‘Six Four’ Series Review - An Almost Exemplary Show

Six Four is a Scottish crime thriller series that has four episodes with a duration of 45 minutes each. The series is set in Edinburgh and Glasgow, allowing the viewers to witness beautiful locations. It is the adaptation of the novel written by Hideo Yokoyama and got released on March 30, 2023, on ITVX. The series stars Vinette Robinson as Michelle, Kevin McKidd as Chris, James Cosmo as Jim Mackie, Alex Ferns as Gordon, Andrew Whipp as Philip, Brian McCardie as Bill, Richard Coyle as Robert Wallace, and others. 

The first episode of the series starts with a couple identifying the body of a girl as their daughter has been missing for three weeks. Chris (the father) and Michelle (the mother) aren’t able to bear the pain of their lost daughter and are seen suffering. The mother knows that Olivia (their daughter) would not have stayed in Edinburgh and thus in search of her, she leaves for London. It is not revealed why she thought that London was the place to find her. After connecting some dots, it can be understood that Michelle being an ex-undercover agent taught her daughters some tactics.

Michelle doesn’t stop despite her husband saying otherwise, and it looks as if she is on a mission to solve a very big mystery (which was an exaggerated response). The woman was scared that someone from her past might have hurt her daughter. The way Michelle is shown changing her clothes in the washroom of the railway station, wearing a hat, and booking tickets, a lot was anticipated from her character. I am very disappointed with the fact that a character with huge potential had been sidelined. There was a lot that she could have done, had her character been utilized properly.

Chris is not able to cope with things and is really scared. He’s an emotional individual, which could be understood from the fact that he used to call his daughter just to listen to her voice in the voicemail. Professionally, Chris is a Detective Constable. The moment he’s made to meet Robert Wallace, the Justice Minister, we know that things are leading elsewhere. Accompanying Wallace is Bill Martin who is a shady character.

During searching for his own daughter, Chris comes across Julie’s case. He was told about the same by Sam, a journalist with whom he had an extramarital affair. Had he treaded his path carefully, people around Chris wouldn’t have gotten in so much trouble. The case of Julie was never solved and after visiting her Dad, Chris was made aware of something called “Six four”. 

The first episode shows Mr. Mackie telling Chris that his daughter was kidnapped because of Security Services and was murdered because he knew about Six Four. What is “Six Four” and other questions started arising in my mind because it feels like only a big thing will only lead to innocent murders and huge cover-up stories. Chris also doesn't know about it and steps into the world to know the reality as he thought that his daughter’s disappearance is also connected to this case.

In my opinion, the Six Four series lacks some aspects of a good suspense thriller like keeping up with the suspense and revealing shocking things. After watching the first episode, one can make out what the truth is; honestly, all the chaos going on seems pointless after knowing the truth. I did end up feeling sad for the character of Mr. Mackie. 

Three stories are going on simultaneously: the disappearance of Olivia, Julie’s disappearance, and the kidnapping of Annabel. It is generally thought that when many things are mixed, a ruckus is created however here all those elements acted synergistically. With the premise built up by the creators, a lot more from the creators was expected. It felt as if four episodes were quite short and the plot could have been extended further.

Initially, things seem to be inter-connected and they are. But, the point still remains about what was Michelle trying to do by going to London and who is Piers. What is the past that they both have shared as it is uncommon for an undercover agent to bond with a criminal, for whom she herself got convicted for ten years? 

There are deep-rooted cover-ups from both the politicians and Policemen and, amidst all this, Chris is stuck. We see dirty politics being played and a parent longing to know the truth about his child. In the series, a line has been mentioned “Sometimes it’s better not to know the truth”, and this is said at such a moment which makes the context clearer.

I think that a second season can be made as many questions have been left unanswered like What will Chris do will all the information? Who and what was Michelle in the past? Will Olivia come back to her parents? How did Bill climb up the ladder? What will Philip do? 

Final Score – [7/10]
Reviewed by - Riya Singh
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Publisher at Midgard Times