Traces (2019–2022) User Reviews

Luke warm initially, but gets hotter as it develops.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 7/10 · 2 February 2021]

Emma returns to Dundee after years in Manchester, to take up a new job, she soon learns that there is a link with her job, and her mother's murder.

This series really does take a bit of time to warm up, it is luke warm for spells, but the final two episodes are excellent. You could lose it in the middle, but I urge you to stick with it, as if does eventually deliver.

I must have watched Part one when it first aired on Alibi, but not gotten into it, however when it was put out on The BBC, I got into it. It improves in Part two when Martin Compston appears.

Episode one is so important, you will need lots of information from it, so if you're watching this for the first time, you need to concentrate.

The acting is very good, plenty of strong performances here, but it's Vincent Regan who steals it, ahead of Compston, Regan cuts one very menacing figure.

It's an up and down journey, but ultimately it's worth sticking with, 7/10.

Enjoyable, with one exception

[cmd-87183 · 7/10 · 16 April 2022]

I'm giving this 7 out of 10 because although I found it enjoyable, the actress playing Emma seemed so wrong for the role. As others have said, she looks too young, is monotone, and it felt more as though she was in an early rehearsal for the role rather than the finished product.

I like Martin Compston and Laura Fraser, and have always enjoyed other productions when they are in the cast - and the actor playing the detective could flirt with me if he wanted to! Both seasons were good, I binge-watched it while working on a craft project, so being focused on that - plus the rest of the cast being good - was what probably helped me to stick with it despite the just-so-wrong Emma.

Forgettable

[ealander · 6/10 · 1 January 2022]

This is one of many run of the mill crime dramas that I've watched during the pandemic and will have forgotten in a day. Why in the world would the guy who plays Steve Arnott in the awesome Line of Duty take this role in this mildly entertaining but forgettable series? He seems way too old and too famous for the part. As others have noted, the lead actress looks like she is half his age and they have zero chemistry. Not as bad as some series, but meh. Ok for a lazy New Year's Day when everything is closed, it's 20 degrees out and you're too lazy to search for something better.

Great but wrongly cast

[paulamclennan · 7/10 · 7 January 2021]

Great storyline, plenty of twists. However the lead actress is wrongly cast. Appears too young to fit the character and lacks facial emotion, so it irratated throughout.

Entertaining enough

[mosquitobite · 7/10 · 18 August 2021]

Not sure why anyone had a problem with female lead, thought she was one of the strengths in this rather average crime "not too credible" tale. Sure have unweildy spermatozoa in those parts!! And durable...18 years

Not sure why we had to endure the weirdly unlikely Kathy and Pia arc that no one looked comfy with.

Love the way the Scots say muh-dah :) others complained of sound & clarity, yes I'd not have watched it at all without closed captions.

This is fine for an easy few hours and no brain strain.

Plot holes?

[StuartPearceBadger · 6/10 · 2 March 2022]

I hit the button, but since not all the series has aired on live TV yet, to say it again, MAJOR SPOILER ALERTS.

So the second series begins, two main plot lines, the bomb and the trial of Daniel's father. By the end of the second episode, the father is freed on a not proven verdict, and comes round to have it out with Emma. Daniel and Emma decide they have to leave Dundee. So far, so fair enough. But from that point they are effectively airbrushed out of the series. Apart from the email that Emma sends to Sarah, that's it. Never a mention. And after that, we concentrate on the bomb, and the inevitable personal issues that are routinely used to flesh out a series into six episodes.

My point is, if two characters are going to be written out, why concentrate so much of the first two episodes on them. Wouldn't it have been better to resolve the trial in the first series, and then you can move on if that's what you wish to do.

Apart from that, it's an entertaining enough series, the (remaining) characters are interesting enough, though the marital issues are a bit cliched (as is some of the dialogue). By the end, there's a pleasing tension in some of the scenes. So overall, yeah, fine, but if they go for a series three, even if Martin Compston and Molly Windsor don't sign up, can they at least provide some update on what happened!!

Absolutely Riveting

[sophia55 · 9/10 · 29 March 2020]

I initially intended to watch the first episode of Traces just to try it out, and ended up watching the entire series in one go- I haven't seen television this engaging in a long time! I was struck with the attention to detail and the commitment to realism in regards to the forensic aspects of the show, it was incredibly intriguing. The characters were nuanced and unique, and the dialogue was believable. I hope a second series is in the works!

Real

[westsideschl · 7/10 · 10 August 2021]

Realistic portrayal as actors look & behave like ordinary people (not models). Forensics, a central vehicle in the storyline, are extensive & accurately well thought out.

Great Scottish based Police Forensic series

[craigpetterson · 10/10 · 14 December 2019]

Set in Dundee, Scotland, great performances by the cast. Keeps the viewer hooked until the end. Congratulations to Alibi for commissioning and producing such a high quality production in Scotland. The University of Dundee is the home to a world famous Forensic Anthropology degree and Masters programme. Initially led by Professor Sue Black a world renowned expert in human remains identification. The Dundee accent is missing but that does not detract from the enjoyment and overall experience of the show and in reality very few non-Dundonians can carry off a Dundonian accent convincingly. Well worth a watch.

Okay but the lead is the worst actor

[efd-10467 · 6/10 · 22 August 2021]

This is an okay show with a good plot but the one glaring issue is the lead who plays Emma, she looks about 14 years old and can't act or at least very well, she's flat and emotionless.

Great debut for Alibi

[lizs1289 · 10/10 · 19 December 2019]

So intriguing, we watched the whole series in 2 sessions, only stopping watching the final two due to the lateness of the hour. The first episode had us a little confused but everything soon fell into place. A really good storyline acted by such talented actors. The fact that I studied a MOOC that Val McDermid had a hand in some years ago, added to the enjoyment. I hope this won't be the only collaboration between Alibi, Amelia Bullmore and Val McDermid.

Annoying lead actress

[lisabrugman · 6/10 · 5 March 2022]

It's a great story very entertaining but that lead actress is just so annoying there's something about the way she talks and acts is super annoying I wish they had a different actress and it would've been amazing.

Ambitious first series, lost its way completely in second.

[garsonfarm · 5/10 · 15 June 2022]

Series 1 was good but Series 2 was a mess - they literally lost the plot - the unusual central saga of S1 is abruptly written out in ep 2.02 without being concluded, leaving a great big hole which they desperately try to fill with melodramatic romances between cardboard cut-out characters which even Eastenders would reject as too clunky. Meanwhile a nutter sets off homemade bombs around Dundee for no real reason, even on nutter-logic. It's all become very silly ...

Please either let it die now, or if anyone is desperate enough to commission a 3rd series, bring back the unfinished central plot from S1 and focus on that without trying to throw all the soap opera froth into the mix. And bring in a better director and scriptwriter who can give the cast something less wooden to work with.

Ending was more a whimper than a scream

[stanleyjeans · 6/10 · 15 January 2021]

How do I feel after watching this ? It was ok, I don't feel robbed but it wasn't brilliant.

The casting I felt was off, some actors were quite strong (the detective, professor and Martin Compston) whilst I found the main character's acting a little less believable, also her age i found an issue (quite young to date Martin Compton character) but I guess that's more a script issue!

Things were oversimplified, for example her scientific role (here i know I'm being picky as I've worked as a scientist for many years but there were SO many flaws in this part. The least relevant one being she never seemed to be flippin work !!).

I really liked the detective I felt his character had some warmth, I liked the fact there were woman in high positions featured (some reviewers mentioning "woke" producers 🙄 ).The story kept me watching until the end but for me it ended with more a fizzle.

I couldn't ever sympathise with the main character as she made so many bad life choices and she was immature, I was never really invested in who killed her mum because I wasn't invested in her. Being slightly immature myself why did she seem to run everywhere at some points? Her relationship i found uncomfortable with the older man, instead of thinking he was a nice guy I was wondering why a nearly 40 year old was with a 20 year old.

Overall it was an ok pandemic lockdown watch, quite good that it was 40 mins per episode too.

A good watch

[debbiewhatley68 · 6/10 · 21 January 2021]

Binged this series over a couple of days. The storyline was good, on the whole the script was good, (a few clunky, unbelievable lines, and on a couple of occasions immature reactions) excellent acting by most of the cast. Unfortunately the lead, Molly Windsor didn't quite make the grade. Her monotone delivery, expressionless face spoiled the watch for me and cost my rating 2 stars.

Stilted but entertaining enough

[davek28 · 6/10 · 19 January 2021]

Lots of good actors in this and a pretty good plot. Fewer clichés than there might have been, which is refreshing. But why did Molly Windsor phone her performance in? She's better than this. Still, worth bingeing on iPlayer or whatever streaming service you find it on.

Solid, well scripted drama

[mmillington554 · 8/10 · 24 February 2021]

I gave episode one a chance and quickly got hooked into the whole series. It had an intelligent plot and script, was generally well acted, but was slightly marred by background music which too often drowned out the dialogue.

The characters were obviously written to conform to the BBC's Equal Ops diversity policy. (I'm all in favour of inclusivity, but does every drama now have to have a representative mix of every gender, orientation, and ethnic grouping?) An interesting twist was that the male detective was for once intelligent, empathetic and unaggressive.

It was interesting to see the forensic science at work in parallel with routine police investigations. .

Relatively enjoyable but not much to do with Dundee

[andrewhopkins-63447 · 6/10 · 13 December 2019]

I had been looking forward to this since it was announced. As a Dundonian was also quite excited to see my hometown on a national TV show. Unfortunately very little as actually been shot in Dundee, most of it shot in I believe in Bolton and Manchester. I appreciate that it is not possible to be able to film everything in the area it is set, but surely it is possible to at least try to film more than 5-10% of outside scenes in the City you are trying to say it is set in. Again as a native it really grates seeing buildings so obviously English (different brickwork and architecture) when it is supposed to be set in Scotland's 4th largest city.

The show also suffers from the usual media "ignorance" in thinking that there is a "Scottish" accent. As such there is not one Dundonian accent nor indeed an attempt of one. Almost everyone is Glaswegian, including the accents used by the English and Welsh actors. Its like Basing a show in Manchester and everyone in it has a Birmingham accent.

The show itself is enjoyable. It does suffer from an amazing amount of coincidences that do require you to suspend reality, but it is entertainment after all not a documentary. It does start off quite slowly, but starts to pick the pace by the 3/4th episodes. As the first original show from Alibi ti was a very good start. Looking for ward to more.

One final point, the theme music is dreadful. Another one of these fashionable re workings of a song into a dreary, slowed down acoustic dirge. For those of you getting fed up of these you might want to fast forward the intro.

Background music overpowers the actors voices

[audsnends · 8/10 · 12 December 2019]

I watch a fair amount of shows with actors from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales often with heavy accents and usually have no issue as to understanding their English. However really struggled with the first episode due to the loud background music.

Too bland to have us yearn for more?

[BaronVonKolisch · 7/10 · 2 February 2022]

A laudable effort from Amelia Bullmore (and collaborators) in the creation of the story. The dramatization could have found its stride a bit sooner, but for the most part, flows quite nicely.

Martin Compston gives his usual solid, dependable performance, while John Gordon Sinclair pops up for a fairly minor, yet quirky cameo.

One inescapable grumble however, is that the plot unwinds in such a predictable, and twist-free manner.

There is a lack of resonance too. The investigation concerns drugs and debauchery in Scotland ... and yet nowhere do we catch a glimpse of any smoking, drinking, drugs, sex, nudity, prostitution, or swearing. Why has it been set in such a sanitized world?

Sadly, it also has to be pointed out that Molly Windsor in the lead role came up a bit short on charisma and emotional range. Someone more ballsy like Holliday Grainger would have been the perfect fit. - 7.4/10.

Great Drama

[MotormouthOnLegz · 10/10 · 31 January 2020]

Nice to see a Scottish show set somewhere other than Glasgow, Edinburgh or the typical "made for tourists show" full of bagpipe playing, kilt wearing, Burns quoting stereotypical Highlanders.

Crime dramas have been, pardon the pun, done to death now. Every idea has been used repeatedly.

So what makes a good show in this genre these days then?

You need good writing, acting, production and direction. Traces has the lot.

The location is stunning. Even as a Scot I am surprised at how gorgeous Dundee looks in this series.

It's also nice that instead of the whole thing being based around just the police solving crimes, it involves a lot of science stuff and forensic work but in a different way compared to other shows. Less clinical and cynical, more human and far more enjoyable for it.

I would love to see a second series as a lot of the characters deserve revisiting.

Dirty Deeds Done In Dundee

[Lejink · 7/10 · 9 May 2020]

A Dundee-born young woman returns to her home town to take up a position as a technician at the local university laboratory which among other things, assists the police in drug-related cases and crime-scene analysis. As if coming back home after fifteen or so years to start a new job in her birthplace wasn't daunting enough, she's still haunted by memories of the unsolved murder and dismemberment of her own mother at a local beauty spot which caused her to leave originally. Her feckless, mild drug-habit natural dad isn't exactly welcoming nor does she appear to have much of a relationship with her mum's since remarried second husband so she's pretty much all alone in the big city, a regular babe in the woods.

On the last leg of her car journey home, she's held up in a traffic jam caused by a suicide leap from the Tay Bridge. This later coincidentally ties in with her initial assignment at the university as it turns out the jumper owned a local night club which has just burned down with three fatalities, one of which is established as a murder while the two other appear to be have been in the wrong place at the wrong time, so that she's soon investigating material from the crime scene as well as the supply of a newly enhanced ecstasy-type drug which was being peddled at the nightclub. She duly impresses her new boss and colleagues with her zeal and initiative but is then shocked to learn that the college's new on-line crime-scene educational tutorial called M.O.O.C. seems to be based on her own mother's case. Soon both cases become linked but while the present-day deaths are routinely explained, the real mystery involves her mother's cold case and whether she can solve it and obtain closure in the process.

One final complication is her romantic involvement with the young owner of the construction business which carried out repairs on the nightspot years before but did so on the cheap and in breach of health and safety regulations and which led to the innocent deaths of the two young employees trapped inside on the fateful night of the fire-raising. The current ownership of said business was however passed to his son by his tough-as-nails father who seems to inspire in him a mixture of hero-worship and fear and who ran the company with the son as foreman at the time of the fire. The events leading up to Emma's mother's murder are then gradually unfolded to a background of sex, drugs and infidelity, leading to the big reveal in the final episode.

I enjoyed the setting of Dundee, I think the first time the city has been the backdrop to a major national TV series and the plotting and characterisations were well-realised once you allowed sufficient artistic licence for the all-about-Emma coincidences which abound. A number of details jarred with me however, besides some too-obvious P.C.-casting choices, as well as the love-at-first-sight encounter between Emma and the at-least-ten-years-older construction company boss plus there was a pointless background romance played out between a member of the crime lab and her American girlfriend who just turns up out of nowhere.

There were however enough twists and turns on the way to the revealing of the old whodunit to make this a satisfying watch all the way through. I thought the best acting was done by Martin Compston as the conflicted construction manager, Laura Fraser as the clinical lab boss, John Gordon Sinclair as Emma's sleazy dad and Michael Nardone as the diligent police investigating officer and while I initially thought that Molly Windsor in the pivotal part of Emma seemed somewhat lightweight, felt she grew into the part as developments progressed.

Even if it did at times resemble an extended Scottish version of "Silent Witness", this series provided good lockdown entertainment over its six episodes.

Ok first season terrible second season

[stephenmadden1982 · 4/10 · 21 March 2022]

The first season was ok and interesting at times. The second season was woeful, they decided to flesh out some of the smaller characters from the first season and became more of a soap opera than crime drama.

Not impressed

[popsy964 · 1 March 2021]

No emotion in the protagonists voice,same in everything she does.So monotone and her facial expressions are always the same. Stuck with it just to know the outcome.

interesting but not great

[ib011f9545i · 6/10 · 31 May 2021]

I like crime dramas,I am Scottish (from Edinburgh) but I can't say this drama was that good.

I did not find the plot realistic and I felt some of the acting was poor.

Laura Fraser is usually good but her performance here was unconvincing.

The weakest performance is from Molly Windsor,this is a problem because she is the lead character.

This is set in Dundee a city I have often visited.

The city looks great in this,lots of new buildings on a dramatic river location.