User:AnemoneProjectors/Episode 2 (Redwater)

"Episode 2"
Kat & Alfie: Redwater episode
Episode no.	Series 1 Episode 2
Directed by	Jesper W. Nielsen
Written by	Julie Dixon
Produced by	Victoria Wharton
Original air date	21 May 2017 (2017-05-21)
Running time	57 minutes

• https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2017/0515/875203-redwater/
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/proginfo/2017/21/redwater
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08rzm4t
• http://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/redwater/news/a828745/eastenders-kat-and-alfie-redwater-spoilers-dermott-tommy/
• https://presspack.rte.ie/2017/05/21/redwater/
• http://www.radiotimes.com/tv-programme/e/fpy8cz/kat-and-alfie-redwater--series-1-episode-2

Plot

Adeen finds Lance's body, while Dermott enters an empty confessional to confess his crime. Agnes's daughter Eileen and grandson Kieran return to Redwater from the United States for Lance's funeral, and Kathleen quickly realises that Andrew is not her son while talking to Eileen. When Agnes confronts Kathleen, Kathleen explains that she did not know she had a son as she had passed out and he was taken away from her before she regained consciousness. Bernie is suspicious about the circumstances surrounding Lance's death, so has Adeen's mobile phone sent to the forensic's lab to have photos she took of the scene enhanced. Lance's will is read, and Agnes is devastated that he has left everything equally to Roisín and Eileen, and nothing to her. Tommy hears that he has a brother so promises to help Kathleen find him. Tommy goes missing after Lance's funeral, and Roisín tells Kathleen that she saw him at the church. Kathleen and Agnes go there to find Tommy and Dermott praying. Tommy tells Kathleen that he found his brother and Dermott confirms that he is Kathleen's son.

Production

• http://www.ireland.com/en-gb/campaign/normal-campaign/redwater-interview/

Reception

• http://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/redwater/news/a829240/kat-alfie-eastenders-spin-off-redwater-reactions/
• http://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/redwater/news/a829270/kat-and-alfie-redwater-fans-spot-something-strange-adeen-bath-scene/
• https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/tv-review-paula-kat-and-alfie-redwater-5f2hwspn9 (registration required)
• http://www.entertainmentdaily.co.uk/filmandtv/redwater-set-to-air-another-surprise-tonight/

Critical response

A writer for The Sun's TV Magazine said that episode 2 "takes things slower" than episode 1, "as we get to know the community in the wake of the tragedy". They added that the episode features "stand-out performances" from O'Toole-Acheampong and Proctor.

Daniel Kilkelly from Digital Spy reviewed the entire episode, saying that its priority was to "[convince] viewers to warm to the wider cast", as Kat and Alfie receive less screen time, and that it does not feel as though the characters are "just filling time in between the Kat and Alfie scenes" but said that "the danger is that Kat and Alfie are starting to seem like intruders in their own drama series" and that Kat's "desperation to be at the wake of a relative stranger to get further crumbs of information doesn't quite ring true." He was intrigued by tension caused by Eileen's arrival, and said that Flanagan "remains a joy to watch as the no-nonsense Agnes, who hilariously reacts to a shock in Lance's will by admitting that she'd strangle him if he wasn't already dead." He opined that focussing on the Byrne/Kelly family "was undoubtedly necessary" for viewers to "take Redwater seriously as an ensemble show". He said the episode's cliffhanger "bodes well for finally uniting Redwater's separate story strands" and said it was "smart" to have Kat find her son in episode 2, "as holding back on Kat's real connections to the village for any longer would have felt like watching two different shows". He also praised the writers for "avoiding any attempt to rip off the Kat/Zoe 'You ain't my muvva' reveal" from EastEnders, where Kat reveals to Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan), that she is her mother, not her sister.

• http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2017-05-25/redwater-cliffhanger-kat-discovers-that-priest-dermott-is-her-son

Ratings

• http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/television/tv-news/redwater-loses-over-100000-viewers-between-first-and-third-episodes-in-ireland-35767028.html

The episode was scheduled against ITV's Emmerdale for 30 minutes, and was watched during its BBC One broadcast on the night by 2.7 million viewers. This was a reduction from the previous week (4.19 million), though its clash with Emmerdale may have affected this, as they were not scheduled against each other the previous week. While episode 1 received similar viewership to that of the preceding episode of EastEnders, the episode of EastEnders that preceded episode 2 of Redwater was watched by 5.1 million viewers on the night of broadcast, meaning that many EastEnders viewers did not stay tuned to BBC One to watch its spin-off. Sophie Dainty (Digital Spy) said, "This is bound to raise questions of whether Redwater is in the wrong slot going up against Emmerdale, given that the clash is bound to leave soap fans with divided loyalties over which one to watch live", though she also said that the hot weather of 21 May "is likely to have dented audience figures for all shows, with many people choosing to make the most of the the rare chance of an evening outside instead."

• https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/3670370/eastenders-spin-off-kat-alfie-redwater-flop/

After seven days, the figure had increased to 3.47 million, due to people watching via On Demand services including BBC iPlayer. This made it the 24th most-watched programme on BBC One in the week of 22 to 28 May 2017, and a decrease of 1.65 million from the previous week.