"All that's necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing...or women" World War II codebreaker Jean McBrian declares. It is this sentiment that unites four war-time colleagues in their hunt for a serial killer in post-war London. 2012's BBC drama The Bletchley Circle follows the quartet as they embark upon a mission that puts their war-time skills to the ultimate test in three of the most riveting episodes of modern television. Crack the code with the ladies of The Bletchley Circle.
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| A fab four |
The story begins in 1940's London as Susan, Millie, Lucy, and Jean are working for MI6 intercepting and breaking enemy codes. The scene then flashes ahead to 1953 with the quartet settled into civilian lives that are drastically different from their war-time heroics. Susan is now living a quiet life as a London housewife in a predictable marriage to a husband who is blissfully unaware of her former life. When a series of gruesome murders begin dominating the local news she sets her skills to work analyzing the case and searching for a pattern. She brings her findings to the police but is dismayed when their ensuing search turns up no new evidence. It is then that she realizes she needs help and recruits her former colleagues. The women then set off in a race against time as they struggle to catch a killer before he catches his next victim.
The Bletchley Circle blends the best in British period dramas and mysteries while breathing fresh life into both genres along the way. The premise of four ex-code breakers pursuing a killer is a fascinating one, but it is the execution of that premise that sets the series apart from other period dramas. Rather than using the women's codebreaking work as some sort of super-skill or novelty the series instead utilizes it as a means to explore vital questions regarding women's changing roles in society. The stark contrast between their war-time work and their post-war lives is nothing short of jarring. While librarian Jean and housewife Susan are leading lives that society would consider successful, neither has achieved the fulfillment that they experienced during the war. The difference between wartime and post-war life is even more drastic for the group's other two members. Adventurous Millie has resigned herself to waiting tables at a local greasy spoon and innocent Lucy is trapped in an abusive marriage. The series' depiction of the women's adjustment to civilian life highlights the difficulties that both women and Britain at large faced in the aftermath of the war. In this way, the series serves as an apt exploration of social history and compelling character drama. Even in the midst of the leads' compelling stories the series maintains a tightly plotted, tension-filled mystery. Through its every twist and turn the plot keeps viewers guessing all while remaining firmly grounded within its period setting. For an explosively engaging mystery step into The Bletchley Circle.
| Sewing circle I think not |
The series transports viewers to the gritty, ruin-strewn streets of post-war London thanks to the stellar work of its cast. Sophie Rundle infuses the group's youngest member, eidetic data analyst turned abused housewife Lucy with a winning combination of innocence and resilience. Julie Graham imbues spy supervisor and eventual librarian Jean with maternal warmth and no-nonsense charm. Rachael Stirling oozes cool charisma as codebreaker turned struggling waitress Millie. Anna Maxwell Martin makes for a compelling everywoman and keeps the story grounded through every twist and turn as the glue that holds the group together, Susan.
At once a taut thriller and an insightful exploration of women's changing roles in British society The Bletchley Circle crafts a mystery in the very best of the British tradition. The script transports viewers into the rapidly changing society of post-war London and offers an apt tribute to some of the unsung heroines of World War II. The performances bring each of the very different characters to life with a complexity and nuance worthy of the real life code-breakers of Bletchley Park. For some of the most riveting mystery viewing this side of Agatha Christie join the ladies of The Bletchley Circle.
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| There go my heroes, they're ordinary |
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