{"id":50408,"date":"2024-04-29T01:01:54","date_gmt":"2024-04-28T23:01:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=2030241"},"modified":"2024-04-29T02:31:34","modified_gmt":"2024-04-29T00:31:34","slug":"shardlake-review-an-atmospheric-adaptation-brimming-with-promise","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/shardlake-review-an-atmospheric-adaptation-brimming-with-promise\/","title":{"rendered":"Shardlake review: An atmospheric adaptation, brimming with promise"},"content":{"rendered":"

The historical series blends murder mystery with Tudor trappings to make for an engrossing and welcome throwback. <\/p>

By James Hibbs\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Monday, 29 April 2024 at 23:01 PM<\/p>

\n\n
<\/div> 4.0 out of 5 star rating<\/span> <\/span> <\/div> <\/div>

We may only be in April, but this year has already been an excellent one for historical drama fans.<\/p>\n

Masters of the Air<\/a>. Sh\u014dgun<\/a>. Manhunt<\/a>. Mary & George<\/a>. The Sympathizer<\/a>. Each of these has delivered for devotees of the genre in different ways, with the streamers finally appearing to catch on to what more traditional, linear channels have known for a long time \u2013 audiences love authentic, detailed and complex historical stories.<\/p>\n

Now, along comes Shardlake<\/a>, a new adaptation of the best-selling novels by CJ Sansom<\/a>. Part murder mystery, part Tudor historical, the books have long been thought ripe for adaptation, with executive producer Stevie Lee acquiring the rights over 20 years ago.<\/p>\n

After multiple previous attempts to tell the stories either on film or as a series, finally this four-part show arrives on Disney Plus<\/a>. And, thankfully, it\u2019s been worth the wait.<\/p>\n

\"Sean\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Sean Bean as Thomas Cromwell in Shardlake.<\/span><\/figcaption> Disney+<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Shardlake<\/a> follows the titular, fictional Matthew Shardlake (Arthur Hughes), a barrister living with scoliosis in 16th-century England, who has made a name for himself and come under the favour of the powerful real-life figure Thomas Cromwell (Sean Bean).<\/p>\n

Cromwell is currently overseeing the dissolution of the monasteries, and has sent a commissioner to Scarnsea on the south coast of England to try and find a legitimate reason for closure. The commissioner, it turns out, winds up beheaded.<\/p>\n

Following this, Cromwell hires Shardlake to go to Scarnsea with another of his employees, the dashing Jack Barak (Anthony Boyle). They are to find the culprit behind the commissioner\u2019s murder, and in doing so find a reason to close the monastery.<\/p>\n

In so many ways, this set-up says it all \u2013 the actual plot of the series is relatively simple (Shardlake and Barak must find a murderer in a monastery) \u2013 but it\u2019s rich in historical detail, in theological debate and in complex character study.<\/p>\n

\"Arthur\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Arthur Hughes as Matthew Shardlake in Shardlake.<\/span><\/figcaption> Disney Plus<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Speaking of complex characters, you don\u2019t get much more layered than Shardlake himself. A thoroughly decent, honourable figure from the moment we meet him, it\u2019s clear that we can trust and root for him, but also that he\u2019s flawed, riddled by his own self-doubt, and living in a time where his disability makes him an outsider and a victim of prejudice.<\/p>\n

All of this plays across Hughes\u2019s face in each and every scene, while he still manages to show Shardlake\u2019s command of a room, his external confidence in his own intellect and eye for detail. It\u2019s a winning central performance, one which marks him out as a leading man on the screen as well as the stage, where he is best known.<\/p>\n

One of the most consequential decisions to have been made in the adaptation process is to bring forward the arrival of Shardlake\u2019s sidekick-of-sorts Jack Barak. Barak is not in the first Shardlake novel, Dissolution, on which this season is based, but is instead introduced in book two.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a choice which has paid off, with the hostile, sparring dynamic between two of the show\u2019s most captivating elements proving great to watch throughout. The duo are notably ill-matched \u2013 or, you could say, complimentary to one another\u2019s strengths \u2013 and this leads to not only dramatic tension, but also many of the show\u2019s more comedic moments.<\/p>\n

\"Anthony\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Anthony Boyle as Jack Barak in Shardlake.<\/span><\/figcaption> Disney+<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Boyle continues to have one of the best years of any actor working today, and has marked himself out as the go-to guy for historical drama. Perhaps more importantly, he continues to showcase his range within these separate projects.<\/p>\n

Where Masters of the Air\u2019s Crosby was on a journey from sweetly naive to decent yet hardened and efficient, and Manhunt\u2019s Booth was self-obsessed and hateful, Barak is vain and flash, yet ultimately well-meaning. It\u2019s a fine line to tread as a character, making him a foil for our protagonist yet still sympathetic, but Boyle is more than up to the challenge.<\/p>\n

Completing the central trio is Sean Bean\u2019s Thomas Cromwell<\/a>, although he plays a lesser role than some might expect, popping up for a handful of admittedly memorable scenes.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why you cast an actor of Bean\u2019s stature and calibre in the role \u2013 with limited screen-time, he quickly marks Cromwell out as a formidable and outsized presence in the lives of not only Shardlake and Barak, but in truth the entirety of the English state and its people.<\/p>\n

\"Babou\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Babou Ceesay as Abbot Fabian in Shardlake.<\/span><\/figcaption> Disney+<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

The series doesn\u2019t skimp on the historical detail, packing the dialogue with information but never making it seems clunky or overtly expositional.<\/p>\n

It never forgets that we\u2019re dealing with those outside of court, rather than King Henry VIII himself or any of the other power players (bar Cromwell), and therefore gives a specific and unique take on the period rarely seen in pop culture.<\/p>\n

However, if you\u2019re not a particular history buff and the detail of the period is of little interest, or if you know it all and don\u2019t need a refresher, then one of the strongest aspects of the show is not necessarily its historicity, but actually its atmosphere, its vibes.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a dark, creepy, foreboding slant to many of the scenes, particularly once Shardlake and Barak are in the monastery. This is helped along by some effective direction from Justin Chadwick, as well as a strong visual style and impressive production design. Everything on screen has been breathtakingly rendered, making it a feast for the eyes.<\/p>\n

Despite this edge, the show never forgets to have fun, with a twinkle in its eye and an almost swashbuckling entertainment factor. It is thoughtful and detailed, but it\u2019s also accessible.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also earnest, in a way which makes it feel like something of a welcome throwback, but never cloyingly so.<\/p>\n

Nowhere is this more clear than in Shardlake\u2019s semi-frequent soliloquies, which may seem stagey in another series, but with Hughes\u2019s dramatic talents and some effective dialogue from writer Stephen Butchard, instead feel era appropriate and atmosphere enhancing.<\/p>\n

\"Ruby\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Ruby Ashbourne Serkis as Alice in Shardlake.<\/span><\/figcaption> Disney+<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Perhaps the element of the series which is least successful is the central mystery. While it\u2019s engaging as a conceit, and operates well as a mechanism to explore the historical backdrop, there is a lack of intrigue surrounding who the actual culprit is.<\/p>\n

Many of the proposed suspects, the monks, are indiscriminately shifty, making the question of who did what rather inert. Without giving away any spoilers, the resolution does little to rectify this.<\/p>\n

Still, it\u2019s a minor criticism in the face of a whole lot that the series does right, including its runtime. Sticking to four episodes, and not opting to drag it out to six or eight parts as so many series do, it never outstays its welcome, not remotely.<\/p>

In fact, it does quite the opposite, and leaves you immediately wanting future adventures. More than just acting as an effective story in its own right, this season also acts as the perfect set-up of a world for additional stories, with engaging characters and an enticing historical backdrop.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s hoping the audience at large agree, and give this adaptation their support and, most importantly, their viewership. With so many of the fantastic historicals we\u2019ve seen of late being one and done, it seems in Shardlake we may have found the potential for a fascinating and characterful returning series of Tudor mysteries \u2013 and doesn\u2019t that sound enticing?<\/p>\n