Run
Thu Jul 18, 10-10.55pm, C4
Episode four
This series defiantly reflects the other London. The one that doesn’t get much of a look-in in the Evening Standard, or even Time Out. The one that isn’t preoccupied with pop-ups or craft beer or upcycling. Accordingly, this four-parter from seriously promising first-time screenwriters Marlon Smith and Daniel Fajemisin-Duncan is proudly, righteously bleak: a compelling bulletin from the capital’s margins.
Tonight’s closing episode follows Polish drifter Kasia (Katharina Schüttler, excellent) as she deals with the death of her boyfriend and simultaneously discovers various bitter truths about his life. But can she escape his malign legacy and establish a foothold on her own? The answer is formulated via an arranged marriages scam, a strip club, the ever-looming spectre of male-on-female violence and a conclusion that is genuinely tense – ‘Run’climactic metamorphosis into a decent thriller is another reason to keep watching. Superb.
Really enjoyed Run - it got weaker towards the end, but it was still a cut above most of the 'gritty' dramas that are so abundant on TV at the moment. And love seeing Olivia Colman as a foul-mouthed, lager-swilling chav!