It’s been a while since I’ve reviewed any recent shows, and given the constant drabness of the 2022 viewing season I’ve fallen back on reviewing classics or trainwrecks of yesteryear. However, today I want to share a show that I watched on a bit of a whim and have thoroughly enjoyed.
Lockwood and Co is a British light horror series set in a ghost apocalypse, where the invisible undead haunt the streets of London and can put you in a coma or even kill with a single touch. The only ones able to see the ghosts and handle the phantom plague (given the very British name of “The Problem”) are the Investigators, teenagers who can see the restless spirits and work to put the dead back to rest.
It’s a pretty stock-standard setup – silver, salt and iron hurt the ghosts, which gives the opportunity for the return of sabres as a standard weapon of the ghost hunters. There are government departments dedicated to the Problem, weapons suppliers, corporate ghost exterminators, and then there’s the rogues of Lockwood and Co.
Without giving away any spoilers, this tiny ghost investigation agency consists of three members: the cynical and eccentric researcher George Karim, the fledgling ghosthunter Lucy Carlyle and the rakish agency head Anthony Lockwood.
So far the standout, in both writing and in Ruby Stoke’s portrayal, is Lucy Carlyle. There’s some very efficient screenwriting that has gone into fleshing her out while still allowing the audience to get the feel for the larger story. She’s also a well-balanced character; strong without being invincible, vulnerable without being a doormat, and able to stand her ground without being snarky or condescending. Her main talent is “Listening,” being able to psychically connect with the ghosts she is hunting, and the whole thing has a very Demon Slayer/Witcher feel of a hunter who genuinely tries to understand – even empathise – with their target.
I’m also loving the charming, capable Anthony Lockwood, and he already fits into the mould of similarly debonair heroes of Sherlock Holmes or Five from the Umbrella Academy. If I have a single problem, it’s that unlike Sherlock’s duel with Moriarty or Five’s increasingly desperate attempts to stave off the apocalypse, Lockwood is a bit of a sheathed sword. He’s intelligent, deadly and driven – but he doesn’t seem to have a clear goal to drive at. I haven’t yet finished the series so hopefully this will become apparent in future episodes.
All in all, I’m loving this mad whirl of ghosts, corrupt corporations, unsolved murders and the occasional sword fight. Stay tuned because I’ll be giving a fuller review of Lockwood and Co once I have finished the series. Until then, grab some salt, find an iron chain, and tune in to this fun little horror series!
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