BBC's Mint Drama Sees Viewers Switch Off Amid Gangster Romance Plot
BBC One viewers were left underwhelmed and abandoning the new series Mint shortly after it kicked off on Monday evening, April 20. The gangster drama, consisting of eight 30-minute episodes designed for an easy binge-watch, features a Romeo and Juliet-style plot that failed to captivate many audiences from the start.
Premiere Episode Fails to Impress
Leading the cast are Emma Laird, known from Mayor of Kingstown, who stars as Shannon, and hip-hop star Benjamin Coyle-Larner, making his acting debut as Arran. The two characters are at the centre of two warring families, with their forbidden love struggling to survive amid torn loyalties and familial obligations. Created and penned by Scrapper director Charlotte Regan, the series aims to showcase creative storytelling, underpinning themes of first love and responsibility.
In the first episode, 22-year-old Shannon expresses her desire to follow in her mother Cat's footsteps and find the love of her life. An initial spark with Arran at a train station quickly turns into fireworks, as Shannon eagerly shares details of their meeting, hopeful she has found her dream love story. Cat, played by Laura Fraser, claims her life with Dylan, portrayed by Sam Riley, is a fairytale, as she devotes herself to her crime lord husband. Meanwhile, Dylan's mother Ollie, played by Lindsay Duncan, adds complexity as the oldest generation, reveling in being sexually explicit and intimidating to her peers.
Viewer Reactions and Backlash
Despite the gritty crime and romance elements, many viewers were not impressed by the first episode and decided to switch off. Taking to social media platform X, one person wrote: "Lasted 10 minutes of new BBC Scottish drama #Mint. Absolutely dire." Another noted: "Like new series to succeed #mint but after 20mins I have lost interest. Not for me," while a third admitted: "We've switched off/over #mint."
Further criticism included jokes about the pacing, with one viewer stating: "12 mins in and it feels like 3 hrs. #Mint," and another asking: "Has anyone lasted more than 25 minutes watching #mint?" Some even compared it unfavorably to other programming, with one penning: "Rather watch a re-run of today’s Parliament debate than this absolute tosh #Mint." Another sentiment echoed: "WT is this Mint on BBC One?! #mint #bbcmint."
Mixed Responses and Positive Feedback
However, not all feedback was negative. One viewer loved the first episode, writing: "The train station scene in the first episode of Mint on BBC One is one of my favourite things, it’s absolutely STUNNING." Another agreed: "Seem to be in the minority here but I enjoyed that first episode of #Mint." This highlights a divide in audience reception, with some appreciating the visual and narrative elements despite the overall backlash.
Mint is currently available to stream on BBC One and iPlayer, offering viewers the chance to form their own opinions on this controversial new series.
