Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
With moody, imported drama series like “The Returned,” “Glitch” and “Dark,” there’s a burgeoning television industry based on characters coming back from the dead, much to the confusion of the living.
That’s one the core issues at the heart of “Absentia,” a grim and considerably less contemplative show than those mentioned above. A kinetic crime-thriller led by Stana Katic (FBI agent Emily Byrne) of “Castle,” who also executive produces.
Declared dead in absentia after being missing for six years, Emily suddenly reappears when her ex-husband, Nick (Patrick Heusinger), gets a phone call in the middle of the night with directions to a cabin where she’s being held captive. As Emily tries to pull six years of lost memories out of the trauma she’s suffered, all while being forced to cope with the fact that her husband has remarried a woman who’s now raising their son, the man convicted of her murder (the always creepy Richard Brake) is released from prison. Even worse, a new suspect in her case turns up dead, with Emily’s DNA on his body. As Emily essentially becomes a suspect in her own disappearance, she sets out to hunt down the serial killer she was tracking before she went missing.
It shows Katic displaying a much wider acting range than she ever showed on Castle, making Emily so emotionally damaged by her harrowing experience that she can’t grasp how long she was captive and how much changed while she was gone. Watching her wrap her mind around the fact that she was considered to be dead for six years is one of the treats of this series.
On the surface, Absentia looks like yet another American drama/thriller series. And I must say the overall story arc is a) nothing terribly original and b) full of plot holes and red herrings. The story is a dark Hitchcockian whodunit involving someone discredited who has to investigate the crime she was a victim of herself, as no-one else is taking the clues she provides seriously (though it has a lot more strands than Hitchcock would ever have had time for).
But the details, the characters and the acting make it thoroughly worthwhile: especially the way each of them responds to the changes and surprises in their lives. The impact of trauma and gradually returning memories on Emily; Alice’s discovery that her husband’s lost wife is alive; and of course her other family members and colleagues. Each perspective is considered with care. I’ve experienced trauma myself, and what I saw in Emily’s experiences looked very familiar; I could sympathize with many other aspects too. And a warning for those who prefer to avoid screen violence: the scenes of Emily's torture are disturbing.
Honestly, this has got to be one of the best shows on Amazon Prime. It is a mystery thriller series, which keeps the audience engaged throughout. You might find it a tad bit nonsensical in the first episode of season 1, but I assure you, as you approach the end of season 1, you'll be hooked. I won’t call it the best mystery thriller ever made but surely, it’s among the great ones. A very intriguing story, a lot of twists and turns, good acting, nice setting. The music blends seamlessly with each episode. Also, every episode finishes with a uh-oh moment.
If you need an atmospheric and propulsive binge-watch and don’t linger on the details, “Absentia” will be there for you.
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