At the start of the latest Apple TV thriller Nocturne, former Detective Jonah Lynn (Liev Schreiber) and those around him think that the events that haunted their small Pennsylvania town are behind them. Unfortunately, as the show develops, it appears that the now-imprisoned serial killer Jurek Walter (Stephen Graham), who tormented them three years prior, may be back causing problems. This quickly sets the tone for the major mystery for the show to solve – Walter has no access to the outside world, so how can he be causing more people to disappear?

There’s a lot to like in this show, which is based on the Joona Linna novels Lazarus and The Sandman, but it takes annoyingly long to make clear the type of programme Rowan Joffé is trying to create. I found myself frustrated at the information presented to me in the opening few episodes, and its overreliance on the viewer to trust that it will reveal its answers as the story progresses. Whilst the decision to do that undoubtedly begins to really pay off in the episodes I watched before the release, I fear that it shouldn’t have taken that long for it to get good in the first place. Schreiber, Graham, and the rest of the cast (Zaze Beetz is brilliant as Saga Bauer) all deliver strong performances, but too much time is spent in the first half of the show trying to understand the heavily implied backstory between the characters, meaning it’s impossible to become invested as fast as they want you to.

As a viewer, you want to be able to root for the characters early on, especially in a mystery thriller, but the decision in play to pick and choose when the show provides the key information to get you invested leaves you wanting more. I just worry that perhaps they left it a little too long on this occasion. Although the second half of the show does really start to fly, and I’m optimistic that it will all be well worth the wait as long as, crucially, viewers hang around with the weekly releases as long as they need to. It almost feels slightly better suited to being binged than for the planned weekly releases.

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I also spent a lot of the time worrying that Graham was being wasted, with his character in the depths of a psychiatric unit for large proportions of the show as a result of his character being deemed insane prior to the show’s events. It’s unclear for long stretches why everyone is so scared of the character, apart from a brief early scene that shows him manipulating the person in his neighbouring cell. That all begins to change when Saga (Beetz) is tasked with going undercover in the same facility, and we soon start to see a slow battle take place between the two, as well as being given a greater understanding of why Walter is such a threat.

There’s also a really intriguing character working there called Karl (Rory Culkin) whose motives for interacting with Walter as part of his job remain murky throughout. The show doesn’t always explain its decisions, relying on audiences to pick up on the same leads that Jonah is looking for. Some pay off, and some don’t. When it works, it’s a really strong TV show. When it doesn’t, it’s particularly hard to stay engaged, especially in the early stages.

If you’re looking for another Apple TV hit, then it’s possible Nocturne will eventually tick that box, as long as it continues to nail its second half and you can trust enough in the process in the early stages to stick with it. As a show, it continues to maintain the same high standard that the streaming service is becoming known for; I just found myself wanting more of a reason to root for the characters early on. I feel confident, however, that the performances by Schreiber, Graham and Beetz in particular make it well worth the watch.

★★★★

On Apple TV on October 30th / Liev Schreiber, Stephen Graham, Zazie Beetz, Rory Culkin / A+E Productions / Created by Rowan Joffé (EPISODES WATCHED: 7 OUT OF 10)

About the Author

Danny Humby

Editor

Danny is a freelance Entertainment Journalist with a background spanning marketing, journalism and governance. He is currently a Trustee at Chichester Festival Theatre. He can be found under @popcornandpace on Instagram.

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