Key Facts & Characters & Ending Explained
Paranoid TV Mini Series 2016 is a Brit crime series, set in a small town in the UK where a GP (general practitioner) is brutally murdered by a masked assailant in a children’s park. The local police stumble across a larger conspiracy which spans multiple countries in their quest to get to the truth. Is the GPs murder just the tip of the iceberg … Or is there something more sinister going on. This is what the series tries to uncover.
The Opening Murder: Dr. Angela Benton
The series begins with the shocking and public murder of Dr. Angela Benton, a well-respected local GP (general practitioner), who is stabbed to death in a children’s playground in the fictional town of Woodmere, UK. The killing occurs in broad daylight and in front of several witnesses, including her young son. The police are called in to investigate, and the case initially appears to be a straightforward crime of passion or random violence.
The investigation is led by Detective Nina Suresh (played by Indira Varma), along with her colleagues, Alec Wayfield (Dino Fetscher) and Bobby Day (Robert Glenister). As they begin to uncover more about Dr. Benton’s life, they realize that her murder is not a random attack but the beginning of something far more sinister.
The Investigation
At first, the police believe the prime suspect is Jacob Appley, a mentally ill man who is found dead shortly after the murder, apparently having taken his own life. The evidence seems to point to him being responsible for Dr. Benton’s death, and the case appears to be closed. However, the detectives begin to sense that something doesn’t add up, especially when a mysterious “ghost detective” starts leaving anonymous notes and clues, hinting at a deeper conspiracy.
Detective Bobby Day receives these cryptic messages, which lead the team to question whether they are missing key pieces of evidence. This mysterious informant appears to know more than they do, and their tips suggest that Angela Benton’s murder may be linked to something larger than a local crime.
The Shadow of Big Pharma: A Global Conspiracy
As the investigation progresses, the detectives uncover a trail that leads to a pharmaceutical company called Rustin Wade. It turns out that Dr. Benton was working on a clinical drug trial related to a medication for mental illness, and her death may be connected to her knowledge of unethical practices within the company.
The pharmaceutical company is conducting secretive drug trials that have dangerous side effects, and several people involved in these trials have either disappeared or died under suspicious circumstances. It becomes clear that Rustin Wade has ties to powerful figures, and the company will go to great lengths to protect its interests, including silencing anyone who threatens to expose their activities.
The investigation takes the team across borders, leading to collaboration with German authorities as they explore connections between Benton’s murder and the pharmaceutical company’s dealings in Germany.
The German Connection and Linda Felber
As the investigation expands, the team travels to Germany to work with Detective Linda Felber (played by Christiane Paul), a no-nonsense investigator who becomes an integral part of the investigation. Felber is dealing with her own set of cases related to pharmaceutical corruption, and her expertise helps the Woodmere detectives uncover the broader reach of Rustin Wade’s illegal activities.
Felber and Bobby develop a close bond over the course of the investigation, with Bobby’s vulnerability and anxiety becoming a point of emotional connection between them. Their dynamic provides some of the most heartfelt moments in the series.
The Ghost Detective
One of the central mysteries of Paranoid is the identity of the “ghost detective,” the anonymous informant who has been feeding Bobby clues throughout the investigation. The ghost detective is eventually revealed to be someone with inside knowledge of the Rustin Wade conspiracy, but their identity and motivations remain ambiguous for much of the series. The reveal adds another layer to the conspiracy, as the ghost detective’s true intentions are unclear—are they helping the detectives out of guilt or for self-preservation?
As the detectives close in on the truth, they discover that Angela Benton’s murder was orchestrated to prevent her from revealing the dangerous side effects of the drug trials. Benton had uncovered the corruption at Rustin Wade and was planning to blow the whistle, but her knowledge made her a target. The people behind her murder are connected to a web of powerful individuals who will stop at nothing to protect their secrets.
Characters
The acting is superb. Indira Varma is particularly good and I imagine she had a ball playing such an annoying character. It’s a very high calibre British cast including Lesley Sharp, Robert Glenister, Neil Stuke, Kevin Doyle, Polly Walker, John Duttine and Michael Maloney and and they know just how to play the underlying comedy. Bad acting!? You’ve got to be kidding! The narrative is excellent and full of missteps that you don’t always get in police procedural dramas.
Nina Suresh: Nina is a strong, determined detective, but she struggles with her own insecurities and emotional baggage. She is in the midst of a complicated relationship with her ex-boyfriend and often doubts her abilities as both a detective and a person. Her vulnerability adds depth to her character as she faces professional and personal challenges throughout the series.
Alec Wayfield: Alec is the more reserved and by-the-book member of the team. He forms a romantic connection with Nina during the course of the investigation, but his awkwardness and personal insecurities make it difficult for him to navigate his feelings. Alec is also dealing with the pressure of his overbearing mother, which adds a layer of personal conflict to his character.
Bobby Day: Bobby is arguably the most emotionally complex of the main characters. He suffers from severe anxiety and paranoia, which is exacerbated by the high-stress nature of the case. Bobby’s anxiety plays a central role in his interactions with the anonymous “ghost detective,” as he grapples with his fears while trying to make sense of the cryptic clues left behind.
Ending Explained
The ending was ‘satisfactory’ in terms of providing closure and wrapping up the story but there were still many questions left unanswered and the final act of the last episode felt rushed through. Pacing issues were rife throughout this whole series.
After kidnapping Crowley and forcing him to confess to the murder of his brother, Henry Appley calls Crowley’s phone’s final number, unintentionally connecting him to Waingrow. Bobby finds himself in an unexpected confrontation with the enigmatic assassin, who turns out to be a Waingrow employee and has just murdered Henry and Crowley, as a result of his search for Crowley. Waingrow is finally caught in the Düsseldorf police’s net, and Alec and Nina come to terms with their affections for one another.
The emotional toll on the main characters is significant. Nina, Alec, and Bobby are all changed by the case, having faced not only professional challenges but also personal demons along the way. Bobby’s journey, in particular, is marked by his growing strength in the face of anxiety, and his relationship with Linda Felber provides him with a much-needed sense of connection.
Technical Review
Paranoid is more than just a standard police procedural. The series explores themes of trust, paranoia, and the often murky line between right and wrong. It highlights the psychological toll that investigating violent crime and systemic corruption can have on those tasked with uncovering the truth.
The show’s exploration of corporate malfeasance and the power of big pharmaceutical companies adds a timely element to the narrative, raising questions about how far institutions will go to protect their interests, even at the expense of human lives.
The personal struggles of the characters provide an emotional anchor, making the series not only a mystery about a murder but also a story about human resilience and vulnerability in the face of overwhelming odds.
What is also beautifully executed is that the investigations are conducted in 2 countries simultaneously leading to a beautifully conceived climax.
Brit crime series really set the bar high. The characters are real, have flaws, battle their own demons like normal people, yet are heroes in their own right.
As the show progressed, it kept you guessing how big the conspiracy could be. It ended believably with it being a pharmaceutical company trying to cover up a previous drug trial that went horribly wrong.
There was not much in the way of impressive physicality for the cops, but the investigative skills were good with genuine efforts to find the truth and not just close the case.
Significant spoiler alert: notes from a ghost detective, played by Kevin Doyle, convince the authorities that the mentally ill guy was actually a victim rather than the murderer. The plot then deepens to encompass drug trials, killings, fatalities, corporate greed, and a cover-up.
Paranoid is a noir thriller that reveals the commercialism of medical research and the complicity of practitioners. It’s a bold narrative that may be disturbing to deal with when you discover the huge coverage of the drugs that are prescribed to treat anxiety, depression and stress, of which there’s no dearth in this world.
Paranoid TV Mini Series 2016 | Reviews
IMDB score is 6.5 ( I rated it 6 personally)
Paranoid TV Mini Series 2016 Netflix
Paranoid TV Mini Series 2016 Trailer
