We’re quickly drawn into Simon Henderson’s world. A husband and father were pressed on all sides—money troubles, a difficult job, troublesome neighbors. Into this pressure cooker comes Jordan Franklin, a local troublemaker intent on getting under Simon’s skin. One night, during yet another confrontation on his doorstep, Simon suddenly snaps. A momentary loss of control leaves Jordan lying unconscious and Simon facing a life-changing decision in the heat of panic.
From here, the drama skillfully builds its tension. As Simon, played brilliantly by Jason Watkins, we feel his rising panic as the consequences of his actions become painfully clear. Watkins has a gift for inviting the audience directly into his characters’ inner turmoil. Alongside him is Joe Barber’s Jordan Franklin, the neighborhood scourge whose menacing presence seems never far from Simon’s door. Even in a coma, Jordan haunts Simon as his father, Paul, portrayed masterfully by Jonas Armstrong, steps in to turn up the heat.
Through it all, writer Ben Edwards keeps us gripped with economical yet vivid scenes that peel back layers of Simon’s dilemma. The growing noose of his deception and Paul’s suspicions keep us on edge with each new revelation. All this from a production not lacking in creative resourcefulness. So if you’re looking for nail-biting drama that proves great storytelling requires no big-budget extras, give Coma a watch. Its emotional pull comes from the all-too-human qualities of ordinary people forced to make high-stakes decisions.
Coma’s Tense Opening
It’s safe to say that Simon Henderson was not having the best of days. The mild-mannered everyman found himself in a bit of a bind from the get-go. Harangued at work and stressed about bills and mortgages, his frustrations boiled over when confronting some troublemaking youths. But little did he know just how tense things were about to become.
While out doing errands, Simon noticed a gang of rowdy lads terrorizing a homeless man. Never one to ignore injustice, he stepped in, only to be chased off and have his car scratched in retaliation. Just as he thought the day couldn’t get any worse, returning home brought more headaches. Apparently, his next-door neighbor Harry wasn’t feeling quite as neighborly as usual.
To top it all off, those same troublemakers were at it again, this time vandalizing cars outside Simon’s place. A confrontation ensued, with one of the gang members, a cocky piece of work named Jordan, taking particular interest in antagonizing Simon. Little did they realize this would be the spark to set a dramatic sequence of events in motion.
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That very night, Jordan showed up at Simon’s door demanding money, his taunts growing more threatening. At his wit’s end, Simon finally snapped, punching Jordan and knocking him out cold. To his horror, the boy didn’t get back up, with an ambulance rushing him away in dire condition. In the aftermath, the police were called, with Simon’s quick thinking leading them to believe he’d simply come across Jordan injured.
But complications soon arose with the introduction of Jordan’s father, Paul. A tough-looking local man, he wasted no time getting acquainted with Simon, ostensibly to thank the supposed Good Samaritan. Yet beneath the surface lay an aura of menace, and it became clear Simon’s troubles may have only just begun in the aftermath of that fateful confrontation. With lies sprouting and tension mounting, this dramatic opener sets the stage for a nerve-racking chain of events.
Torn Between Prudence and Passion
Jason Watkins brings Simon Henderson to life in a deeply raw and authentic way. From the onset, we see a man stretched thin by financial strain and disrespect from others. Simon tries to keep his head above water and do the right thing, but it’s wearing him down.
When he intervenes to help an old man being harassed, it’s out of basic decency. But his mild temperament leaves him ill-equipped for the backlash. From stuck-up managers to troublesome teens, Simon finds little respite from daily indignities.
It’s not hard to understand how teenager Jordan becomes a fixation. His taunts drew up feelings of powerlessness in Simon. Yet retaliating is against his nature. You feel Simon’s turmoil as he pleads with his tormentor, seeing the man shrink a little more each time.
The snap that puts Jordan in a coma is both shocking and somehow inevitable. Watkins immerses us in that blur of fear, rage, and regret. In those tense moments, Simon ceases to be a character; we see only a human driven to the brink.
In the aftermath, practical concerns take over. But cracks emerge in Simon’s calm facade as pressure mounts. His frustration with bungling police, meddling neighbors, and brash gangsters becomes visceral.
Watkins grants us an unvarnished view of this man, recognizing, perhaps for the first time, his own bruising weakness and capacity for recklessness. It’s an unflinchingly real portrayal of an ordinary man at the crossroads of prudence and passion.
Jonas Armstrong’s Intimidating Reinvention
Jonas Armstrong delivered a powerhouse performance as Paul Franklin in Coma that kept viewers on edge from his introduction. Known for his past heroic roles, Armstrong reinvented himself here as the dangerously volatile local gangster intent on finding out who harmed his son.
From the start, an aura of menace seemed to emanate from Armstrong’s buzzcut and hardened expression. Paul exuded predatory instincts as he sized up the jittery Simon, scenting falsehoods. Yet hints of complexity also emerged—was his concern for his son genuine or a pretense? Armstrong left us questioning Paul’s true motives.
As his suspicions of Simon grew, Armstrong layered Paul with mounting instability. His temper seemed primed to explode, yet he maintained plausible deniability through casual laughs and forced smiles. Viewers constantly wondered when the breaking point would arrive. Even gentle moments hinted at lurking volatility, like Paul’s mention of fine red wine after threatening Simon over beers.
Armstrong brought an unsettling, unpredictable edge that amplified the pressure on Simon. Would Paul erupt with violence or slink away, his threat lingering? We remained on edge to the story’s end, amazed by Armstrong’s ability to render a character terrifying yet multidimensionally human. He delivered a tour de force reinvention, demonstrating his acting chops by transforming into one of television’s most intimidating antagonists.
Coma Raises Complex Questions
Life can spin out of control in an instant for even the most mild-mannered among us. This four-part drama explores what might happen when regular pressures come to a head.
Simon is facing everyday struggles—work worries, money troubles, and unruly youths haunting the neighborhood. When one confrontation goes too far, he makes a rash choice with huge repercussions.
Trying to undo what’s been done only makes matters worse. Deception breeds deception as Simon sinks deeper into a web of his own weaving. With each lie told, the truth slips further from his grasp.
Yet the lines between victim and perpetrator blur as more of each character’s history comes to light. Simon finds an unlikely ally in the father of the boy he attacks. But can even well-meaning gestures cover simmering suspicion?
Away from Simon, other relationships show strains from outside forces. A marriage, once comfortable, shows signs of tight budgets and frayed tempers. Neighbors view each other with more unease as distrust spreads through the community.
Coma challenges neatly defined scenarios of villain and hero. It acknowledges life’s complexity, where most people harbor good and bad. Through complex characters facing difficult dilemmas, the show encourages understanding beyond surface perceptions. Its thought-provoking conclusion leaves room for ongoing debate on how we judge one another in difficult times.
Focusing on Fear
The creeping sense of dread was palpable from the first scene. As tensions escalated between Simon and Jordan, strings in the score pulled taut, accentuating every worried glance. Camerawork brought viewers right alongside Simon, as if experiencing his panic firsthand.
We saw the neighborhood through his eyes—once familiar places now held unseen threats. Normal interactions took on a sinister edge too, like chatting with a too-friendly Paul. Each episode delivered an entrepreneurs edge-of-your-seat finale, spinning us into the next show with a hook of worry.
Subtly, the directors pulled us into Simon’s shoes. We questioned our own reactions in his place as pressures tightened their grip. Would we hold steady or let desperation drive poor choices too? No reprieve came even in the last scenes, leaving audiences unsettled until further clues emerged.
This skillful pacing kept us glued, not for gory shocks but to see Simon and ourselves steer right amid the gathering storm. A testament to taut storytelling, Coma grasped viewers with an empathy of fear that sent us staring warily into the dark beyond the final credits, hoping the light of morning would break through for Simon and ourselves.
Tension to the Bitter End
This four-part series held on to its nerve-racking tension right up until the final scenes. Though working with fewer resources than bigger channels, the creative team delivered a tightly-paced thriller anchored by strong performances.
Focusing on the pressures facing everyday guy Simon, it put viewers in his shoes as the lies and dangers piled up. Things escalated step-by-step, avoiding predictable beats for a raw, unsettling ride. Simon’s desperation was palpable, thanks to Watkins’ nuanced work. As the net closed in, it was hard not to hold one’s breath with him.
Some questioned aspects like filming locations, but these hardly detracted from the psychological toll taken onscreen. Similarly, criticisms of characters like the gangster father missed how skillfully cast and portrayed he was. More importantly, the story held its own as an examination of human frailty under extreme duress.
In the end, justice was reasonably served after all that Simon endured. Whatever debates surround details, the conclusion showed plaudits for tight construction were well earned. For spine-tingling suspense and strong acting sold on limited funds, Coma delivered the entertainment it promised. Its final moments proved this series was worth a watch for thrills and insightful drama alone.
The Review
Coma
Coma proved to be a rewarding miniseries, skillfully milking tension from its deceptively simple setup. Working within its constraints, the creative team delivered a thought-provoking psychological drama anchored by powerful performances. While not without flaws, the storytelling craft on display earned kudos. For unflinching atmospheric suspense told on a shoestring, this served as a strong example of public television punching above its budgetary weight.
PROS
- A tightly-paced plot that steadily builds intrigue and suspense
- The nuanced central performance by Jason Watkins carries emotional weight.
- Dodges predictable tropes in favor of more unsettling developments
- Conveys the fraught psychological toll of its protagonist's dilemma in an impactful way.
CONS
- Budget constraints lead to some filler scenes and locations not truly representing the setting
- Supporting characters have less depth, with some verging on caricature.
- The promise possibly overstretches believability over four episodes.
