Yahoo News Redwater review: Are the Moons lost in their own show?
When EastEnders spinoff Kat and Alfie: Redwater hit our screens last week, the big challenge in episode one was how to pull off the Moons' tricky transition from Soapland to six-part drama. In episode two, the next big priority comes into play – convincing viewers to warm to the wider cast.
Slightly awkwardly for a show which has their names in the title, Kat and Alfie receive substantially less screen time in Redwater's second episode, as the focus shifts to the extended Byrne-Kelly clan following Lance's shock death at the hands of murderous priest Dermott.
Lance's body is found floating in the sea by his great-granddaughter Adeen at the very start of the episode, before the show jumps ahead slightly to explore all of the family drama surrounding his funeral.
The patriarch's sad demise brings about the return of Lance and Agnes's other daughter Eileen, who arrives back in Redwater from the US with her son Kieran after a 20-year absence.
While we're still getting used to who's who and how everyone is connected, this marks the welcome moment that the show's full cast is assembled for the first time.
Redwater's Irish broadcaster RTE even marked this occasion by helpfully putting out a family tree to assist any confused viewers out there – thanks for making sure we were keeping up, guys! Although leaving Alfie out seems a bit of a snub...
The good news for Redwater is that – in this episode, at least – it never feels like the show's other characters are just filling time in between the Kat and Alfie scenes. We're genuinely intrigued by the tensions stirred up by Eileen's arrival after so many years away, especially when it seems that she might cause problems following the reading of her late father's will.
Fionnula Flanagan also remains a joy to watch as the no-nonsense Agnes, who hilariously reacts to a shock in Lance's will by admitting that she'd strangle him if he wasn't already dead. Wouldn't it be great to see a steely matriarch as strong as her in EastEnders itself right now?
Giving the family their own chance to shine was undoubtedly necessary if we're ever going to take Redwater seriously as an ensemble show, but the danger is that Kat and Alfie are starting to seem like intruders in their own drama series. This is perhaps best illustrated by so many scenes of the popular couple being told they're not welcome as they continue to poke their noses into the business of the other characters.
Even with Kat so fixated on finding her long-lost son, her desperation to be at the wake of a relative stranger to get further crumbs of information doesn't quite ring true. Let's not forget that she's already patiently waited for a year and a half to make the trip over to Ireland in the first place – where was this curiosity when you were spending your scratchcard winnings in Spain, Kat?
Fortunately, the show's second cliffhanger bodes well for finally uniting Redwater's separate story strands, as the Moons finally catch up with the audience by discovering that Kat's son is actually Father Dermott.
The big reveal moment takes place at the church after Tommy goes walkabout and bonds with his half-brother, ultimately discovering the priest's true identity and passing the life-changing news onto Kat. (And kudos to the writers for avoiding any attempt to rip off the Kat/Zoe "You ain't my muvva" reveal.)
It's definitely a smart decision to let the cat out of the bag now, as holding back on Kat's real connections to the village for any longer would have felt like watching two different shows: the Kat and Alfie dramas and the issues affecting the rest of Redwater.
But where does Redwater as a show go from here? We can't quite decide whether it's the new Ballykissangel or the Irish version of Broadchurch. For us though, the main points of intrigue moving forwards are Kat's connections to both Dermott and Agnes, who are both fascinating characters in their own right.
With Agnes seeming to grow more resentful over Kat's presence in the village by the day, we're particularly looking forward to seeing more of the dynamic between two fantastic actors as Fionnula shares more scenes with Jessie Wallace.
For us, Redwater is still delivering on its early promise – with intrigue, interesting characters and a refreshingly speedy pace. But the big challenge now is for Kat and Alfie to really weave themselves into the drama rather than feeling like they're gatecrashing another show, or else their passionate fanbase may be checking the Trade Descriptions Act and complaining about that title.
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