TV Pick of the Week: Bodkin - review by Yvette Huddleston

In this case the fairy references are quirky eccentricity are kept to a minimum as the slick script focusses on its cleverly twisting narrative and pleasingly complex characterisations. The storyline brings together tough investigative Irish journalist living in London Dove (Siobhan Cullen), perky, award-winning American podcaster Gilbert Power (Nick Forte) and keen young researcher Emmy (Robyn Cara). They head to Ireland to investigate the disappearance some 20 years earlier of three people during the annual Samhain festival. Dove is there very reluctantly but has been ordered to go by her editor after her latest investigation inadvertently led to the death by suicide of an NHS whistleblower.

While Emmy is all smiles and positivity and Gilbert is busy being charmed by everyone he meets and reconnecting with his Irish roots, Dove is snarlingly sullen and on the look-out for a more interesting story than the one they are there to look into. Nevertheless, as a team, though disparate, they do manage to uncover some leads and set up some key interviewees. They include local garda sergeant Power (Denis Conway) who was on duty the night of the disappearances, friendly farmer Darragh (Pat Shortt) on whose land the festival took place, sensitive blacksmith Teddy (Ger Kelly) who was a young teenager at the time and also went missing for several hours, and shady fisherman Seamus Gallagher (David Wilmot) who may be hiding something crucial about his past.

Meanwhile Dove is a woman increasingly on the edge as the frantic phone calls to and from her editor increase with updates on how the case is going back home and whether she is going to be charged under the Official Secrets Act; Gilbert has somehow got himself in debt to a local tough guy and Emmy has fallen for small town boy turned rich entrepreneur Fintan (Charlie Kelly). As the trio piece together the story of that night, some shocking revelations emerge. It’s very cleverly done, the performances are strong and underlying it all is a sly dig at the ubiquity and exploitative nature of true crime podcasts with a neat running joke – “people will listen to that will they?”