Clique; A new thriller on the block!

My favourite channel on the TV always used to be BBC Three. The channel had brilliant TV dramas that were relatable, new, mysterious and intriguing. But when the channel moved to the online iplayer, I thought that BBC Three was over - that the channel would be lost to viewers forever. But, surprisingly, since the channel has been online, it has aired TV series and boxsets that are better than ever. At first, I was obsessed with BBC Three's 'Thirteen' boxset, then it was alien drama 'Class,' and now it is this new and shiny, psychological thriller - 'Clique' 

Clique is about two best friends, Holly and Georgia, who attend Edinburgh University. The two girls find themselves drawn in to a clique of women - who are part of the 'Solasta Woman's Intuitive.' The Intuitive - created by lecturer Jude McDermid (Louise Brealey) aims to introduce young women into the world of business and to succeed in a mans world. The episode was similar to both Scream Queens and Netflix's Riverdale and resembles BBC One's current thriller, 'The Replacement.' In both thrillers, nothing is quite as it seems, everyone harbours a secret and towards the end of  both first episodes, two female characters who have something important to say, are both pushed/thrown off roofs. (The closing scene in The Replacement being especially creepy) I just love those eerie dramas where nothing is as it seems, and they really get you intrigued into the mystery. 

However, although the storyline is special and unique, I actually chose to watch the series because it features Sherlock actress Louise Brealey as Jude McDermid. I adored Louise Brealey as Molly Hooper in Sherlock - in which the character was soft, innocent and sweet and chose to run around after a man, who doesn't love her as much as she loves him. Yet, Jude McDermid is strong, independent and authoritative. It was interesting to see Louise Brealey play two characters who are completely opposite to each other. Even the vocals are different. Molly was always softly-spoken, polite and quite - perhaps even 'squeaky,' but Jude's voice is strong, and authoritative - Brealey's Scottish accent is genius! The presentation and appearance of both characters is also...wow. Brealey has swapped Molly's long, brown locks for a short, wavy blonde bob and she looks fantastic. Brealey is a great actress, I love how she can play young and innocent, and older and strong. It's an impressive skill, and hard to believe that both characters are played by the same actress. At first, upon hearing that Louise Brealey had been cast in a new psychological thriller as a mysterious and strong lecturer, I was worried that the part wouldn't suit, but Brealey has showed me otherwise and I applaud her quality performance. 

As I watched the first episode on my iPad, I noticed how relatable, yet stereotypical the show was. The University students were presented as heavy drinkers, drug-takers, sex-obsessed and loud-partiers. However, I expected this representation of University students, and found Georgia to be over-the-top and an attention-seeker. In the first few minutes of the episode, we see Holly taking a drunk Georgia back to the University dorms - and I found her to be unlikeable. Georgia is played by Aisling Franciosi - I know her better as Katie from 'The Fall' - in which she also plays a rebellious, partying student. Georgia is the character who introduces Holly to the female clique group, by leading her astray to the clique parties. Holly - played by Synnove Karlsen, is very likeable and relatable. I found her to be easily led astray and to be taken advantage of by her best friend Georgia, however I think her interest in the 'Solasta Woman's Intuitive' will lead her down an interesting path and I can't wait to see the character progress. 

Another character I liked (before she was cruelly tossed of a roof), was Faith - a member of the clique. I found her to be heavily intwined in the clique, but somehow I felt that she didn't want to be there or to be part of the Intuitive. Throughout the episode, she always looked like she had something to say to Holly, but dared not to mention it. Her relationship with the other three members of the group was also, somehow different - like she wasn't one of them. But most of all, I'm really interested in the relationship between her and Jude McDermid. First it was the looks they exchanged during the class presentation - like McDermid was encouraging her to keep her mouth shut, then it was the way Jude whispered in Faith's ear at a press conference (the one Holly watched repeatedly on her laptop), and lastly it was the way Jude rushed to the hopital after Faith was found with cut wrists. I'm interested to find the truth out about the 'Solasta Woman's Intuitive' and the relationship between Faith and Jude. 

Did they both know something about the Intuitive that no one else knows? 

Were they somehow in a secret relationship?

Or was the relationship between Jude and Faith a threatening one? 

Did Jude want Faith to keep her mouth shut about something? 

Was Faith murdered because of Jude? 

Or...was it suicide? 

I think this case requires Sherlock Holmes...

*Clique is available now on the BBC iplayer, and can be seen every Sunday after 10am*