I am yet to watch the 2nd episode of Rillington Place on catch-up. However, just from the first episode, it's clear what a gripping, disturbing drama this series will be. Based on true events, we witness the life of John Christie, played very well by Tim Roth, a utter psychopath who disguises his true form well as a clerk. The disturbing scenes have forced many to change channel or switch off altogether. I am curious of the BBC's reasons for commissioning this drama and overall, what the deeds of such a terrible, evil man can teach us in the future.
Set in the late 1940s early 1950s, the immediate post war era, the scene is well set for a typical period murder mystery drama. However, the drama is far more thriller and psychlogical like than a standard episode of 'Midsummer Murders'. The very fact Rillinngton Place is based on true events increases the tension and true horror of what innocent, good people had to endure. The chilling atmosphere inside Rillington Place, a good, normal house on the outside, but events on the inside utterly unknown. The first episode is mainly based from Ethel Christie's perspective, the long suffering, weak wife of Mr Christie. After nearly a decade of being apart, Ethel and John reunite in peculiar circumstances. Her brother's clear concerns about John, while clearly implied to the audience, are not followed by Ethel, falling under Mr Christie's mental hypnosis. Even when Ethel is nearly strangled to death, she soons returns to John, as if being with him is a duty, whatever he does. This is both shocking and disturbing, and does sadly lead to her death. Some call Christie the worst serial killer ever, not for the quantity of victims he murdered, but for the fact an innocent man was killed for a crime he committed. Tim Evans, whom lived in the same flat as John and Ethel, was hung for, allegedly, murdering his wife, Beryl Evans. It was only after his death that Mr Christie was revealed to have undertaken the crime. This innocent murder was key to the eventual abolition of capital punishment in the UK. I am a stauch opponent of the death penalty, one reason being the chance of an innocent person losing their life. Many supporters of the death penalty will argue that plenty of innocent lives are lost in wars and in car accidents, but nobody stops those. Well, some wars, sadly, are necessary, as are cars in a globalised world. The death penalty is certainly not necessary. Christie certainly displays 'hero syndrome' in the first episode, creating an awful situation before acting heroically to try and resolve the matter. The boyfriend of a victim of Mr Christie arrives clearly distressed at the sudden, unexplained disapperance of his loved one. Mr Christie straight away offers to help look for her, knowing clearly she will never be found alive. Only someone so psychopathic could offer such false hope. I certainly look forward to watching the 2nd and 3rd part to this gripping, horrific drama. The BBC have been very bold in showing the drama, and I believe it has paid off. I think of Mr Christie with only pity, feel grief and sorrow for all the victims and their families and hope such a brutal murderer never arises again.
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