THE MISSING is missing nothing

Give me a drama featuring James Nesbitt and I'm there.

Which is why I initially watched The Missing, when it started a couple of weeks ago. Now, it's a staple in my Tuesday evenings and it has all of the components that a gritty, thrilling drama needs.

The story, in case you haven't watched yet, is all about the Hughes family - Tony, Emily and their young son, Olly.
Olly goes missing after an evening swim with his dad. France have just won the World Cup and among the excitement, no one saw who took Olly (if anyone did) or where the little boy ran off to (if he did).

I think it's safe to say, though, that Olly was taken.

Going back and forth from the present day, to when Olly disappeared, we soon learn that the Hughes marriage did not survive the trauma of their son's missing status. Emily is now married to Mark - a British police officer, who somehow managed to worm his way on to the case.

It's this man I do not yet trust...

Tony can't forget what happened to Olly, and returns to France in a bid to get the case re-opened. with the help of Julien, a now-retired detective who worked on Olly's disappearance when it happened. The two men succeed after Tony sees a photo of a boy wearing the scarf Olly had when he went missing. Tracing that scarf to a house - Tony soon notices a picture drawn on the wall in the basement. The same picture Olly drew of his dad, time and time again. Olly was kept in this house.

This is just a bite-sized piece of the story so far, so if you haven't seen any of The Missing yet, hop over to BBC iPlayer to catch up...because the story is only just beginning.

Who did take Olly?

With journalist Malik knowing 'what Tony and Emily did,' and police officer Khalid feeding information to Malik... what are their stories? And surely whatever Malik knows about Olly's parents isn't directly linked to his disappearance?

Olly's grandfather - in the present day, has passed away - but he and Tony had a secret, which could have put Olly in danger.

Then there's known sex-offender, Vincent, who was a suspect - but his cast iron alibi was actually bought by wealthy property developer, Ian Garret. Vincent is currently seeking chemical castration to "cure" him of his urges. He claims innocence, but his story surely has some relevance to Olly's case... And why was Ian Garrett so interested in the disappearance when he saw the press coverage on TV. He even offered a €100,000 reward for whoever finds Olly.

My number one suspect so far, is Emily's new husband, Mark. The officer who wormed his way in and on to the case... He grabs Emily's phone to stop her hearing it ring, and when she does, he never tells her it's Tony calling. Is he just protective, or does he have something more to hide?

We'll find out more during tonight's episode three, on BBC1 at 9pm.

Tune in - because The Missing cannot be missed!

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OUR GIRL - Perfect end for a perfect comeback

Our Girl, the BBC drama, revolving around life in the armed forces and starring EastEnders' Lacey Turner had me gripped from episode one of the series.

I'm gutted that it only lasted for five episodes, but that was only because I loved it so much.

In fact, I'd say that it was the best drama I've seen on my telly box for some time.

I hope you've all seen the last ep by now, as some of the below might spoil it if you haven't done!

At the beginning of the series, Lacey revealed in an interview that she wasn't sure if Our Girl would return at the end of this run, as she wasn't too sure if it could...

I understand her meaning.

Molly, besotted with Captain James (or Charles, as Molly hilariously found out was his name!) who ended up injured and needing rehabilitation on his leg after being shot in battle on their final mission, decided to heed his advice and go back to the Army.

However, this wasn't before poor Smurf, who was also shot during the same battle, collapsed on the pitch at West Ham football club, after a day out with Molly. He died, due to an unnoticed bleed on his brain...

As much as you could see a tragedy happening during the final episode, it was still heartbreaking viewing.

The final ep ended with Molly back out in Afghan, and having been secretly reunited with her little friend, Bashira, who was taken to a safe house to live without fear.

So, as I mentioned, I can see why Lacey doesn't know where the series could go from here, and why she may think that things could be best left as they are - with Smurf no longer there, and Molly and Captain James' uniting ending openly - but for me, it totally can.

I'd love to see how Molly is doing, with her continuing Army life... Did she and Charles make a go of things and live happily ever after? Maybe she's met someone new, has gone up higher in the ranks? There are so many more avenues this drama could go down.

I definitely think that this was the perfect end to the perfect comeback.

WATERLOO ROAD returns with new cast

                               

I feel sad that this is going to be the last ever series of school-set drama Waterloo Road. But as sad as I may feel... I can't help but think it could be the right time for the show to hang up that school tie and end on a high. 

Over the past couple of series', I've been left, albeit entertained, but thinking what could they possibly do next?

It's not over yet, though, as it has been revealed that - for the last series - Waterloo Road bosses have signed up some new names. 

Former Hollyoaks actor Andrew Still, Casualty and Personal Affairs actress Laura Aikman and Broadchurch's Charlotte Beaumont are among the new cast members. 

We can also welcome new talent Armin Karim to our screens. 

                                            

Waterloo Road's Exectutive Producer, John Griffen, has said:

"This will be the last series of Waterloo Road and we plan to give our incredible fanbase a final term they will never forget. In true Waterloo Road style, we're set to go out with a bang."

Before the final series airs early next year, we still have the final ten episodes of series nine which will be on our screens later this year. 

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