Manhunt: Fans praise Martin Clunes’s performance in ‘utterly gripping’ final episode

Many viewers agreed ‘Manhunt’ is Clunes’s best performance yet

The final episode of ITV’s detective series Manhunt aired on Thursday (23 September), and fans were left thoroughly impressed by Martin Clunes’s performance.

The second season of the critically acclaimed drama series comprises four episodes chronicling the Metropolitan Police’s frustrating manhunt for Delroy Grant, better known as the Night Stalker or Minstead Man.

The Night Stalker was a serial rapist and burglar, active in south London from 1992 until 2009, when he was finally apprehended. He targeted elderly women and left crystal souvenirs outside the homes he ransacked.

The Doc Martin actor returns to the show as detective DCI Colin Sutton, only days away from retiring from the force. At Scotland Yard’s behest, and following Sutton’s success catching serial killer Levi Bellfield, he agrees to review the Night Stalker case after Grant becomes active again.

Much like in season one, the drama in season two centres around the nitty-gritty of police work, including managing short-staffed teams, navigating manual filing systems for evidence in a 17-year-long case, and executing covert operations.

However, the stakes are much higher in the new season given the scale of the Night Stalker’s offences.

Following the release of the final episode in the four-part second season, #Manhunt began trending on Twitter as fans praised Clunes’s portrayal of the copper.

One user called the finale “utterly gripping”, adding that Clunes’s performance was Bafta-worthy.

Another user said episode four was “stunning…but also terrifying, emotional, dramatic, superbly paced and brilliantly acted by Martin Clunes”.

There was near-ubiquitous appreciation for “national treasure” Clunes, with some calling his performance a “masterclass in acting”.

The extent of Grant’s depravity left many on Twitter disturbed.

One user wrote: “Twenty nine offences over 18 years for rape, sexual assault and burglary and only 27 years in prison? Less than 1 year per offence? How is that acceptable by the way?”

Unsurprisingly, calls for a third season were also sounded on Twitter.

The Express recently reported that the real-life DCI Sutton said a third season is “a possibility”, so fans might not have to wait too long to hear back on that front.

You can read The Independent’s full review of Manhunt: The Night Stalker here.