Jack Thorne's latest drama, Falling, attempts to explore a forbidden romance between a nun and a priest, but the result is a disjointed and unconvincing mess. Despite a stellar cast including Keeley Hawes as Sister Anna and Paapa Essiedu as Father David, the characters fail to speak or act like believable adults, undermining the central love story from the outset.
The plot follows Anna, a nun who has lived a sheltered life for 20 years, and David, a dynamic priest serving a deprived parish in Bristol. Their first encounter, where Anna burns herself and David helps her under a tap, inexplicably leads her to abandon the convent and confess her love. David's reaction, described as a deer caught in headlights, persists for much of the series before an unconvincing change of heart.
Thorne, known for gritty state-of-the-nation dramas like This Is England and Adolescence, seems out of his depth with the emotional and religious dimensions of the story. The romance lacks authenticity, with Anna's behaviour infantilised rather than portrayed as naive, and David's struggles reduced to clichéd secrets. The question of breaking vows is barely addressed, as if outside Thorne's comfort zone.
However, the series finds some footing in subplots involving David's work with a troubled teenager, administering last rites, and his relationship with his sister Susan (Sophie Stone). These moments hint at Thorne's strengths, but they cannot salvage the main narrative. Falling is a swing and a miss, though Thorne will likely return with something better soon.
