Code of Silence Review

I have to admit, what initially drew me in to watch Code of Silence, the new British drama series, was its basic conceit. Police canteen worker Alison is asked to help out on an investigation into a potential robbery of a high-profile necklace after it becomes clear that the police will not be able to get close enough to any of the criminals to bug them. Rather, they are planning to film the various meet-ups of the criminal gang and need someone with great lip reading skills to help them out. Unfortunately, all the normal (aka vetted and qualified) lip readers the department contracts with are busy on other cases at the moment, so it falls to Alison – who is deaf, but equipped with hearing aids that allow her some modicum of hearing – to help them out. A pretty original jumping off point, no?

And you know what? This six-episode series turns out to be pretty strong as well. A series like this one, hinging on the actions and knowledge of a single character, lives and dies on the ability of that actor to carry the story. And let me tell you, Code of Silence has itself a true star in Rose Ayling-Ellis (most recently seen in this past season of Doctor Who), who takes the reins of the series and turns in a masterful performance. The role of Alison isn’t an easy one, either. She’s not your stereotypical citizen detective. Rather, she’s a genuinely good person, striving to do what’s right but who also feels the pull of trying to save at least one of these criminals from themselves as the series goes on.

Because yes, Alison finds herself fully inserted into the complex criminal dealings when she steps out from behind the video screen and decides she wants to help catch these criminals for real. No, she doesn’t have delusions of grandeur. Rather, with limited access to the gang, she single-handedly decides she is the last best hope the cops have to stop the robbery. All she needs to do is get close to the major players – and one of whom just so happens to be a charming, attractive young hacker named Liam (Kieron Moore). And if you’re saying, “Oh my gosh, how do the police let her get away with this? That’s so dangerous and could get her killed! What is she thinking?!?” Well, you’re not wrong. But that’s the beauty of the series: it knows precisely what its audience is going to think and makes sure to highlight just that.

This isn’t a show that looks at Alison’s actions and says yes, that’s the right way to go about it. Rather, Catherine Moulton’s scripts aren’t afraid to chastise Alison for her crazily dangerous antics. And to call out the police – namely DI James Marsh (Andrew Buchan from Broadchurch) and DS Ashleigh Francis (Charlotte Ritchie from Taskmaster and the UK version of Ghosts) for their own negligence in the matter – they’re so focused on stopping the robbery and catching this crew (for reasons the series withholds for just a bit too long) that they tend to have blinders on when it comes to really taking a step in and doing their jobs.

But the intrigue within the story is excellent. And Ayling-Ellis’ performance – a mix of sign and speaking – is absolutely spectacular. You might be banging your head against the wall as Alison makes some of her choices, but you will always understand why she is doing what she’s doing. Her heart is always in the right place even if she’s not. And that’s what makes Code of Silence totally worth your time. Yes, this is a pretty traditional crime drama in a host of ways, but it’s got a true star turn in the lead and a story that will keep you entertained from start to finish. While the season is a fully contained story, it also leaves the door open for more adventures watching Alison work as a lip reader for the police – although one hopes the police department will be able to keep a better handle on her after hours investigative work a second time out on the beat.

Code of Silence premieres on July 24 on BritBox. All six episodes were provided for review.