Departure (TV Series 2019–2022) Poster

(2019–2022)

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7/10
Entertaining
patriciafisher-4634230 September 2020
No reason for bad reviews. It's just an entertaining crime thriller with some twists and turns. Doesn't matter about cliches. Not looking for a emmy here, just a storyline that keeps my attention. Mission accomplished.
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8/10
Engaging But With One Major Flaw
ggiroux321 February 2021
Warning: Spoilers
This was a really compelling, interesting show. The things they got right: perfect casting, tense plot, the correct number of episodes for the subject matter. I would have liked to know more about the backstory of Kendra and her stepson - how old was he when she married his father? What was their earlier relationship like? I thought the flashback scene were too choppy and some too blurry.

However, the big flaw that made me crazy was Maddy surviving her fall from the plane. The distance from the road of the Golden gate Bridge is around 220, Feet. RAELY as anyone survived the fall - 98% don't they hit the water after 4 seconds going around 75 mph. The impact is tremendous. The body goes from roughly 75 to 80 mph to nearly zero in a nanosecond. The physics of inertia being what they are, internal organs tend to keep going. The force of impact causes them to tear loose. Autopsy reports typically indicate that the jumpers have lacerated aortas, livers, spleens and hearts. Ribs are often broken, and the impact shoves them into the heart or lungs. Jumpers have broken sternums, clavicles, pelvises and necks. Skull fractures are common.

Which means you die one of two ways, or a combination of both. One, you hit the water and the impact kills you. Sometimes the jumper is knocked unconscious. Other times, the jumper survives for a time. The person can be seen flailing about in the water, trying to stay afloat, only to succumb to the extensive internal bleeding. Death can take seconds or minutes. Two, you drown. You hit the water going fast, and your body plunges in deep. Conscious or otherwise, you breathe in saltwater and asphyxiate.

That's 220 feet. There's no way that Maddy only fell that distance from the damaged plane. Anything higher than the 220 would mean certain death. Period. I understand that her survival was a critical plot point, but it is simply impossible under any circumstances.
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7/10
Can't believe it's had such poor reviews?
kevincressard27 July 2019
After reading the dreadful user reviews I felt compelled to write mine which is more favourable. Yes a bit formulaic, but a rather good cast of actors, and twisting storyline on who was responsible for the plane downing. It worth a watch, it you enjoy thrillers and conspiracy story lines. Budget and filming is not bad too
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9/10
Definitely worth watching
morktron5 January 2021
I can't comprehend the bad reviews, this is a very entertaining thriller, you have to listen to every word as they change everything. I had to enable subtitles to watch it with my kids. I loved it and can't wait for the next season.

It reminds me of Spooks, it's much more involved than your average US equivalent
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6/10
intriguing start runs out of steam
SnoopyStyle12 August 2021
British Global Air Flight 716 leaves JFK and disappears somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean. There are 256 on board. In London, aviation expert Kendra Malley (Archie Panjabi) is recruited by her former boss Howard Lawson (Christopher Plummer) to join the investigation. The team has to navigate conflicting motives, multiple suspects, and desperate people with fading hopes of finding survivors. Then one survivor is found.

It's an intriguing mystery premise but the show slowly runs out of steam. I'm not sure that the writing is up to the challenge. It does have some great actors including the legendary Christopher Plummer who dies after filming the second season. That may provide a sad excuse to end this series. Rest in Peace for a beautiful thespian.
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9/10
Decent Avatation Whodunnit
dalmar-lindsay8 November 2020
This series was pretty good in keeping you guessing as to what the cause was and who was behind it. And even right until the end, you still didn't know the truth. Looking forward to the second season but Archie and Kris best be getting it on. Definitely some fire there.

Not sure what was with all the negative reviews. I guess people aren't so easily entertained by shows about death, murder, greed, and ego.

Archie, as always, is fabulous and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing her helm her own series.
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6/10
Season 1 - Good / Season 2 - Poor
s1d33p31 October 2021
Season 1 is Brit and is good especially if you are planning to bingewatch. Its right up there with "Vigil"( like 80%). Has the typical trademarks of british mysteries with a clue or matching puzzle/ distraction unveiled at the end of each episode

Season 2 unfortunately is very poor. No offense, It's American but like one of those fluffy cliched mystery shows. It's very formulaic

If Season 1 is traveling First class, Than Season 2 is economy that too on a budget airline.
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8/10
Great watch
vriesn8 August 2019
Not sure why there so many bad reviews. I like the storyline, great cast and enough suspense to keep me hooked. I've watched 5 episodes so far and can't wait till the next one.
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6/10
Takes a while to get better!
lhouston-551243 September 2023
By the third episode of this, I was so shocked at how bad the writing was that I came to IMDB to see the score, and couldn't believe that it had so many decent reviews, never mind the good reviews!

The script was terrible, so bad that even the decent actors couldn't save it. The characters had no personality whatsoever and there were plot holes everywhere. Characters seemed to do things at times that made no sense whatsoever. It was trying to be very serious with a lot of suspense, but the cringe-y script and embarrassing 'witty' one liners ruined any attempt at adding suspense.

I almost gave up but out of sheer boredom I kept going and it actually got better. The second half gave more backstory which made the characters more real, the actors had more of a chance to show their acting skills, and the first series finished off with a firm conclusion. The twists towards the end were a bit predictable but satisfying, and I always appreciate a show that doesn't end with cliffhangers!

Give it a go if you have nothing else to watch but you need to stick with it for a while to start to see it pay off!
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5/10
Rushed and unconvincing
tsode7 November 2021
'Departure' ultimately turned out to be Christopher Plummer's final acting role. But this flashy potboiler about a missing passenger plane feels like little more than an extension of one of those "CSI" shows from America.

Chatty and frantic, with rushed characters introductions, and a range of typically American drama gimmicks you've seen a hundred times before (unrealistically glossy offices, dramatic flashbacks, pompous soundtrack), even the cast looks a bit uncomfortable here.

For some reason, Archie Panjabi even turns up in a strikingly similar maroon leather jacket as her iconic private investigator Kalinda from the superior 'The Good Wife'. It's just a pity the Good Wife writers didn't come with her cool wardrobe.

"Let's find that plane!" declares Archie's Kendra O'Malley in episode 1, in case that weren't obvious as the entire premise. But it's the rushed pace and lack of sensitivity required by material like this, that truly derails any interest.

Compare this to the masterfully suspenseful submarine drama 'Vigil', and you'll truly see what should have been.
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9/10
Loved this
jackiewhill16 March 2021
A really awesome show that had the right mix of mystery and drama. Be warned though it's the kind of show you literally can't stop watching. I watched the first 5 episodes all in one night. Each one has a major cliffhanger at the end.
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7/10
Edge of your seat thriller
synsityusa14 August 2019
I've really been enjoying Departure - the beautiful sweeping shots, the dark, intense sets, and the storyline has been keeping me on the edge of my seat! A great watch.
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2/10
Truly Awful
hgs196925 July 2019
Gave up on this in episode 3 and annoyed I gave it so long. Acting, plot, script are shockingly bad.

Given it's a fictional drama you expect some artistic license, but this is so far removed from reality that it's laughable. Had anyone involved in the making of this trash watched even a single episode of Air Crash Investigates they might have made something watchable.
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9/10
Awesome thriller
lailalyn24 October 2020
Love Archie from her Good Wife days she makes an excellent investigator and always seems so genuine in the roll!! I had to binge watch this show because each episode left you with a cliffhanger as most UK shows always do!! Loved it!
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Unbelievably bad
karlrenaud10 July 2019
Wooden acting ,terrible sets and a predictable storyline.Watch this at your own peril.
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6/10
Music!!
pusseruk6 December 2020
Personally, I found the music intrusive in the movie. There really is no need to play music over dialogue.
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8/10
Worth Recommended.
dhirajkakad31 March 2021
Well Written and Very Worthy For Binge Watching. Good Suspense & Superb Storyline. Highly Recommended.
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6/10
Mediocre
tro-7626024 August 2021
First season mediocre dialogue and pacing uneven big fan of Archie but she couldn't save it C Plummer waisted. Started watching 2nd season first episode started ok but towards the end ridiculous coincidence s made it unwatchable.rating should be 4.
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8/10
A Jigsaw puzzle
schubej-117 September 2020
Just like a Jigsaw Puzzle that is highlighted on a table the solution for determining the reason for a flight from NYC to London crashing into the ocean is like a puzzle. I think the story and the acting so far through two episodes has been stellar. Sorry to those who like formula tv programs in which the mystery is conveniently solved in the last 5 minutes. I find those programs so predictable that they are extremely boring. Peacock original programing has been high quality when there is such abysmal programing on traditional, commercial tv. And, there are no commercials - a definite perk.
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7/10
Awesome!!
nedhayC31 July 2019
This series has kept me on the edge of my seat...not to mention the cast is stacked! It doesn't make me more comfortable to fly but I'm thoroughly enjoying watching.
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3/10
Uninspiring
jandriod201218 July 2019
I'm not really quite sure what to make of this. After two episodes it feels a bit premature to write it off but I confess I am struggling to maintain my interest. The acting is poor and the script is pretty dire. Although the show has pretensions of being a blockbusting thriller, it completely lacks any tension at all and I found myself losing interest very quickly. There are a few attempts at introducing potential twists, but I think I can already predict that they are red herrings. Ill give the third episode a go, but I'm not hopeful
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9/10
Best show to binge on
d-ramseeey12 March 2021
I binged the whole thing last night it was that good! Without giving away to much, the last episode got a little out of control with the twist and turns but in all an excellent tv show.
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6/10
Enjoyable but......
one_pat12318 January 2021
Warning: Spoilers
6/10 because I did enjoy it. Is it because I'm so bored with this pandemic and stuck at home?? Good storyline some good actors. 4 stars taken away because of the absurdity of the plot.

1 who survives falling from a plane? 2 who survives, has surgery and seems no worse off a week later? 3 how come everyone lives in central London and takes no time to get anywhere? 4 how come everyone lives in smart houses or modern apartments on the riverbank? 5 how does someone hack into a secure website and check said hacked site from the street or graveyard where presumably no internet access? 6 how come someone can leave London for another city and be back in no time? 7 how many coats does Kendra have????
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2/10
Truly painful to watch
rharley23 October 2019
Warning: Spoilers
I thought this was going to be an interesting and entertaining mini series but turns out it was nothing more than a string of cliches and stereotypes. All they have done is take every single character and every tired old plot device from any similar movie or TV series that has gone before and just reassembled them into an utterly predictable six episodes. Lead investigator with baggage. Storm hampers recovery efforts. Black box lands on edge of deepest part of the ocean a few meters past the submersible's depth threshold. Girl wakes up and immediately has a fit when questioned. Rebellious adolescent just happens to install trojan on mum's laptop. The list goes on, and on, and on.

Overall an egregious waste of money that could have been spent on far better causes.
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9/10
Well acted and suspenseful
rhart-6375213 November 2020
Suspense/action is my favourite genre and this show doesn't disappoint.....fast paced, doesn't drag out the storylines.....well written and acted....turns and twists to enhance suspense, but stays believable, not far fetched.
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