As the five-part series Injustice begins, Barrister William Travers (James Purefoy, Episodes, Rome) lives in a small village. He used to be a successful lawyer who won murder trials for his clients, whom he always believed innocent. But after one particular case, William suffered a nervous breakdown and had to step away from the more intense proceedings.
Now, a friend of his is accused of murder. William steps back up into it for the case, returning to the cutthroat world he left behind, with the caveat that he will quit if he stops believing his client's innocence. His wife, Jane (Dervla Kirwan, Ballykissangel, Blackout), is anything but pleased, having left a very successful career in London to accommodate her spouse. She is also worried about what the pressure might do to him. William ignores this, and jumps in anyway.
As with any excellent drama, there is a lot more going on than meets the eye. Viewers will learn details about William's break through flashbacks, and the type of man he really is now, beneath the put-together exterior. Present events will collide with the past in a complex, interwoven story. I don't want to give anything away, but trust me, this is well worth watching,
Interestingly, a second investigator, DI Mark Wenborn (Charlie Creed-Miles, The Fifth Element), is present as a study of contrast to Travers, adding another layer to the tale. Wenborn is everything that William is not, cruel instead of kind, with virtually no moral compass to guide him on his mission. It's a wonderful study on the differing personalities of men, and how they can both survive within the same system.
The big, shocking query Injustice delivers is, can it make viewers root for the bad guy against the good guy? With the villain out to expose something that hero did, who is right? This delves into a level of ambiguity and greyness that inhabits only the best dramas, and makes all five parts incredibly compelling. And as someone who has watched the series, there is never a clear choice between which character should come out on top, which is not easy to do.
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