RTE has confirmed that their new highly anticipated crime drama Kin will premiere this Sunday at 9.30pm on RTE.
The eight-part series kicks off this week and the first episode promises plenty of intrigue and mystery as viewers delve back into the world of organised crime.
The synopsis states: "The Kinsellas are a small but tight-knit crime family in Dublin, increasingly at odds with a powerful drug cartel. When the hotheaded son of Frank Kinsella gets into a violent confrontation....the drug cartel retaliate.
Having premiered in the US a few days ago, the new drama does appear like it has a strong chance of being the spiritual successor to Love/Hate.
In terms of the plot, Kin follows the activities of a family of Dublin gangsters who go to war with thugs from a rival mob.
Game of Thrones star Aidan Gillen, 52, plays the head of the family which will automatically draw comparisons to Love/Hate in which he played gang boss John Boy in the first two seasons before the character was shot dead.
As the show's official synopsis states: "Kin underlines the unbreakable bonds of blood and family as it charts the lives of a fictional Dublin family embroiled in a gangland war and the consequences of their choices.
In their review, SlashFilm said: "The show is an epic tragedy, an exploration of how love and grief are entwined, how a horrific loss can shape you into someone else. A before and after. It's also about how such grief can twist and warp the family as a whole, and start an avalanche that will impact much more than a family's personal relationships."
The same review also signalled out Charlie Cox (Boardwalk Empire and Daredevil) for specific praise when they said: "The acting is outstanding, particularly Cox's Michael, a stoic man recently released from prison with a maelstrom of emotions roiling just beneath the surface."
AV Club also highlighted the acting in Kin as one of the drama's greatest strengths, elevating it from other gangster shows in the genre.
"The show packs its roster with ace character actors and potent, charismatic performers, each one giving their all to this fairly generic material. They make the shopworn clichés sing, once again proving that, with the right cast, even halfway-decent material can come alive," they said.
Meanwhile, Geek Vibes Nation described the eight-part show as a "slow-burn family crime drama with stand-out performances."
Audiences will be able to make up their own impression when Kin airs at 9.30pm on Sunday on RTE1.
