The first episode of Deceit aired on Channel 4 on Friday evening and true crime fans couldn't wait to get stuck into the gritty new drama. But it seems that some viewers watching were left puzzled by one aspect of the episode.
MORE: The harrowing true story behind new Channel 4 drama Deceit
Posting to social media, some fans expressed their confusion at the show's seemingly unrelated first 15 minutes, which saw the main character go undercover for another case. One person tweeted: "Well I think you've lost half your audience to start with so far, what a drawn out drab beginning.
Someone else echoed this, writing: "#Deceit could really have started without that terrible beginning," while another viewer said that the show had "failed to grip" them. A fourth agreed but stuck with the show. "Slow start so far, hoping it picks up the pace and gets better #Deceit," they wrote.
WATCH: Watch the trailer for Channel 4's gripping new drama Deceit
However, it wasn't all bad news, as plenty of other viewers enjoyed the episode once things kicked off. One viewer mused on Twitter: "Just watched Deceit on @Channel4. Very powerful and moving. The acting was incredible. It really got to me, At times I was on the edge of my seat or looking away from the screen feeling anxious for the officer. Exceptional drama."
MORE: 20 hottest new TV shows to get excited about from August onwards in 2021
MORE: Cast, plot and more: All you need to know about Channel 4's gripping new drama Deceit
The series explores one of the most catastrophic cases in British police history, the investigation into the murder of Rachel Nickell and the controversial 'honeytrap' operation that followed.
Viewers felt the drama began with a slow start
The synopsis reads: "Examining the complicated and toxic sexual politics of the early '90s and the police's obsession with the wrong man, Deceit enters a dysfunctional world, where a female undercover officer, codename 'Lizzie James', is asked to become sexual bait for a suspected killer."
MORE: Addicted to true-crime documentaries? CBS Reality channel will be your new TV obsession
Irish actress Niamh Algar, who stars in the upcoming horror film Censor, leads the cast as the undercover female officer "determined to rise through the ranks" and prove her worth by taking on the assignment.
Eddie Marsan, who viewers would have seen recently in BBC One drama The Pact, takes on the role of criminal profiler Paul Britton while Keeping Faith star Sion Daniel Young plays suspected killer Colin Stagg. Also in the cast are The Crown star Harry Treadaway, Line of Duty's Rochenda Sandall and I Hate Suzie's Nathaniel Martello-White.
Like this story? Sign up to our newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.