TV Show Review

TV Review: FLEMING: Season 2, Episode 4 [BBC, Sky Atlantic]

Dominic Cooper Fleming

BBC’Fleming Season 2 Episode 4 TV Show Review. Fleming: Season 2, Episode 4 is a stylish, intriguing and occasionally moving episode of a well-made period series. Dominic Cooper is the best treat of it with his unstoppable charisma and his obviously talented work. Episode 4 increases the drama and the danger as much as possible and balances the World War II front with the protagonist’s personal romance.

Both battles and love stories immediately adopt a stylized and romantic, nearly fairytale-like aesthetic but the film’s directional style-the editing, the voice-overs, the cinematography and the music boast this feeling. Moreover, Fleming is not some hard-hitting, over the top melodrama, regardless of the overdramatic narrative of Episode 4. The show has a humorous, light-hearted undertone that is not exaggerated but just about enough to entertain you and at the same time leave space for some darker development of the story.

Advertisement
 

The visual style follows a definite structure. The editing is unique in every mood, from romantic scenes to moments of lethal danger for the protagonists. The cinematography is always beautiful and colorful so that we see every glistening dot in the eyes of the lovers. Another arresting image was a forest scene in which you see numerous soldiers marching through the woods. This shows that Fleming is not afraid of showing us realism in terms of scale-something very important in a TV series set in a different time.

The look of Episode 4 beautifully underlines the drama and the glorious visuals don’t tell us: ‘Look, what a glorious story’ but rather ‘Look, what a glorious time’ That’s the basic charm of Fleming-the adventurous journey of one brave and very cool man through the Second World War.

The performance of Dominic Cooper and his supporting cast is quite solid. Cooper is convincing regardless if his character is in emotional pain (not very often) or if he is in control (much more often). Either way, what makes his acting and therefore his protagonist so good is his careless attitude, his bold and fearless to the point of being almost indifferent look.

The story is solid but it does have flaws. The opening scene for example is great but throughout the first third of the forty five minute episode you will find yourself getting bored from the chit-chat. This happens for a very short while because once Fleming hits the road, you will journey through the rest of the half hour very pleasantly. There are twists and turns in this character driven story and in forty five minutes the plot never ceases to develop. No supporting character is undermined or is there just for the sake of an individual scene or for the sake of killing time. Everything is connected to the main story, the eventual dramatic conclusion.

One of the best things about the show is that it is so stylized, so romantic in nature and yet so far from the utterly realistic approach which has made so many TV shows great. This fancy style however doesn’t make the story unrealistic, because it is still dramatically rich and in all the right ways so as to remind us that we are watching a human story, not a superhero one. The result is one wonderfully nuanced period TV show which is both beautiful and truthful to behold and experience.

Leave your thoughts on this review and this episode of Fleming below in the comments section. For more Fleming reviews, photos, videos, and information, visit our Fleming Page, subscribe to us by Email, “follow” us on Twitter, Tumblr, or “like” us on Facebook.

FilmBook's Newsletter

Subscribe to FilmBook’s Daily Newsletter for the latest news!

Thank you for subscribing.

Something went wrong.

Deyan Angelov

My name is Deyan Angelov and I am 25. I have written articles for FilmBook. I graduated from the University of London, Royal Holloway in 2014. I have worked as an air operator, sound recorder and camera operator for different TV stations. I have participated in a variety of internships at Nu Boyana Film Studios.
Back to top button
Share via
Send this to a friend