The consensus is firmly positive, with praise clustering around Peter Capaldi and Cush Jumbo as rival detectives whose tense exchanges give the series much of its force. Most critics also value the way the crime story addresses racism, sexism and institutional failure in policing through characters with competing loyalties and perspectives. The plotting earns praise for its intricacy and tension, while Digital Spy particularly admires the vivid sense of London and the contradictions of working within a flawed Met.
Reservations are limited rather than shared across the reviews: Collider cautions that the slow pace may not suit everyone, and Paste finds the subplots less compelling than the central pairing. There is no outright dissent in the supplied reviews, though enthusiasm ranges from solid approval to emphatic praise. The strongest agreement concerns the leads’ layered performances and the series’ willingness to make its policing questions uncomfortable.