I watched this show when it came out back in 2007 and loved it then. I rewatched it with a mixture of hope that it'd live up to those nearly 20 year old memories and dread that teen me loved it cause she had the taste of a teenager. However, it was just as good as I remember.
The show begins with Dr.Jackmen having an odd conversation with a women. Explaining the rules for Him. Him being his other half. Hyde. She acts as both observer and enforcer of the rules the two halves obey. Hyde can do what he wants, but has to use protection and has a spending limit. They negotiate times and rules, and leave messages for each other using a dictate phone. I truly enjoyed how much thought they put into the arrangement someone like Dr.Jackman would put into his situation.
Hyde who has a delicious mix of psychopathic glee, childish humour, and a teeny tiny bit of a restraint due to the Dr. Jackman. He's terrifying, petty, and very simple in the way he operates. One character on the show describes him as having the impulse control of a toddler with the appetites of an adult man. Aka, sex and other vices. While Dr.Jackman abstains from alcohol, eats healthy, and is in many ways like the good doctor from Dr. Jekyll and Mr.Hyde.
Which is one way I really enjoyed this show. In my mind there are two kinds of adaptions that are worth watching. One recreates the original as faithfully as possible when changing media, the other takes some part of the core idea and runs with it in a really interesting way.
I don't want to get into spoilers because wondering what's going to happen next is such a delightful part of the experience of watching this show.
The format is also something I really enjoy. Many times mini-series like this feel more like a 6 hour movie than a short tv show. Each episode of Jekyll has it's own arch and a teaser for the next episode. Questions are answered while new questions are asked. It's a masterclass in tension and how it's entirely possible to pause to explain stuff without losing it.
The other thing this show does fantastically is the side characters. While James Nesbit does a truly outstanding job in this show, switching from mild-mannered, reserved Dr.Jackman, into the childish terrifying glee of Mr.Hyde and could have carried the show. He doesn't have to.
His wife, Cathrine Jackman, played by Gina Bellman, is amazing. She's introduced as suspicious because her husband just disappeared for over a month without explanation. At first impression she's not that interesting. The fact she hires a PI on her husband who she thinks is cheating made me like her. I love an active character. She's concerned, she's mad because she's been neglected, and she did something about it. But what made me love her was when she first meets Hyde. She is understandably scared, even terrified, but when push comes to shove, she takes an opportunity to smash him in the head with a wine bottle so he can't hurt her or anyone else. She matches his verbal wit with her own. Did I mention that Mr.Hyde is a yapper and hilarious at times? Well he's even better around her. And what really cemented it for me is that on realizing what her husband is, and after the initial freak out(which is justified when you find out your husband is actually two people one of whom is terrifying), she runs with it. She shows her steel, and uses her wits to navigate a truly bizarre situation.
I loved it, if you couldn't tell from my rav review.
Rating: 95/100
Originally posted through scrobble.life/tv.