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Must Watch reviews: Reunion

Every week, the Must Watch podcasters review the biggest TV and streaming shows.

This week, Siobhan Synott and Scott Bryan Naga Munchetty to review ‘Reunion’ - a groundbreaking drama, centred on the deaf community and incorporating British Sign Language.

‘Reunion’ follows Daniel Brennan (played by Matthew Gurney), a deaf man, on his release from prison for a murder more than a decade ago. Why did Daniel kill his friend Ray? And what is this mission he’s set himself now that he's out on licence, risking being recalled to prison?

What do the Must Watch reviewers make of it?

What do the Must Watch reviewers think of Reunion?

Siobhan Synott and Scott Bryan give their views on Reunion.

Naga: “Scott, is it a Must Watch?”

Scott: “It is for me. I found this fascinating and really well done. It starts with Daniel, who is in prison, being met up by somebody who is essentially sitting in as the probation officer, asking questions, and having a bit of an interplay. And then we learn at that moment that he's not able to hear any of that interview.”

Scott: “I think what is interesting is that you are having sequences when if there are two deaf actors communicating with each other, there is no dialogue being said and there are also actors such as Anne-Marie Duff and Lara Peake who had to learn sign language and they are speaking whilst also doing BSL too.

This isn't a box-ticking exercise"

“But I think the reason why this works so well is that this isn't a box-ticking exercise, to make themselves think that they have done something for inclusion to make themselves feel good. They have kept it at the heart of such an interesting thriller.

“It's all about this person Daniel, 10 years in prison. And you learn that for six years within prison, he's had no communication with the outside world. No one's been interpreting anything for him. So, he's not been able to read the documents. He doesn't know when he's going to be let out because he dropped out of school very early on.

“We're trying to learn what his motivations are after leaving prison. He's doing things that are erratic. He's not in touch with the police officers. He could get thrown back in.

“And I think that's central conceit whilst also tapping into his own lived experience with being deaf, I thought was rather interesting. I thought it was really well done.”

Naga: “Yeah, I actually didn't have any doubts about it being a box-ticking exercise. I didn't have any concerns about that. Because Rose Ayling-Ellis, obviously, she's an actor, but it's since her time on Strictly that has really raised the profile of issues surrounding opportunities for people who are living with disabilities.

“I also think Anne-Marie Duff is excellent. I just think she's excellent.”

Scott: “Yes, really good.”

Naga: “It was Bad Sisters I thought she was absolutely amazing in.”

Naga: “Siobhan, your thoughts? Must Watch for you?”

What's striking about it is how visual the storytelling is"

Siobhan: “It's a mixed watch for me. Look, I think it's great that it offers deaf characters who are good, bad, and in between. It offers different perspectives, showing you the interaction of hearing and hearing-impaired communities and the ability - and inability - to navigate between them.

“And I think what's striking about it is how visual the storytelling is, because it's not about relying on sound, it's ing your eyes. Also, there's a nice moment in the first episode with Daniel who is driving his car with the stereo on full blast.”

Scott: “Oh, that's so good.”

Naga: “It's very powerful.”

Siobhan: “Yeah, because when we hear the music as it sounds to Daniel, it's not the music, but the beat that he's grooving to.”

Naga: “And also that ‘I don't care. I don't give two hoots about anyone’.”

Scott: “And the second episode, he refers to it as like having a second heartbeat, just hearing that bass coming through the music.”

Siobhan: “Reunion is created by a deaf writer, William Mager. Most of the cast and many of the of the crew are also deaf or use British Sign Language. That's interesting.

I thought that it gave us a lot of insights that felt very fresh"

“I thought that it gave us a lot of insights that felt very fresh, especially if you're not familiar with this world.

“However, I have questions about some of the characterisation. Some of it does feel a bit underdeveloped and cliched.

“There’s a sequence where Anne-Marie Duff’s daughter furiously accuses her mother of withholding secrets from her. This is a very familiar, slightly tired dramatic device of nought-to-sixty outrage, designed to shift her character out the house and go stomping off to a forbidden party. The same angry daughter scenario is repeated, except with Matthew Gurney’s hearing daughter - Lara Peake’s Carly - accusing him of keeping secrets from her. So that’s the same scenario repeated twice in one episode, and it feels like a point being hammered home.

“I get it that this drama is making a point about communication - or the lack of it - between a parent and their child. But this is bluntly dramatised. The point that it's being made here is that Matthew and Anne-Marie are very different - one hearing, one deaf, one widowed, one jailed as a murderer - yet both with similar communication problems. But my gosh, it feels very contrived, very on the nose, and the execution didn’t feel especially skilful.”

Scott: “I disagree. I felt that it was really skilfully done. I also think the cinematography on it was absolutely... “

I felt that it was really skilfully done"

Siobhan: “Horses, courses. I would also say…”

Naga: “I like a difference of opinion by the way.”

Siobhan: “Other issues that come up: a licenced probation officer who arrives without an interpreter for Daniel and then loses him in the system when he’s on release.

“She hesitates about recalling him when he goes missing - and as her boss says, “he's a murderer and he's gone missing, recall him”.

"It’s not a hard decision, so dramatically I think a more compelling reason for her to be reluctant is needed to justify a slow response to a missing murderer! I found myself distracted by these implausibilities.

“Eddie Marsan plays the new boyfriend of Anne-Marie Duff. Apparently he's been a copper for 30 years and yet he doesn't know that her husband's been murdered. I mean, what sort of cop chat goes on in Sheffield?”

Naga: “Well, he is a cop that's left, hasn't he?”

Siobhan: “Except at another point he says he’ll talk to his cop pals for more information. So clearly he does still chat to the boys down the cop shop. And yet none of them says “your girlfriend’s husband was murdered on our turf”?

Siobhan: “I feel there's some clumsy storytelling, and that bothers me. Of course, this is the first of its kind, and I commend Reunion because it paves the way to more storytelling from communities that haven't always had much screen time.

“I hoped the interior life of Daniel might go places beyond angry finger tapping, but I'm not sure the well-worn plot tropes and thin characters make this a Must Watch for me.”

Scott: “Ooh, I disagree.”

Naga: “Well, yeah, so for Scott, it is a Must Watch. For Siobhan, it is not, it's a mixed watch. I think that was the phrase you used.”

All four episodes of Reunion are available to watch on BBC iPlayer now.

But before all that, why not Scott and Hayley with the shows you’ve been loving, loathing or both on [email protected].

This week, the team reviewed MobLand and Your Friends & Neighbours.

Must Watch is released as a podcast every Monday evening on BBC Sounds.

As always, we like to include your reviews - on shows you love, loathe or lament.

Message @bbc5live on social media using the hashtag #bbcmustwatch or email [email protected].

The White Lotus

Ruth got in touch about the White Lotus that Hayley and Scott reviewed a few weeks ago…

“I thought the finale was great! The real action took place in the final 20 minutes but the slow build up over the previous 7 and half episodes culminated in a tense showdown. Like with season 2, Mike White is not sentimental with his characters and is happy to be brutal at the behest of his audience.”

Hacks

Warren sent us an email saying that he’s enjoying ‘Hacks’...

“I mainly wanted to say to one of you, I can't who, thanks for recommending Hacks. I watched last week's episode of the White Lotus and post this series one of Hacks automatically started streaming. And I'm hooked and halfway through season 2. It's fantastic and like nothing else I've recently been watching.”

The Crowded Room

Danny just watched The Crowded Room…

“Just watched The Crowded Room and I don’t know if I missed you reviewing this, but it is absolutely superb. One of the best things I’ve ever watched. Tom Holland in my eyes was always a superhero, Anti-Hero type of character but his performance is absolutely class. He’s so believable, and although the premise is clear pretty early, it’s no 6th sense, you know pretty early there is some sort of psychological element but his portrayal of Danny and his alter egos is just breathtaking.”

Lockerbie

Alan sent us a message thanking Hayley for recommending the Lockerbie documentary.

“We thought we knew everything about this, especially after the recent dramatisation, but found it comprehensive and enlightening. We especially liked the way it presented the convincing case against the convicted perpetrator and then, why it was flawed. Very highly recommended.”