I heard about 'Thirteen' a while ago but I forgot about it so it was a nice surprise to be reminded about it especially with a trailer I have never seen before and the fact that I could watch it today. The concept is used a lot but it's hugely relevant. The strongest draw I had to 'Thirteen' is Jodie Comer who plays the main character, Ivy. I've been excited about Jodie Comer since knowing her from E4's 'My Mad Fat Diary' which is one of my favourite recent series from the UK of all time and she's incredible in it. So, I trust that every show she does is as real and raw as that show is, and I was right. She was a secondary character but now her talent brings her to the forefront and it really shows.
Everything about her is authentically English which sounds weird because characters are universal but something about her is so representative of english mannerisms. It's not easy to explain. BBC Three/E4 and many more are extremely good at finding those people and she's one of the best. Onto 'Thirteen' it's about a girl who disappeared when she was thirteen and all that transpires once she's escaped but mystery and darkness immediately surrounds her as she returns to a world which we're consistently reminded she doesn't belong to. This suggestion is put forward, in fact, I almost started to believe that it was just highlighting skepticism especially within the two detectives which are on her case.
But we don't know. We never know. Her story is very straight and unconfused, and British eeriness surrounds everything. Ivy, bright-eyed and hollowed compels the story is hard-hitting and believable, despite what is we are going to end up believing about her. Something is really classic about the way that episodes move, and the steady pace with clues hiding everywhere to add to the tension and the rising unrest about everything.
The role of the family and the persistence of the mother that it is Ivy and refusing DnA evidence is very real. It's happened in real cases. I just wish that it was someone other than the mother who believed beyond reason. Her sister, maybe but it makes sense that the sister would be the opposite, and she is. (It actually reminds me of an episode of 'Elementary' I recently watched about a girl who pretended to be a found missing girl. Check it out 'Miss Taken' episode seven of season four. Yes, the pun is amazing.)
Breaking into the house that Ivy was 'kept' in, the emptiness is chilling but only because the show makes it that way and I'm starting to suspect Ivy might have lived there alone. You go back nd forth on Ivy's story a lot. Suspiscion is giving to you outright by the show but Ivy's photos looking so perfectly her and everything checking out so well makes it hard so as a viewer, in my experience, I kept changing my mind. It's a nightmare, but it's thrilling. Ivy definitely has purpose in who she lets in and doesn't, but then it just feels like she just radiates to the people that are most unchanged and that makes sense.
'Thirteen's is definitely interesting for its location. We're used to seeing how cases like these go down in places like America and like the show says "There's never been an escaped kidnapee before." and they mean in the UK which, there has, but it's interesting for them to point that out; that it's less common here which is dark and scary. It's remote from America but the same in nature. There are a lot of beautiful moments in the show which involve Ivy. Small conversations like the conversation of being given fish to eat sometimes and the facts she knew about it regarding pregnancy and also including the assumptions that the detective displayed about whether or not Ivy had been made pregnant. "He gave me fish until I didn't need it."
It was tender, just like Ivy being given a pink cardigan and she asks "Like a present?" which makes your heart vibrate with soreness. The show gives extra dimension such as in the male detective and caring about Ivy's case a lot suggesting he is interested in her. What the show does well is put what has changed on trial and how it quickly overwhelms Ivy and she runs to find a place of solitude in a small garden in the middle of town where she went with her childhood sweetheart Tim who follows her there and knows where to go. If Ivy isn't Ivy then there is some next-level intelligence how she works in this knowledge. The cinematography of Ivy sat with Tim is beautiful here.
There are so many ways this show can go. Ivy could have been brainwashed to believe she is that person, she could have been kidnapped by someone closer (someone like the mum or dad, for example which explains the blind acceptance but I hope it isn't that predictable), She could be Ivy, then started to believe she isn't and then pretend to be Ivy when she really is which alright, I acknowledge that could be a bit far but interesting none the less if I nailed it! Lies coming to a head and Ivy coming to find out that the world built around his is artificial is extremely emotional and a great perspective for 'Thirteen' to take.
I predict that the teacher they are trying to prescute for taking Ivy is taking the blame for a reason because kidnapping being linked to a school is far too easy for a storyline. The mother's connection to the headmaster (which seems like an affair right now) is worthy to remember, I think. In the 'next time' look ahead to the next episode we learn that another young girl is missing so the second episode might uproot everything I'm thinking and change it all. Humour - if any- comes through slightly and I laughed a lot when Ivy tells her mother "It's ok mum, I'm twenty-six" because of the strangeness of the situation that she has to say it.
The accents are slightly 'Broadchurch' and the feel of it also reminds me of it too which is not a bad inspiration and is it just me but does Tim look like he just stepped out of 'The Returned'/'Les Revenants'?
To summarise it's really exciting BBC Three have their first original series to be purely broadcast online. 'Thirteen' comes at a good time due to the recent success of 'Room' and the spotlight and human interest in kidnapping stories right now. (It's weird to say that things like these come into 'media fashion.' It's not nice to think about, but true and for good as long as it stays in people's attention and memory.) I have felt like BBC Three on Iplayer won't get the attention that it thinks it will but with series like these, I hope it will. With the news 'Thirteen' might be making it onto BBC Two slightly undermines that but it's a great credit to the quality of the show. The hashtag #FindTheGirl and the interactive experience is cool too.
You can watch 'Episode one of Thirteen' on BBC Iplayer now.
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