Simon realises he's made a terrible mistake.
It is a plausible thing to happen and viewers have been sympathetic towards Simon, who was already going through a difficult time after being made redundant from his job, and finding out his mortgage repayments have gone up. So the pressure built and built until he finally snapped.
Simon begins lying to the police, and his wife Beth (Claire Skinner) is confused about why, so the first episode sets up a very intense story as Simon tries to get away with what happened to Jordan.
Plenty of fans have taken to social media to praise Jason Watkins, with one enjoying the tension and another calling him a "fantastic actor". Elsewhere, there was also praise for Jonas Armstrong, who plays Paul, Jordan's father.
Have to say I really enjoyed #Coma on @channel5_tv . Jason Watkins and Jonas Armstrong really made the difference. Looking forward to the next episode!! 👏👏👏👏March 19, 2024
#Coma @Jason_Watkins excellent as ever 👏 my toes are only just unclenching I felt every second of his tension, on the edge of unravelling 😱 I'm far from ready for sleep 😳 This can't end well but I'm with Simon all the way, roll on tomorrow night 👍@channel5_tv https://t.co/c3cBk68XLS pic.twitter.com/bdchTQ0ziyMarch 18, 2024
great stuff from @Jason__Watkins @bradders_david @DavidMumeni Claire Skinner and Jonas Armstrong in tonight’s #Coma premiere, can’t wait for what’s coming up in tomorrow night’s episode.March 18, 2024
Loved #Coma ... @Jason__Watkins was absolutely brilliant, as usual, a truly fantastic actor. Can't wait to see how it all unfolds over the next 3 nights.March 18, 2024
Simon and Paul couldn't be more different, with the latter reaching out to thank Simon for saving his son, blissfully unaware that he is the one who caused him to go into a coma in the first place. With the tension building between these two characters, it will be interesting to see how things develop.
It ended on quite a cliffhanger too, with Simon's elderly neighbor calling the police incident helpline, telling them he saw who hit Jordan the night of his attack, implying Simon could be done for!
Speaking about his character, Jason Watkins said: “This character faces an agonizing situation that will keep viewers questioning their own morals. It will be a thrilling and emotionally charged experience.
"Simon tells a lie which grows exponentially, and the consequences of his actions take him into very dangerous areas. It’s an intelligent thriller with deep characters that we can all connect with."
Coma is a four-part series on Channel 5 that runs for four consecutive nights from Monday, March 18 to Thursday, March 21 2024 at 9pm.
