#Staunch Test PASS.
Family man Nick Brewer, (Adrian Grenier), is mysteriously abducted, shortly thereafter, a video was uploaded showing him beaten up and holding a placard saying he had abused and killed a woman and that he would die once the clicks reach 5 million, and so the race against time or in this case, clicks, begins.
The makers of the series make constant reference and inferences alleging his double life and that he was communicating online with several women, some of who recant his aggression and manipulation but we never actually see any of this. We just conjure up a mental picture of his mysterious behaviour not knowing why.
His very tenacious and relentless sister Pia (Zoe Kazan) is determined to get to the bottom of his disappearance, convinced of his innocence, she embarks on a journey to find him. Bizarrely the odd relationship between his sister and the cop is rather pointless and unnecessary. As is the weak side story of Nick’s son who is reeled into online chats and texts confiding in a stranger, but again is this really an essential part of the story or just filling air time?
The acting is wooden, flaky and lacks depth, but it does keep you guessing to the end and there are no foreshadowing plot twists to identify the ultimate perpetrator. The series is ultimately a warning to those chatting online not knowing who really is on the other end, whether it be catfishing or fake profiles which are so prolific in the world of online chatting and something that we all have experienced on social media forums.
It is a pity that they did not take the time to explore this very real issue and the show is the worse for it, they could have produced a far superior series with an important message to women in particular to be more vigilant online.
Tanya Vyas
