The second part of A Mother’s Son, and the walls of their lovely house were closing in on Rosie (Hermione Norris) and her son Jamie.
You knew that everyone time Rosie asked someone, “You all right, sweetheart?” the answer was invariably no. This time it was Rob, casting aspersions on his step-brother’s sudden preoccupation with the washing machine.
Never trust a schoolboy in a blazer that neat - Rob stands ready to give his best Brutus impersonation
Martin Clunes had a lot more to do this time around, particularly playing an important Basil Exposition role, for the benefit of any of us caught snoozing.
“I need to know if you think I’ve raised a boy who could do that?” asked Rosie. Silence, broken only by the sound of Clunes’ little legs running all the way to the police station with the trainers in his bag.
“If you loved me you simply wouldn’t do that,” she added – cut to Clunes pondering in his car, and finally returning home, justice left undone.
Martin Clunes had quite a bit to do, this time around
But he was nevertheless the only one doing anything, while Rosie and the ex Paul McGann both spent the final half-hour looking more and more upset, until she finally took her son in hand, and frogmarched him into the police station.
Norris was great throughout, particularly in the closing moments – heartbroken but still capable – the acting fine across the board, and the Suffolk setting a treat for the eyes, but this really needed another plot twist or two to make it a really satisfying watch. Lovely house, though.
