The Long Call viewers praise Anita Dobson’s ‘phenomenal’ performance in gripping final twist

The Long Call concluded tonight (Picture: ITV)

The Long Call viewers had nothing but praise for Anita Dobson following the ‘gripping’ finale episode on ITV tonight (now that they’ve finally recognised her).

The four-part drama, based on Ann Cleves’ bestselling book of the same name, aired across this week, with the mystery coming to an end with a surprising twist.

The concluding chapter saw Detective Inspector Matthew Venn (played by Ben Aldridge) find clarity on the true events surrounding the murder at Crow Point and that it was Anita’s character Grace who killed Simon Walden.

In the final minutes, Grace, a woman in her sixties who ran away to Devon and married manipulative church elder Dennis Stephenson, explained she’d been ordered by her husband to kill Simon as a victim of coercive control.

 Dennis was later arrested for soliciting his wife to carry out the killing.

Viewers were impressed by Anita’s performance and flooded social media with their commendation.

Anita was revealed as Simon’s killer in an almighty twist (Picture: ITV)

‘Wow wow what a fantastic drama #TheLongCall was such a strong story and a fantastic cast but if Anita Dobson doesn’t win an award for her character Grace there is something wrong with the world – so need to order the Matthew Venn books by @AnnCleeves,’ wrote one.

Echoing a similar sentiment, another added: ‘This has been amazing, gripped from start to finish and Anita Dobson was just incredible.’

‘Anita Dobson in The Long Call has been phenomenal,’ raved a third. ‘Brilliant acting, really bringing to life and to light the reality of coercive control.’

Anita had previously said that her character Grace is a ‘sad, wretched woman whose life has dribbled away from her’.

‘She is so beaten down and repressed and, possibly, chronically abused – not physically, but mentally – by her husband, Dennis, that she doesn’t really know how she even feels about anything and she doesn’t know how to form proper relationships because she’s never had the opportunity to do so,’ she continued.

More: ITV

‘All those endless years of being without a proper voice, without being able to express yourself either verbally or physically – I mean, those clothes, for a start! It does something to a person.’

The Long Call is available to stream on the ITV Hub.

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