John River is a brilliant police inspector whose genius lies side-by-side with the fragility of his mind. He is a man haunted by the murder victims whose cases he must lay to rest.
Inside all the familiar genre trappings-the gunned-down ex-partner, the arse-kicking boss, thrilling foot chases, expensive London skylines, a detective that doesn't play by the rules-is an emotionally meaningful drama led by charismatic performances.
Starring Stellan Skarsgård as Detective John River and Nicola Walker as his partner Stevie, the detective drama stood out in an overcrowded genre with its compelling scripts and unusual elements courtesy of writer Abi Morgan.
River is one of those offbeat, magical series that comes along occasionally, bursting with possibility, whose leading character is in some ways the best and worst of us, whom we immediately recognise.
[The premise] might sound hokey, but this series, created and written by Abi Morgan, is anything but that, growing deeper, darker and more intricate with each episode.
Intelligent and eerie, River manages to push past its deflated premise to become a captivating exploration of mental illness and the widespread effects of trauma.
