Period Dramas: Dark Angel

usatoday.com

What It's About:

Mary Ann Cotton is a wife and a mother - just like any other in the mid-1800s. She struggles with balancing the care of her children, the house, and putting food on the table while her husband William is away for work. When William stops bringing in enough money, Mary Ann decides that he's more trouble than he's worth, and takes things into her own hands.Well, maybe she's not quite like any other wife and mother. Dark Angel details the life and actions of the first female serial killer in Britain, from the events before her first crimes, until the brief months after her last.

Why You'll Love It:

• The subject matter is dark, but this mini-series isn't particularly graphic. This makes it a good one to watch even if you wouldn't list yourself as a fan of dark dramas.
• Joanne Froggart (of Downton Abbey fame) does a great job. She is the loving mother, the woman at her wits-end, and the tortured soul one after the other perfectly.
• This mini-series doesn't seek to justify Mary Ann's actions, rather just show you what her life probably looked like. It doesn't feel like you need to decide whether she is justified or not - it simply portrays things as they were and doesn't emotionally torture you about it
• Great for fans of mini-series such as Jamaica Inn, the gritty parts of North and South, and Alias Grace.
• If you love mini-series but are looking for something a bit shorter, this one is only two episodes and is perfect for a quick watch (just over an hour) that has the quality of your favourite period dramas

Why You Might Want To Skip It:

• This mini-series is about a serial killer, and details her life and actions during the time of her crimes. If you are uninterested in those crimes, or are sensitive to it, I would probably avoid it.
• It is not boring, but it isn't action-packed, and is a bit repetitive. It definitely focuses mostly on Mary Ann's character, her increasing frustration and her descent into criminality
• Some of the events shown as speculated and can't be confirmed, so if you are looking for an exact account of her life, this feels pretty good, but definitely isn't perfect.
• There is a fair amount of sexual content, however it is not graphic. I firmly do not recommend this mini-series to anyone who is highly against any suggestion of murder, sex, trickery, or manipulation

Final Thoughts

I did actually quite enjoy this one, and I think Joanne Froggart did a great job. Definitely a very different role than what we expect after Downton Abbey, so it was a good choice on her part. The best part about it was that it wasn't overly long. I got to watch it in one night without a break, and that felt like just the right length for this type of subject matter. I feel like a four part mini-series would have been too long and felt too repetitive, so this was properly effective. If you aren't against the subject matter, I would definitely check it out.