*When a quiet Oxford suburb is shattered by a house explosion and the disappearance of a young girl, the child’s neighbor, Sarah Trafford (Ruth Wilson), teams with private investigators Zoë Boehm (Emma Thompson) and Joe Silverman (Adam Godley) to dive into a conspiracy that blurs the line between the living and the dead.
Joe is a character layered with complexity, and Godley was immediately drawn to him. As the actor explained to EURweb, “Joe is a private detective, and he and Zoe Boehm, who’s played by the glorious Emma Thompson, have this sort of kind of wonky relationship. They’re married, but it’s not great. And Joe, like all of Mick Herron’s characters and as translated and adapted by the brilliant Morwenna Banks for this series, is a complicated, conflicted, damaged, bruised human being. And like all Mick’s characters, it’s what I think readers love about his books.”
Godley added, “It’s definitely what actors love about playing those characters, because they’re so multidimensional. They have a realness to them. You know, none of us is just one thing. We’re all a little bit broken. That’s what being a human being is. As an actor, I think your job is to show that as truthfully as possible so that people can relate to it and help to understand themselves and the world.”
The story’s layers of truth and deception fascinated Godley as well. “The themes of the series are so interesting as well. It deals with what is truth? What is real? What isn’t? Is what you’ve been told reality or a lie? Or who is real? Who isn’t? Who’s dead? Who’s alive? I think that feels very relevant to all of us right now. I think we’re all in different ways and for different reasons wrestling with that kind of stuff. So, those are all the reasons I would want to dive in and embrace this character.”
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Establishing the relationship between Joe and Zoë presented a unique challenge for the series. “The particular challenge is that we had to establish Joe and Zoe’s relationship very intensely. We had to really stamp it into people’s minds because it then carries through the whole series in just a few short scenes at the beginning. And that’s a very particular challenge.”
Every element of production, from costumes to set design, reinforced this world: “We know who these people are. They’re in this dark, damp, musty room. They’re not very wealthy or successful, but they’re very passionate about what they do. They’re a bit geeky. So all of that stuff is so beautifully crafted,” Godley added.
Working alongside Thompson and Wilson was a highlight for Godley. “They are both actors whom I have enormous respect for. They’re both incredible. They’re so good at what they do. Ruth is so watchable. You can’t take your eyes off her. And in this series, that’s so crucial. We’re there with every thought. It’s all happening. And as an actor, it’s a general rule that if you’re working with really good people, it’s gonna up your game. Emma and I have known each other for many years. We’ve made a few movies together, starting with Love Actually and Nanny McPhee. I have adored Emma as a wonderful human being and as a brilliant actress. So any opportunity to work with her is a no-brainer.”
Godley also highlighted how the seemingly ordinary Oxford suburb enhances the series’ tension. “Everything seems to be ordinary and kind of normal. And then once you start peeling away the onion layers, it is not normal, not ordinary. I think a lot of effort was put into creating a nice, normal, suburban, happy, kind of boring existence. And then literally and metaphorically, you drop a bomb and everything explodes. It’s a brilliant device to start us off on the journey of that series.”
When asked about the takeaways for viewers, Godley emphasized the series’ exploration of truth and personal stakes. “I don’t know that there’s a specific message. I think there are themes and tones and questions about thinking about what is real, what is not real, what is truth, what are lies, is everything what it appears to be?” he explained. “A bit of critical thinking is good for human beings. And I imagine Mick wants to stir that pot a little bit, ask questions.”
The eight-episode series debuted on Wednesday, October 29, with the first two episodes, followed by new episodes every Wednesday through December 10.
*This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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