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Guilt, episode 1 review - this witty, gritty new thriller is no guilty pleasure

Brothers Jake (Jamie Sives) and Max (Mark Bonnar) debate what to do after they accidentally killed a man - 2
Brothers Jake (Jamie Sives) and Max (Mark Bonnar) debate what to do after they accidentally killed a man - 2

As 2019 draws to a chaotic close, we’re being treated to a late flurry of excellent television. Caledonian crime caper Guilt (BBC Two) has somewhat snuck under the radar but certainly qualified.

Late at night on a suburban Edinburgh street, two bickering brothers – slick lawyer Max (Mark Bonnar) and dreamy record shop-owner Jake (Jamie Sives) – accidentally ran over and killed an elderly man while driving home from a wedding.  Uninsured and worse for wear, aghast Jake was persuaded by amoral Max to cover up their deadly deed.

The scheme backfired, naturally, and they were sucked into the victim’s world, forced to masquerade as his friends.  Before he knew it, Jake had fallen into a surprisingly sweet romance with the dead man’s American niece Angie (Ruth Bradley), while Max grew paranoid in case his guileless sibling aroused suspicion "through your signature f---wittery”.

But was Angie all that she seemed? Why was she “going a wee bit Columbo” about a death certified as “natural causes”?

This genre-mashing romp combined farcical comedy with the plot twists of a thriller. Writer Neil Forsyth mined a rich seam of pitch-black humour, with rapid-fire gags about Grand Designs, Ocado deliveries and soft play centres. Scenes where characters argued about music were reminiscent of Nick Hornby’s nerd-com High Fidelity.

The brilliant Bonnar – who’s long been a scene-stealer in the likes of Catastrophe, Unforgotten, Line of Duty and Shetland – relished his lead role, spitting out sardonic one-liners with devilish glee. Puppy-eyed Sives (best known as Jory Cassel from Game of Thrones) gave a more sympathetic, soulful performance. The pair’s crackling chemistry seemed genuine because, well, it was – the actors went to school together.

Guilt was stylishly made by BBC Scotland, where it began airing last week. It felt like Fargo relocated to Leith, or Midnight Run reimagined by Irvine Welsh. At a punchy four episodes – a hit-and-run of a series, you might say – it won’t outstay its welcome either.