Going through the shows and films that are coming out, I saw this one advertised on the BBC and decided to watch the new crime drama Virdee. I got through the 6 episodes over the last couple of days and here is my review of the show. The premise of the shows sees a police detective attempt to find a killer who is targeting the Asian community while dealing with his own demons.
Main Character
Staz Nair plays Harry Virdee and he is fantastic in this show. He absolutely nails it as this hard boiled cop and he was a character that I really wanted to root for. He gives a really strong well rounded performance that fits the overall feeling of the show.
Supporting Characters
Vikash Bai plays Riaz Hyatt who is an unlikely ally of Harry and is also involved of the shady parts of Bradford. He is great and I really liked the dynamic between him and Harry and how the show does a great job of building their dynamic and relationship.
Aysha Kala plays Saima Hyatt, who is Harrys wife on the show and she is also great. I really believed in their relationship and the two of them have great interactions and story progression that makes them both strong characters.
The rest of the characters come from either Harrys work or both Harry and Saima's families who don't get along. Everyone does really great jobs in their roles whether they are big parts of the show or small parts. They make this feel like an authentic show that delivers on what it promises.
Story
The Story is good. There is a real mystery about who Harry is chasing, mixed with family and personal situations that feel realistic and a bit fresher then expected. However, I didn't find the reveal who was the killer to be that interesting and certain elements of the plot didn't seem that important and like it kind of fizzled out.
Script
The script has some smart writing and creates interesting characters to populate this show and aid in these great performances. But sort of linked above, I don't think the shows actual story and structure was great and was the part of the show that could have been improved.
Style
The show looks great, it really encapsulates the city of Bradford. The show is violent and moves at a great pace that I kept wanting to watch and became hooked. The action scenes are well filmed and the grit really adds a lot to the show.
Overall
Overall, Virdee is a great sleeper hit and a show that should be watched. I had a great time with Virdee and I hope we do get more from this show in the future and I would say, give this show a chance I think people will really enjoy it.
Rating - 8/10.
