The Sixth Commandment - Season 1

Based on real events, we follow the manipulative Ben Field and his deadly influence on the lives of Peter Farquhar and Ann Moore-Martin. What does he have to do with their deaths and will justice ever catch him?

Series based on a true story are not new. Still, it is quite special that such a recent story is used for a TV program. The events that take place during The Sixth Commandment take place between 2014 and 2019. In this four-part BBC miniseries we see both the crimes that were committed and the outcome during the trial a few years later. But what is the story actually about?

The term 'gaslighting' is one that fits extremely well with The Sixth Commandment and Ben Field is a master at this.

Ben Field (Éanna Hardwicke, Fate: The Winx Saga) is the communal evil at the center of The Sixth Commandment. As an attractive student during a lecture by author Peter Farquhar (Timothy Spall, Hatton Garden), he immediately attracted his attention. The two begin a close friendship, the kind of relationship with a man Peter, a retired religious man, has long dreamed of. Although the bond between the two looks a bit strange, it seems sincere at first. But appearances are deceiving when it turns out that Ben has very different intentions with Peter than he initially pretends.

The Sixth Commandment is told in a compact manner. What I mean by this is that there is no attention to unnecessary details and a distracting subplot. It's clear what the series is all about. Four episodes sounds short, but this way of telling is enough time to create a clear story. The influence of the media on the process that ultimately follows and the emotions this evokes in the next of kin has also been portrayed in a beautiful way.

Ben and good friend Martyn Smith (Conor MacNeill, Industry) move in with Peter as roommates. When Peter suddenly falls ill, they tend to him together, much to the relief of Peter's brother Ian (Adrian Rawlins, Chernobyl) and sister-in-law Sue (Amanda Root, The Sister). Of course, the relationship between Peter and the boys raises questions for Peter's family. But when Peter dies after a while, no one suspects that his helpful housemates have anything to do with it.

The families of the victims are involved in the making of the series. With their help, an attempt has been made to create a tribute to them that is as truthful and respectful as possible in the form of a compelling series. The acts that Ben Field is ultimately suspected of are disgusting and his degrading actions raise questions about his mental state. Yet Ben is initially portrayed as a charmer who can be imagined that people fall for his act. All this is of course also due to the strong acting of the entire cast.

The story of The Sixth Commandment is not beautiful in terms of content, but the way it is told is.

After Peter's death, Ben becomes closer with his neighbor Ann Moore-Martin (Anne Reid, Sanditon). Just like Peter, this elderly, also single, woman falls head over heels for Ben's charms. Here too, Ben presents himself as a helpful friend, but this time the family does not trust this. Ann's niece, Ann-Marie Blake (Annabel Scholey, The Split), has been taking care of her aunt for years and doesn't understand what Ben has to do with her. This mistrust creates a wedge in the family that Ben gratefully uses.

Although the story does not have any surprising twists or very exciting moments, it is still worth watching. The term 'gaslighting' is one that fits extremely well with The Sixth Commandment and Ben Field is a master at this. It is special to see how he influences his victims and to realize that he has caused real people this suffering. The story of The Sixth Commandment is not beautiful in terms of content, but the way it is told is. I am therefore impressed by this series and I definitely recommend it for lovers of true crime dramas.