“He wanted to be big.”
The last words of epic BBC1 drama The Victim were a sucker punch to my aching heart. I was shell-shocked.
That final face off between Kelly Macdonald as grieving mum Anna Dean and James Harkness as her son’s killer Eddie J Turner was brilliant, intense and devastating.
Anyone not bawling should probably see a cardiologist.
Four episodes of trauma, including a slashed face and teddy nailed to a fence, had built to that moment.
The thriller followed Anna, fuelled by grief and rage after nine-year-old Liam was killed as he nipped out to buy football stickers by a teenage Eddie 15 years earlier.
Speedboat killer's lawyer accuses victim's family of 'GLOATING' over prison time
After being leaked information that Eddie was now living under the identity of Craig Myers, Anna posted Craig’s photo and address online.
Craig was viciously attacked and Anna found herself in court.
Told through court action and flashbacks, a twisting plot left us unsure who was the villain and who was the victim. In the end, everyone was both.
Craig was suspect number one.
Quiet, awkward, mysterious, with a vanished childhood, he smirked at the old newspaper photo of Eddie.
His best mate Tom, played by John Scougall, became prime suspect.
“Knew it!” we all yelled, but were completely wrong.
'Workman' dies after wall collapses on top of him at house
Anna’s daughter’s boyfriend Danny, played by Andrew Rothney, was dodgy as hell. He’d got close to Louise in some form of PTSD after finding Liam’s body.
I thought he’d attacked Craig and was grooming Anna’s son Ben – wrong again.
It was druggie William, played by Nicholas Nunn, who attacked Craig out of a sense of loyalty to Anna.
But as the others fell away this became about Anna and Craig, who finally spat: “I’m not Craig. I’m Eddie J Turner!”
The moment was right up there with the time EastEnder Kat Slater shouted: “I AM YOUR MUVVA!”
Eddie was dumped by his wife. Did we feel sorry for him? I didn’t.
Later, Anna and Eddie sat under the bridge where he’d murdered Liam. It was desperately sad.
I can’t have been the only one thinking of toddler James Bulger, whose killers were given new identities.
“Tell me everything,” insisted Anna. Eddie told how he’d stabbed Liam in the neck with glass, how Liam cried for his mum, how small he seemed.
Eddie gave a speech about the word “sorry” becoming smaller.
In the end Liam’s dad approached with a knife and Eddie awaited his fate.
But Anna stepped in. The definition of victim became blurry.
Surprising and thought-provoking, this was superb telly. Who was your victim?
