BBC’s 'Unforgivable': Looking at Shadows Within a Family
There’s nothing tidy about family pain, and BBC Two’s Unforgivable pulls no punches exploring that sludge of anger, regret, and hope that follows sexual abuse. Crafted by the always unflinching Jimmy McGovern—the same mind behind 'Time' and 'Cracker'—this new drama plunges us straight into the aftermath, refusing to shy away from ugly truths or easy answers. It all centers around the Mitchells, a Liverpool family still reeling after years of secrets have blown everything apart.
The cast is loaded with talent: Anna Friel plays Anna, a woman trying to keep her splintered family from flying completely to pieces. Bobby Schofield takes on the uncomfortable role of Joe, Anna’s brother, newly released from prison and back in a world that barely tolerates his presence. There’s no melodrama here—just deeply awkward, sometimes silent moments packed with years of history. Anna Maxwell Martin stands out as Katherine, a former nun who now helps men like Joe at St Maura’s rehabilitation center. Her straightforward, no-nonsense approach slices through all the defensiveness, reminding Joe and the viewers that healing isn't about easy forgiveness or overnight redemption.
Layers of Pain, Paths to Healing
What really sets 'Unforgivable' apart is how it manages to zoom out from just Joe and Anna to show hurt rippling through the whole family. Their father Brian, played by David Threlfall, is broken by guilt and confusion, watching as both his children struggle in opposite ways—Anna amplifying her pain by refusing to let go, Joe quietly facing the world’s anger and his own shame. Anna’s sons, Tom and Peter, carry scars too, growing up in a home forever altered, never quite sure whom to trust or blame.
McGovern’s script refuses to find villains or saints. Everyone’s hurting. The show spends just as much time with Anna’s bitterness and righteous anger as it does with moments where sympathy for Joe threatens to creep in, forcing the audience to question where true change and forgiveness come from—if they can come at all.
The casting goes wider, too. Mark Womack, Paddy Rowan, and Phina Oruche each bring new perspectives and challenges, making sure that the focus on family doesn’t shrink the impact of these stories. Under the careful experience of LA Productions, 'Unforgivable' avoids exploitation. There are no cheap shots or graphic exploitations. Instead, the real discomfort comes from what’s left unsaid, the looks between characters, and hours when no one can find the right words.
The BBC is well aware of the subject’s weight. With each episode, viewers are reminded that support is out there, pointing to Action Line resources. These are not just afterthoughts, but a pointed acknowledgment of how real and present abuse is, and how the path out is neither easy nor short.
'Unforgivable' isn’t an easy watch, but it feels like an important one. The series starts Thursday, July 24, at 9pm on BBC Two. For viewers who’ve ever wondered how a family claws its way back—or doesn’t—after betrayal from within, this one gets painfully close to the bone.