The Way viewers hail 'devastating' finale and call for Michael Sheen to direct more
Michael Sheen has been heaped with praise by fans who enjoyed the finale for his BBC series The Way, the dystopian thriller set in Wales that marked his directorial debut.
The three-part series ended on Monday, 4 March and while viewers had difficulty understanding the surreal drama in earlier episodes the consensus was generally positive by its end. The Way follows the Driscoll family as they fight to survive when civil unrest breaks out in their hometown of Port Talbot, and the finale saw them arriving at a refugee camp in Reading only for the past to catch up with them.
Fans of the show commended the final episode for its "devastating" storyline, and several took to social media to share their reaction to the series.
One fan wrote in delight: "#TheWay is amazing! All the surrealism in it scratches my brain just right. Let @michaelsheen direct anything he wants!"
There was another person who wrote: "Well, that finale floored me. Devastating."
Hailing Sheen's work, one person wrote: "So that was #theway. I really adored this series with it’s cracking soundtrack, thought provoking plot and it’s downright brilliant weirdness. Well done @michaelsheen on your TV directorial debut and your love letter to Port Talbot, You should be so, so proud."
#TheWay is amazing! All the surrealism in it scratches my brain just right. Let @michaelsheen direct anything he wants!
— Hi it’s Noëlle (@AWildNoelle) March 5, 2024
So that was #theway. I really adored this series with it’s cracking soundtrack, thought provoking plot and it’s downright brilliant weirdness. Well done @michaelsheen on your TV directorial debut and your love letter to Port Talbot, You should be so, so proud.
— Laura (@SuperSheeny) March 4, 2024
Sharing a more balanced view of the series as a whole, another said: "So I watched the last episode of #TheWay - and I'm glad I did - thought provoking and challenging. A few plot holes, but very watchable. Looks to be divisive, going by some of the comments - maybe anything good is! Thanks to @michaelsheen and all involved"
There were others who weren't as enamoured with the series, with one viewer admitting they had some difficulty with the series: "Well, I've seen all 3 episodes of #TheWay Once I started watching I was curious to see where it was going. It was very weird though and a hard watch, the end of episode 3 especially."
Similarly, one person shared their struggle to understand what was happening, as they wrote: "Think I need an analysis session or therapy after watching #TheWay Very watchable and thought provoking but I'm not sure what I've just watched."
Read more: Michael Sheen’s BBC drama The Way leaves viewers divided
While one person wrote: "Unfortunately #TheWay's final episode couldn't quite sustain the absolute derangement and veered into some poorly earned sentimentality that will hold it back from the true cult classic status it could have enjoyed if they'd disembowelled the Welsh Catcher with the sword."
The Way is available to watch in full on BBC iPlayer now.
Watch the trailer for The Way: