Viewers of The Singapore Grip have confessed the ‘weird’ father and daughter relationship in ITV’s WWII drama is ‘disturbing’ – after blasting the ‘loathsome’ characters and wooden acting.
The third episode of the programme, which aired last night, saw audiences at home criticise the manipulative partnership between Walter Blackett (played by David Morrissey) and his daughter Joan (Georgia Blizzard).
They were seen scheming to try to secure the allegiance of Matthew Webb (Luke Treadaway) the son of a powerful aristocrat, through marriage to Joan – but viewers said the characters appeared irredeemable and ‘weird’.
Based on the 1978 novel by JG Farrell, which drew on real events, The Singapore Grip is initially the story of rich Brits living lives of excess in the Crown colony in the early 1940s.
But the invasion of the island by Japan in 1942, one of the key events of the Second World War, throws their lives into turmoil.
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The third episode of The Singapore Grip, which aired last night, saw audiences at home criticise the manipulative partnership between Walter Blackett (played by David Morrissey) and his daughter Joan (above) (Georgia Blizzard)
They were seen scheming to try to secure the allegiance of Matthew Webb (Luke Treadaway) the son of a powerful aristocrat, through marriage to Joan – but viewers said the characters appeared irredeemable and ‘weird’. Pictured, Walter Blackett
One viewer wrote: ‘That is one very odd and disturbing father and daughter relationship, made me feel icky.’
Another said: ‘Such a weird father and daughter’, before a viewer added: ‘What a terrible family’.
A third added: ‘Father and daughter are as bad as each other in The Singapore Grip.’
A fourth said: ‘We are not really being encouraged to like the loathsome members of the Singers set, are we?’, referring to the Blackett family.
Reaction: It is the scheming and close relationship shared by Walter and Joan which left some viewers (above) weirded out
In the third episode, Matthew has fallen ill with fever and is being cared for by his guest Vera Chiang (played by Elizabeth Tan) – with the pair sharing some romantic chemistry.
But rubber merchant Walter Blackett has his sights set on Matthew and his fortune – having worked closely with his father Mr Webb, a powerful aristocrat played by Game of Throne’s Charles Dance, who died in the first episode.
He encourages his scheming daughter Joan, who has been trying to court Matthew and catch his attention in the last two shows, to convince the aristocrat’s son to marry her.
Unimpressed viewers also slammed the ‘wooden’ acting in the programme and suggested it was ‘boring’ to watch
Rubber merchant Walter Blackett (pictured) has his sights set on Matthew and his fortune – having worked closely with his father Mr Webb, a powerful aristocrat played by Game of Throne’s Charles Dance, who died in the first episode
But Joan confesses that she doesn’t feel like Matthew is ‘seeing her’, to which her father comforts her with a caress of her cheek, adding that he has a ‘feeling’ it’ll work out.
It was this scheming and close relationship shared by the two of them which left some viewers creeped out.
Meanwhile, the criticism comes after viewers panned the acting in the second, with some saying the ‘awful’ script had left the actors with ‘nothing to work with’.
Walter encourages his scheming daughter Joan (pictured), who has been trying to court Matthew and catch his attention in the last two shows, to convince the aristocrat’s son to marry her
In the second episode of the drama, much of the focus is on the team running military operations. They dismissed the approach of the Japanese before being left cowering under the table when the threat materialised. Pictured, Luke Treadaway as Matthew Webb
‘Is this supposed to be a comedy because the acting and script are very OTT?!’ one person wrote. ‘Not sure what to make of it. #singaporegrip’
Another added: ‘I was looking forward to the Singapore Grip, but am finding it quite boring…very disappointing.’
In the second episode of the drama, much of the focus is on the team running military operations. They dismissed the approach of the Japanese before being left cowering under the table when the threat materialised.