BBC One's gripping new thriller, The Woman in the Wall, premiered over the weekend and viewers have taken to Twitter, now X, to give their verdict on the series.
The gothic six-parter is inspired by Ireland's Magdalene Laundries scandal, which saw at least 30,000 women incarcerated in institutions run by Catholic nuns due to being unmarried or having children outside of marriage.
The series stars Ruth Wilson as Lorna Brady, a survivor of the laundries who has suffered from sleepwalking ever since being incarcerated in a convent at the age of 15.
© Chris BarrTaking to X, viewers praised the compelling yet harrowing drama, with one person writing: "#TheWomanInTheWall is a gripping and challenging drama @BBCOne. Ruth Wilson is extraordinary. Harrowing stuff about the damned Magdalene Laundries, still operating into the 1990s - stories like these are still emerging and victims living with trauma," while another added: "Episode two of #TheWomanInTheWall has me completely speechless, Ruth's acting is next level! I am so intrigued [by] this storyline too. One of the best drama series I've seen for a while!"
A third person tweeted: "Just started watching #thewomaninthewall and it is harrowing and gripping. Seems hard to believe now that this is what women went through in this country not terribly long ago. Unbelievable stain on this country's past," while another added: "#TheWomanintheWall, harrowing, haunting! The acting is sublime."
Other viewers applauded the acting performances, particularly from lead actress Ruth. One viewer penned: "Ruth Wilson is a masterclass. Harrowing stuff," while another wrote: "Ruth Wilson is such a versatile actress. She is just so convincing in any role!"
© Chris BarrA third person added: "I think this is an absolutely stunning piece of drama, a story told slowly and delicately, but with passion and power. Feels like career-best stuff from Ruth Wilson."
What is The Woman in the Wall about?
For those yet to catch up with the first two episodes, the story follows Lorna Brady, a woman from the fictional Irish town of Kilkinure, who wakes up one morning to find a corpse in her home.
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"Lorna has no idea who the dead woman is, or if she herself might be responsible," the synopsis continues. "That's because Lorna has long suffered from extreme bouts of sleepwalking ever since she was ripped from her life at the age of 15 and incarcerated in a convent. There, Lorna gave birth to her daughter Agnes, who was cruelly taken from her and whose fate Lorna has never known.
"Unluckily for Lorna, Detective Colman Akande (Daryl McCormack) is now also on her tail, for a crime seemingly unrelated to the body she has discovered in her house.
© Colin Barr"As Colman searches for a murderer and Lorna searches for her daughter, their paths collide in ways they could never have anticipated. Lorna's search for Agnes will take her deep into her own past and to the heart of Kilkinure's darkest secrets, as she and Colman seek the answers they each so desperately need."
