You can picture the ever-so-brief meeting of ITV execs. One pipes up: “Let’s just say, ‘From Line of Duty creator Jed Mercurio.’” They all rustle their hands with glee and decamp to The Laughing Policeman for a celebratory pint. Such was the nation-slaying power of that show, those seven words should have viewers locked and loaded for new six-part thriller Payback.
Although, to deflate any bubble of anticipation slightly, Mercurio is only executive producer on this project, with Debbie O’Malley (All Creatures Great and Small, Call the Midwife) on writing duties. Still, it’s a J-Merc joint, so we’re expecting smoking hot.
Lexie, played by Morven Christie (The Bay, The A Word), enjoys an idyllic existence in the suburbs of Edinburgh; perfect house, daughter in private school, even an au pair to do the dull stuff. However, we barely have five minutes to stew in our envy before Lexie’s husband Jared, the active partner in their accountancy business, brutally comes a cropper. Nasty. But also nice when programme-makers don’t mess about with a ponderous build-up.
Dealing with a dead husband is trauma enough, but even before the blood has coagulated, notorious local crime boss Cal (menace-lord par excellence Peter Mullan) steamrolls into Lexie’s life. Turns out Jared was laundering money for Cal and a big old chunk of it has gone AWoL. Would Lexie kindly help him get the cash back? Clearly a rhetorical question, as we all know you don’t say ‘no’ to Peter Mullan.
Meanwhile, the cops have been all over Cal and Jared’s activities in the hope of finally nailing Cal. Particularly mild-mannered financial investigator DC Jibran Khan (Prasanna Puwanarajah), who’ll probably be the one to “surprise” us all in the final episode by picking up that conveniently placed machete and dealing the decisive blow (or will it be the demure au pair?). That’s if Jibran can wriggle free of the reins of his unimaginative old-school boss (Happy Valley’s Derek Riddell), who’s lumbered with some of the script’s more excruciating lines: “She went for a ride with the monkey… let’s see if she can take us to the organ grinder.”
So in a whirlwind of grief, Lexie finds herself walking a razor’s edge between a remorseless maniac who’ll keep turning the screw until he gets what he wants and various ever-increasingly curious members of His Majesty’s Constabulary.
Episode one whips along, as the net tightens and satisfying ‘what the hell is Lexie gonna do now?’ twists unfold with abandon. Jared had plenty more hidden in his closet than she imagined, while Cal has a whole walk-in wardrobe of threats that escalate in terror. And don’t forget those pesky cops beavering away…
After less than an hour, I was hooked and committed to the next five episodes. However, then came ‘the difficult second episode’.
Instead of simmering tension turning to roiling boil, everything cools off somewhat. Yes, Cal knows how to dial up the fear, but he doesn’t mutate into the walking nightmare Peter Mullan is capable of. Maybe only 80 per cent Mullan, which is disappointing. Then I got to thinking about ‘main character energy’. The problem with Lexie is that she’s a bit of an everywoman and doesn’t have that intoxicating love or loathe TV persona. There were also one or two reveals that were telegraphed a bit too obviously. And don’t get me started on the, in my opinion, less than enthralling intricacies of forensic accounting, about which you learn plenty.
Payback introduced itself as a vice-like thriller (a strong four stars) and then somehow lost its grip (a wavering three). Do I want my money back? Not yet, because I trust Mercurio’s gut, and this still has the potential to crank things right back up again.
