The Tower is a British crime drama TV miniseries written by Patrick Harbinson based on the book Post Mortem by Kate London. The three-part miniseries revolves around a tragic incident where a veteran White beat cop and immigrant teenage girl fall to their deaths from a tower block in south-east London, leaving a five-year-old boy and rookie Police Constable Lizzie Griffiths on the roof.
Detective Sergeant Sarah Collins (Gemma Whelan) is drafted in to investigate but her efforts are constantly thwarted by a combination of police corruption, lies and apathy. There is an element of racism and police negligence running through the truth behind the grisly incident, which prevents DS Collins from discerning the facts.
While it is effective story writing for the protagonist to be challenged every step of the way in pursuit of her dramatic need but in The Tower, this approach is sometimes taken to extremes. Thus, this translates into frustration on the part of the viewer and ultimately tests the suspension of disbelief necessary in order for the viewer to engage with the storyline and the characters.
Incredibly, DS Collins is by and large surrounded by bad actors who do their best to hide the truth in order to fulfil the maxim that ‘the ends justify the means’. From Detective Inspector Keiron Shaw (Emmett J Scanlon), her boss Detective Chief Inspector Tim Bailie, PC Griffiths (Tahirah Sharif) and even her partner Detective Constable Steve Bradshaw (Jimmy Akingbola), DS Collins is basically up against the odds in her quest to solve the case.
All of which adds up to a deeply dissatisfying denouement. Not only that but certain factors leave matters hanging somewhat without proper resolution. As if the story in The Tower will be continued subsequently, if it will not be! A promising miniseries that lost its way somewhat.
Now streaming on ITV.
… still there’s more …