the suspect itv ep 5© Photo: ITV

The Suspect viewers left 'frustrated' for same reason by penultimate episode

Spoiler alert!

TV and film writer
September 21, 2022

The Suspect aired its penultimate episode on ITV on Tuesday night, which left some viewers feeling "frustrated". 

MORE: The Suspect: who is in the cast and what they have previously starred in?

The five-part thriller stars Aidan Turner as Doctor Joe O'Loughlin, whose seemingly perfect life starts to unravel after the body of a young woman is found in a shallow grave in a west London cemetery.

WATCH: Are you enjoying the drama? 

In the latest episode, the case against Joe for the murder of Catherine is looking fairly strong, leaving audiences wondering if he really is guilty or whether someone is trying to frame him. 

When Joe makes a visit to his alibi, Cara, he discovers that she has been killed by strangulation. After finding the body, detectives Devi and Ruiz, who are already convinced of Joe's guilt, immediately assume the doctor is responsible without carrying out the relevant forensic tests.

Viewers took to Twitter to comment on the "shockingly inept" police officers, with some finding this aspect of the drama unconvincing. 

MORE: Who is The Suspect star Aidan Turner's famous wife?

MORE: Poldark star Aidan Turner teases BBC drama's return - but with major change

One person wrote: "Seriously these are the most useless police officers ever #thesuspect," while another added: "Has there ever been a less convincing pair of police officers than these pair."

the suspect detectives© Photo: ITV

Some viewers were left frustrated by the "useless" detectives

A third commented: "#TheSuspect The police on this series are absolutely useless (more like Dumbo rather than Columbo)."

Other viewers expressed their frustration, with one tweeting: "Seen all four episodes of #TheSuspect so far. The longer it rolls on, the less convincing it gets. The police only need to check a few phone masts to work out who was where and when. And why doesn't Joe just go to them with his evidence? Anyway, I'll see it through to the end!"

Another added: "This is all really getting ridiculous and far-fetched now… It's just becoming really frustrating to watch now. Detectives are annoying, silly decisions like taking her car and touching the body etc. Also had high hopes as this was very different from any other crime drama."

© Photo: ITV

Some fans praised the gripping episode

However, not all fans felt the episode was unconvincing, with many taking to Twitter to praise the gripping drama. 

One person wrote: "Just seen tonight's #TheSuspect, more twists and turns, going to be an interesting finale," while another added: "#AidanTurner is brilliant! What a fabulous episode! My heart was racing and couldn't move a muscle until it finished! Fabulous."

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