WRITER: Steven Moffat DIRECTOR: Matt Lipsey
CAST: James Nesbitt (Dr Tom Jackman/Mr Hyde), Gina Bellman (Claire Jackman), Michelle Ryan (Katherine Reimer), Denis Lawson (Peter Syme) & Meera Syal (Miranda Callender)
Claire can only watch in horror as her claustrophobic husband is imprisoned in a high-tech containment box. Flashbacks reveal how she met Tom Jackman and when Hyde made his first appearance...We're at the midway point of Steven Moffatt's very successful rethink of the Jekyll & Hyde story, with Jackman/Hyde now captured by the mysterious Institute and taken back to their H.Q, with confused wife Claire in tow.
Episode 4 offers a breather, of sorts, from the main storyline -- in that the contemporary plot is left dangling from Episode 3. Well, mostly. Instead, we're treated to a flashback-heavy storyline that sheds light on how Jackman met Claire, and exactly when Hyde first came into existence.
As Claire, Gina Bellman puts in a great performance, particularly in scenes where she takes a shine to quiet Tom Jackman during a dinner party with some friends. At first Jackman seems to be an aloof bore, the typical scientist stereotype; more interested in the virtues of an outside patio than anything else. Jackman eventually warms up during dinner, particularly when Claire notices he's taken his shoes off to eat, and promptly takes delight in hiding them. In perhaps the first manifestation of Hyde in his psyche, Jackman successfully flirts and their romance takes its first step...
It's not long before Jackman begins exhibiting other psychological and physical changes, such as: rapid arm hair growth, hallucinating a doppleganger in a mirror, hearing knocking on doors and handing an assistant notes with "I'M COMING" scrawled across them. All this leaves Jackman fearing for his own sanity, but he's just advised to take a holiday.
The story leaps back to the present time every so often, focusing on Claire's discovery of her husband's condition through family friend Peter Syme (the excellent Denis Lawson), and the later arrival of detective Miranda Callender (Meera Syal) -- who believes she has the answers behind the Institute's actions and Jackman's clouded past.
James Nesbitt goes from strength to strength, never better than in Episode 4 as events in his humdrum life conspire to awaken Hyde. One particularly tense scene finds Jackman and Claire enjoying a beach walk with ice creams, only to be picked on by a gang of young louts. The introverted Jackman can only watch in horror as the gang's leader takes pleasure in humiliating them both by smearing ice cream over their faces. It's a chilling scene, wonderfully played by Nesbitt and Bellman, making you urge psychopathic Hyde to spring into action...
Writer Steven Moffat certainly knows how to orchestrate tense scenes. The moment Hyde finally makes his "grand entrance" is brilliantly underplayed, but the vengeance he unleashes makes you feel guilty you ever hoped he'd appear. A later scene, with Jackman coming face-to-face with his alter-ego for the first time (via a camera recording) is another highlight. For fans, Moffat even paraphrases one of his early Doctor Who episodes with Hyde's creepy "are you my daddy?" question.
Overall, this is a fine example of Moffat's abilities: human drama, mixed with fantasy, creepily acted and brilliantly written. For fans trying to work out the serial's grand mysteries, concerning Jackman's past and the role of the Institute, the contemporary scenes are also must-see; debunking popular theories and giving small clues to the real answers. Brilliant stuff.
