This series is not perfect but it is entertaining. I especially enjoyed the acting of Abidjan the young orphan. I think she was brilliant. The rest were adequate to get the story told and several hours of painless watching.
12 Reviews
Intriguing
claytonchurch11 March 2019
Just came out today. Watched episode one. Intriguing, good story, good characters, good acting. Finished the series now. Very good, and I enjoyed it. Not the greatest thriller or the most heart-wrenching thing I've ever seen, but good stuff.
The Mysterious Mr. T
lavatch5 March 2019
Warning: Spoilers
The opening episode of "The Widow" boils down to the secret life of Mr. Tequila, aka, Hennie Botha, aka, Pieter Bello. The mysterious Mr. T has a connection to the missing husband of Kate Beckinsale's character, Georgia Wells, whose husband went down in a plane crash in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The episode's first revealing scene takes place in the idyllic town of Powys in Wales. It is there that Georgia takes a bad fall and requires stitches on her leg. She was obviously distracted because three years earlier, her husband Will apparently died in the Congo. But the fall is a curious mishap because Georgia's father alludes to Georgia as a mountain climber, tackling K2, also known as Mount Godwin-Austen or Chhogori, which, at 8,611 meters above sea level, is the second highest mountain in the world, after Mount Everest.
But Georgia has her suspicions when she sees an apparent image of Will in a television broadcast after the crash. Despite the admonitions of her father, Georgia is resolute in finding Will, whom she believes to still be alive. The father would appear to have some ties with intelligence. His story about playing boules in his retirement rings hollow.
In her quest to find Will, Georgia is assisted by the kind Emmanuel, who had lost his wife in the plane crash. Like nearly all of the characters in the film, there is a backstory to Emmanuel, who appears to be deeply involved in politics in the unstable government in the Congo. One of the key details about the plane crash was that the aircraft was carrying one of the "enemies" of the current regime.
Another interesting character is Judith Gray, a social worker from the UK, who is played by the outstanding actress Alex Kingston. Judith is based in the Congo to provide relief efforts to the impoverished. But Judith also would appear to have secrets about her operation. She has not revealed to Georgia all of what she knows about all of the activities of her husband.
Another interesting subplot involves a blind man, who is being treated by an eye specialist in Rotterdam. In a conversation with another patient, the man indicates that he lost his sight in a plane crash in the Congo in which he was the only survivor.
The opening episode is a little sloppy in bouncing back and forth in the timeframes, after three years have passed since the disappearance of Will. The linchpin to understanding the truth lies with the deceptive Mr. Tequila (Pieter Bello), who, behind the scenes, appears to be involved in the recruiting of a young militia force. And Mr. T has plenty of cash to spread around for his subversive activities.
The plot thickens with the repetition of a scene when Georgia opens the glove compartment of a rental car and finds a pair of gloves, exactly like those in which Will had left her a wedding ring three years ago. Now, the gloves include a terse note that reads, "Go Home."
The episode's first revealing scene takes place in the idyllic town of Powys in Wales. It is there that Georgia takes a bad fall and requires stitches on her leg. She was obviously distracted because three years earlier, her husband Will apparently died in the Congo. But the fall is a curious mishap because Georgia's father alludes to Georgia as a mountain climber, tackling K2, also known as Mount Godwin-Austen or Chhogori, which, at 8,611 meters above sea level, is the second highest mountain in the world, after Mount Everest.
But Georgia has her suspicions when she sees an apparent image of Will in a television broadcast after the crash. Despite the admonitions of her father, Georgia is resolute in finding Will, whom she believes to still be alive. The father would appear to have some ties with intelligence. His story about playing boules in his retirement rings hollow.
In her quest to find Will, Georgia is assisted by the kind Emmanuel, who had lost his wife in the plane crash. Like nearly all of the characters in the film, there is a backstory to Emmanuel, who appears to be deeply involved in politics in the unstable government in the Congo. One of the key details about the plane crash was that the aircraft was carrying one of the "enemies" of the current regime.
Another interesting character is Judith Gray, a social worker from the UK, who is played by the outstanding actress Alex Kingston. Judith is based in the Congo to provide relief efforts to the impoverished. But Judith also would appear to have secrets about her operation. She has not revealed to Georgia all of what she knows about all of the activities of her husband.
Another interesting subplot involves a blind man, who is being treated by an eye specialist in Rotterdam. In a conversation with another patient, the man indicates that he lost his sight in a plane crash in the Congo in which he was the only survivor.
The opening episode is a little sloppy in bouncing back and forth in the timeframes, after three years have passed since the disappearance of Will. The linchpin to understanding the truth lies with the deceptive Mr. Tequila (Pieter Bello), who, behind the scenes, appears to be involved in the recruiting of a young militia force. And Mr. T has plenty of cash to spread around for his subversive activities.
The plot thickens with the repetition of a scene when Georgia opens the glove compartment of a rental car and finds a pair of gloves, exactly like those in which Will had left her a wedding ring three years ago. Now, the gloves include a terse note that reads, "Go Home."
Hooked from the First Episode
ginette-purser3 March 2019
Nicely paced. Tight acting. Although it can be difficult to follow a story that bounces back & forth between past and present, I haven't had too much difficulty.
Am hooked on the story and looking forward to seeing how it all pans out.
It's a terrific debut.
Sleepin_Dragon8 July 2019
I heard and read so many bad things about this show, so avoided until now. Once again I find myself disagreeing with the negative reviews, I thought this opening episode was engaging, gripping and packed with intrigue.
The acting and production values are terrific, but it's the big storyline that got me hooked, I'm intrigued to know what's going on.
It does require concentration, with it back and forth the three years, but it's worth sticking with. Very rewarding. 9/10
The acting and production values are terrific, but it's the big storyline that got me hooked, I'm intrigued to know what's going on.
It does require concentration, with it back and forth the three years, but it's worth sticking with. Very rewarding. 9/10
Intricate and involving show. Must watch.
rambobgt4 March 2019
Excellent show!
kenkakoska9 March 2019
Just ok
destes-875432 March 2019
Very good, but somewhat predictable
ldowdy-9405825 April 2019
I liked it. I'm not sure if there will be a season 2. That's what I like about prime the most-the seasons on like one big movie.
Saw a lot of bad reviews for Ms. Beckon, but I thought she did very well balancing thriller/"soap operish"
Will be looking forward as to how and if they make a second season and where that will lead.
Saw a lot of bad reviews for Ms. Beckon, but I thought she did very well balancing thriller/"soap operish"
Will be looking forward as to how and if they make a second season and where that will lead.
Slow Start
joeholcor17 March 2019
The direction of this first episode seemed to follow the format of several other shows whereas the time period jumps back and forth between years to give the story credibility. This gets tiring and at times seems to slow the story down. Nothing of consequence happened in this episode that you couldn't get from the trailer. Here's to hoping for a better second episode and that things pickup.
Absurd. Struggling slow burn.
afipatterson2 March 2019
1 important but mild spoiler: I should have stopped watching when Kate's character spotted her husband on the news wearing THE SAME OUTFIT he was wearing when he "disappeared" three years prior. I really tried to love then at least like this series. An impossibility.
I enjoyed this series
wyatthoratio3 March 2019
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
