In the opening scenes of Reunion, the sound dips in and out. But it’s not a technical issue: the lead character – Daniel Brennan (Matthew Gurney), recently released from prison for the murder of an old friend, Ray – is deaf.
As a prison tannoy pointlessly bleats out a message requesting he report to the office, and his probation officer shows up without an interpreter, we are immediately immersed in his liminal world, on the edge of being understood but all too frequently overlooked or misconstrued.
Rather than gradually adjusting to life on the outside, Brennan immediately sets about attempting to reconnect with his estranged daughter Carly (Lara Peake) and resolving unfinished business that takes him to some dodgy parts of town. But – as it did in prison – his deafness forms a barrier between him and the hearing world. With an imposing stature, shaved head and wild eyes, Brennan is an intimidating prospect and his difficulties communicating only make him appear more threatening to those who do not know him.
Meanwhile Ray’s widow Christine (Anne-Marie Duff) and her daughter Miri (EastEnders actor and Strictly winner Rose Ayling-Ellis, who is also deaf) must contend with Brennan’s release whilst still searching for answers as to what really happened on the night of Ray’s death. Also in the mix is Eddie Marsan as Christine’s new boyfriend, Stephen, a former policeman whose odd reaction to seeing a photograph of Ray suggests he’s hiding something rather important.
Behind the scenes, Reunion was created by a predominantly deaf cast and crew, including writer William Mager, and it certainly feels like the most rounded and nuanced portrayal of deafness that I’ve seen on mainstream television. It’s bilingual, featuring British Sign Language, spoken English and subtitles.
This is not a case of colourblind-esque casting, whereby characters are incidentally deaf – in Reunion, their deafness is also integral to the drama. While there are a few clunkier bits of BSL exposition (“sometimes the same sign, it means different things. It depends on the context,” explains the interpreter, when she finally shows up), this does not feel like a series catered to a hearing audience nor one that primarily uses a hearing character to tell deaf stories (see some of the criticism of the Oscar-winning film CODA).
Here, there are multiple deaf characters with varying degrees of hearing and speech, all of whom communicate in specific individual ways and all of whom have personalities fleshed out well beyond their deafness. There are also hearing characters with different relationships to the deaf community. While some, like Christine and Carly, easily use BSL to talk to their relatives, others struggle, misunderstand and make mistakes – like suggesting a deaf person lip reads but then turning away as they speak.
Duff, Marsan and Ayling-Ellis are the big names but the charismatic Gurney is a revelation in the lead role, with an intense performance that wavers between volatility and vulnerability.
By the end of the first episode, we can be fairly certain that there’s more to Ray’s murder – and that Brennan may even be innocent – but given his shifty (and very un-parole-friendly behaviour) of absconding from his parents’ home, going on the run and acquiring a shotgun, he clearly isn’t squeaky clean either. With Brennan’s internal conflict always raging beneath the surface, Gurney admirably treads the line of ambiguity.
Reunion is proof that representation at every stage of film and television making is not just box-ticking – it’s the key to telling stories we think we know, but in fresh and inclusive ways, without patronising or watering down.
‘Reunion’ continues tomorrow at 9pm on BBC One