Unforgotten

Scenarios are handled with nuance and a lack of hyperbole, as you would expect, though given the limited screen time each receives, the outcomes of several feel a little pat and artificial. “Unforgotten” lives on its organic combination of crime drama and well-made soap opera, and Season 6 feels a little diffuse, not as emotionally fraught as earlier seasons in which the suspects were more personally intertwined. But the new season benefits from an increasingly seamless integration of Keenan into the ensemble, and of Jess into the story.

Chris Lang’s characters are so well-drawn and the scripts so expansive, their many strands skilfully interlaced, that it sucks you in. Sunny and Jess have more chemistry now that her ice-queen act has thawed. True, not as much as with Cassie, but it’s still early enough days.

Unforgotten is clever in how it taps into real-world issues – storylines about a right-wing news network and refugees are clearly plugged into modern politics, but the script does not lecture the viewer. Never preachy or self-righteous, Unforgotten is about real people in extraordinary circumstances and remains one of the most unique and compelling crime shows around.

Chris Lang’s writing seems to have slipped a little below the high standards established in Nicola Walker’s leading role heyday. Yet there’s a Zen-like acceptance to the way that Bhaskar delivers his lines, as if he’s not going to let some leaden dialogue hinder the smooth running of proceedings.

The supporting cast is strong, with Victoria Hamilton standing out as the beleaguered lecturer. But whether you stick around to find out how the four suspects are connected (the series continues tonight), or to enjoy the performances and plot twists, may depend on your political stripes.