Reviews

Includes spoilers.

If 'Walter Presents', chooses to record an intro to a drama series, I take it has he's chosen a good one to discuss and advertise; and this Nordic Noir was definitely worth choosing to watch over the hour long 8 episodes.

As someone who is more than interested in who? Where? When and why serial killers occur? I enjoyed Outlier, as it is a well crafted script that attempts to answer some of these relevant questions we need answers to today. It's usefulness and cleverness is in outlining who constitutes being a 'soft target'.

We are all beginning to realise nationally, and internationally, that girls and women are more often than not 'soft targets' of perpetrators of abuse and violence. Interestingly the main character, whilst explaining about soft targets to the young man she's training, manages to show him and the viewers that she - herself - is a soft target, now that she's moved back home to investigate the murder of the young Sophie.

The viewer is also shown how Elle, a young woman determined to find out what happened to 'Sophie, and get justice for her, in doing so also becomes a 'soft target'. Awareness of this adds tension, drama and sadness to the story.

We now have three women in the story who have either been and/or are targets of a perpetrator/s.

One of the main points made in this drama is how there is nothing soft to being a soft target. A soft target can experience sexual harassment, sexual abuse, grooming, sexual exploitation, rape, kidnap and murder.

A soft target refers to how a perpetrator chooses his victim. He believes he'll inevitably get away with a crime by choosing easy prey - a soft target; someone easy to abuse, easy as their abuse is often ignored, belittled and given no recognition from private or public spheres of society.

The struggle to be believed by family or the police etc... gives power to the abuser. That power allows the abuser to grow to escalate his abuse. Serial killers grow, develop, they are made.

At the moment there is a plethora of dramas looking at the whole issue of serial murderers. Unbelievable is an astounding US real life drama in this genre. And Dark Woods also on Walter presents looks at this issue. The BBC have recently made the outstanding 4 lives, about a serial murderer of young gay men. Institutional incompetence, mysogyny, homophobia, and classism go along way to explain why so many are murdered before the perpetrator is caught.

So, Any drama that tells a good story and also illuminates awareness and understanding of violence against women and girls is well worth a watch.