ITV viewers have been left unimpressed by the broadcaster's latest crime drama, Winter, with many issuing the same complaint about the show being predictable.
The new series, fronted by Richard Armitage as forensic pathologist Dr Ethan Winter, follows him working alongside DI Lauren Bell (Annabel Scholey) and DS Ellis Daldry (Jamie Kenna) to solve twisted and complex murder cases.
Underlying storyline
While each episode focuses on a case the team needs to solve, there is an underlying storyline relating to Dr Ethan's dead fiancée, who appears to him as a ghost in the series. She was murdered in their home, and their neighbour was arrested for killing her, although he pleaded his innocence in court.
When a victim is found with the same symbol that Dr Ethan discovered on his dead fiancée, he begins to realise the wrong person was sent to prison, and the real killer is still out there.
Latest episode
During the most recent episode (October 7), Dr Ethan was tasked with finding out what happened to a man whose body was found on a building site, severely beaten and disfigured. It transpired that the man had a previous life before he met his wife, and had killed children on a school bus when crashing into them whilst drunk. Police initially believed it could be one of the parents wanting revenge, but soon learned that wasn't the case.
Viewers discovered that it was his daughter from his first marriage who spotted him out with his new sons. Later, when he was beaten and asked her for help, not recognising his own daughter, she saw red and killed him. Tense scenes followed when Dr Winter and DI Lauren Bell tracked the daughter down, as she held DI Lauren Bell at knifepoint before stabbing herself, not wanting to go to prison.
Viewer reaction
However, it seems viewers have been unimpressed with the drama. Taking to X, one person said: "It's absolutely terrible." Someone else wrote: "So far, this is the same as a million other super clever pathologist/detective dramas. Predictable."
Another added: "I'm at the end of episode 3 and thinking of giving up altogether. I was so looking forward to this as well." As someone else shared: "A bit too many cliches here so far. Husband having an affair, moody teenagers, older cop out of touch with modernity and then the intense pathologist who seems to spend too much time out of the lab."
Although there were some people who enjoyed the drama, as one person said: "I thought it was excellent." As another wrote: "I thought it was amazing." Winter is available to watch on ITVX.
