John Simm, for me, stands as one of the greatest actors of our generation. Charming the nation with his inspired portrayal of The Master in Doctor Who as well as his staring role in Life on Mars, there's something about him that effortlessly portrays a mix of the everyman and a deeper, darker mysteriousness. And it's these qualities he brings so well to new drama Exile, the story of a son returning home after losing his job to find his father has dementia.
The show's opening was disorientating, snapshots and visual memories offering us a glimpse into the life of Tom (Simm's character) as his work life fell to ruin about him. Breaking free from his high-up role on a glossy men's magazine, he storms off up the motorway in his flashy sportscar, the rain pouring down outside, the scenery becoming ever more grey.
It's easy to bandy around the word 'gritty' about drama series like this, but Exile's strengths come from its grittyness being precisely more than that. It doesn't feel artificial in the slightest, instead the lives unfolding in front of us are profoundly real. From Tom's sister Nancy (a source of brilliant comic relief throughout the episode) to his old school mate, there is always a sense that you could just as easily find yourself amongst these characters yourself. They're wonderfully understated; no over the top personalities or quirky character traits here - only the hum-drum facts of every day life. People get on with the duties and work assigned to them, day in, day out - monotony is a fact of life.
And it's the coping with these realities that form the backbone of Exile, for Tom's father is afflicted with Alzheimer's. Initially unable to cope with the man's debilitating illness, Tom is driven to frustration and drink. This is his escape, just as he escaped as a young man, leaving for London. And it's not just Tom that we see this frustration in - a local barmaid practically throws herself on him, eager for the excitement her stale marriage is clearly not providing. And in a brilliant twist, we later find out that this barmaid is the wife of Tom's old school friend. As you can imagine, sparks fly.
It's almost a shame Tom and his old friend fall out in a way, as their scenes of re-union - going for a drink and fish and chips - revelling in old memories, catching up and sharing their troubles is genuinely moving. It's a moment of genuine man to man openness; a glimpse of softness in a harsh world.
From this first episode, you got the distinct impression Exile was firmly within the walls of family drama; dealing with the effects of disability. Indeed, the complexities of Tom and his father's relationship provided the foundation for so much of this episode. But towards the end, the show felt as if it was rapidly growing towards a thriller, suggesting crime elements would be forthcoming in later episodes. It was a shocking turn, backed up on detective-like work as Tom uncovered old documents regarding a local council boss in his father's office.
I guess the question now is whether the show will be able to balance the two distinct brands of drama equally, or if it will abandon one to thoroughly pursue the other. Either way, this episode got things off to a cracking start and I eagerly await the conclusion.
Incidentally, if the character of Tom's father (played so wonderfully by Jim Broadbent) has piqued your interest in dementia and you want to find out more about the condition, the Maria Mallaband Care Group have come up with this rather handy info-graphic, the full version of which can be viewed on their website.
