Martin Freeman’s career arguably reached its zenith when he landed the lead role in Peter Jackson’s Hobbit films. From after his portrayal of Bilbo Baggins though, his career seems to have been on a decline – an unfortunate circumstance considering no one plays the disgruntled common man role quite like him. The issue, however, could be that the character of a cantankerous commoner isn’t a persona that necessarily resonates well on screen. They’re often difficult to connect with and have a tendency towards self-destruction, and their enhanced sullenness may mirror our own undesired perceptions, if perceived closely.
All of this makes Tony Schumacher’s The Responder (BBC One, Sunday, 9pm) a challenging yet unique experience. The series focuses on a type of character that was once regularly seen on television – a middle-aged man fighting against a world that seems harsh and uncaring. Characters like Martin Freeman’s portrayal of the lost Merseyside policeman, Chris Carson, are not commonly seen these days – an unfortunate fact as his journey into livid nihilism creates an engaging watch.
Theoretically, The Responder is a police procedural. But what it really amounts to is a stark portrayal of mid-life despair. Season one introduces us to Carson as a corrupt cop striving to keep his crumbling marriage intact. The subsequent season follows the narrative six months later. Carson and his wife Kate, played by MyAnna Buring, have parted ways. Kate is contemplating moving to London with their daughter for a potential job opportunity.
In fear of losing his family, Carson fabricates a story about being reassigned to daytime duties, implying he’ll have more family time. However, he’s generally disliked at the police station and thus stuck with the night shift.
He’s also attempting to navigate a challenging relationship with his formerly abusive father. His father, now a pitiful elderly man, spends his days watching repeated TV shows. Carson’s father is depicted by Bernard Hill, who is well-known as King Théoden from The Lord of the Rings; an announcement was recently made about his death. This has resulted in the peculiar sight of the former Lord of Rohan sharing a sullen tea conversation with the previous dweller of Bag End.
The Responder reconnects us with the questionable pair, Casey and Marco (played by Emily Fairn and Josh Finan), minor drug peddlers who once lured Chris into their clumsy ploys in the first series. These two are back to their previous shenanigans, which could potentially expose them to the fury of Liverpool’s criminal world. The Responder, however, is a crime drama where actual crime is minimal. Most of Carson’s time as a cop is spent managing inebriated people and drug dependents, not solving mysteries. Regardless, the series provides a compelling depiction of a despondent middle-aged man losing touch with reality. This is largely due to Schumacher’s intense screenplay, but most notably due to Freeman’s humble acting. He isn’t scared of appearing unsympathetic, and this frankness augments the raw intensity of The Responder.