The Syndicate Review

 

I haven’t done a review for a while so last night I thought I’d tune in to The Syndicate with that purpose in mind. For those who are unfamiliar, the series centers around a different group of people who end up winning the lottery, and examines the various ways in which they are changed by this revelation. I hadn’t watched the previous two series but decided to give this one a go because it tackles something dramas don’t often tend to go into - the running of a stately home and the relationship between the servants and the masters of a house in the 21st century, where class is no longer seen as a barrier or major obstacle. As a huge Downton fan (a fact I’ve mentioned only a million times), this interests me to no end.

 

The drama deviated from the predictable route of the servants discovering they’d won the lottery straight away and took its time setting up the story, allowing us to get to know all the characters both upstairs and downstairs. And indeed there were some interesting relationships to be found.

 

We had Amy Stevenson, the daughter of a servant who was temping for the summer having an affair with Lord Hazelwood’s stepson Spencer Cavendish, making eyes at American guest Tyler Mitchell and fending off advances from her ex boyfriend and the resident dislikeable creep of the series. Her friendship with Aspergers-ridden gardener Godfrey was what endeared her to me, showing her soft spot when she assured him after making him a little uncomfortable “I’m only teasing. You know I love you to bits!”

 

 

Godfrey himself is an endearing character in turn, a fascinating example of just how good Lenny Henry is at straight acting. His obsession with the lottery numbers and his insistence that this week the syndicate must all do three lines drives the other servants mad while he is determined to break the formula and insists that this week is the week they will win the jackpot. There is a deep love and concern for him from the servants that manifests itself when Dawn (Amy’s mother) sadly observes that “he’s getting worse.”

 

We have Lord Hazelwood who is struggling to find the money for the lavish lifestyle his wife in particular is determined to keep living; and if that wasn’t enough for him to contend with, he’s also housebound after a particularly debilitating stroke. He’s not the man I expected him to be written as though; far from looking down on all those he considers beneath him, he regards the servants as his friends, confiding his worries in them and giving them full credit for the dinner they put on for their American guests (and rightly so). In turn he’s pleased when they discover they’ve won the lottery despite the changes in his life that are bound to occur. In short the staff are protective and fond of him and this translates well to the viewing audience.

 

With the exception of Julie the cook who is basically Mrs. Patmore from Downton Abbey with a daughter and a bit of a foul mouth thrown in, and Lady Hazelwood who is snooty and dislikeable, the other characters are a little bland for the moment. Sean is quite likable but at the moment he’s just there, with no hint of why we’re supposed to care about this inevitable romance between him and Sarah. Lady Hazelwood’s son seems to be the very caricature of ambitious stepson with grand plans for the manor that involves him making a huge profit. Nothing I haven’t seen in TV land before. If there were any other characters, they weren’t memorable.

 

 

The big plot movement of the lottery win came in the last 15 minutes of the episode and, while the initial premise was charming with Dawn forgetting the numbers Godfrey gave her and coming up with some random ones based on her and her family’s birthdays, the reveal ended up being a little drawn out and contrived with the dodgy internet connection forcing the servants to use Lord Hazelwood’s dining room so they could discover the result in front of everybody.

 

Just before this, we have Godfrey storming off because his calculations were wrong (poor guy! He could be my favourite…) and Amy running off after him. This is when things get spooky. Dawn and the rest of the servants start wondering where Amy is and then we hear a chilling scream which can be heard in the drawing room. Lady Hazelwood refers to the scream as ‘foxes’ but of course the seasoned viewer can be almost certain this is Amy screaming. I find myself looking forward to the inevitable confrontation when Dawn finds out Lady Hazelwood heard the scream and did nothing.

 

My initial reaction to the disappearance was that it detracted from the main focus of the story (the lottery win) and it was a tad unrealistic. What’s the chances of winning the lottery but losing your daughter in the same day? (Although putting it like that makes it a little more poetic admittedly). However writing this review up now, I find myself looking forward to who exactly could be responsible for Amy’s disappearance and possible murder. Her creepy ex-boyfriend whose name I don’t even want to know because he annoys me is the obvious suspect but Godfrey’s whereabouts are also unaccounted for. I refuse to believe he did it however so don’t even bring it up, OK?

 

As I mentioned, I hadn’t watched any of the previous series and I’m not altogether familiar with any of Kay Mellor’s other TV works but if the first episode is anything to go by, this could turn out to be a solid reliable hour of entertainment with already likable characters and a backdrop that feels markedly different from the norm of most TV dramas. In a departure from most TV dramas and novels, the lottery win is believable and it will be interesting to see how the money and the impact from Amy’s disappearance changes the lives of the servants and the Hazelwood family. Worth tuning in for the remainder of the series.