ITV's much-anticipated surveillance thriller Watching You promised to hold a mirror to our increasingly monitored society, but according to critics, the reflection it offers is disappointingly blurry and ultimately unsatisfying.
A Premise That Outshines Its Execution
The series centres on a suburban community where residents willingly embrace a new security system called HomeSafe, only to discover the terrifying extent of its capabilities. What begins as neighbourhood watch 2.0 quickly escalates into something far more sinister.
Despite its timely premise exploring the erosion of privacy in modern Britain, Watching You struggles to build genuine tension or deliver meaningful commentary on the surveillance state it purports to critique.
Character Development Takes a Back Seat
The ensemble cast, while competent, is hampered by underwritten characters that fail to evolve beyond their initial archetypes. From the suspicious newcomer to the overly enthusiastic technology adopter, each character feels like a plot device rather than a fully-realised person.
Particularly disappointing is the handling of the show's central family, whose dynamics remain frustratingly superficial despite the high-stakes situation unfolding around them.
Missed Opportunities Abound
Where the series could have delivered sharp social commentary about our complicity in surveillance culture, it instead opts for predictable thriller tropes and convenient plot developments. The technology itself—the supposed heart of the drama—remains frustratingly vague in its capabilities and limitations.
The most significant failure lies in the show's inability to make viewers care about the fate of its characters or feel genuine unease about the surveillance themes it explores.
Final Verdict
While the concept of Watching You remains compelling in theory, the execution falls dramatically short. The series joins the growing list of television productions that mistake a relevant premise for compelling storytelling.
For viewers seeking intelligent commentary on surveillance society, this thriller ultimately proves to be barely worth watching—a disappointing outcome for a show with such promising foundations.
