The Reckoning

1665, England: The plague has taken the city walls and Grace Haverstock’s husband (Charlotte Kirk) is also killed. From now on she lives alone in the small hut with their baby daughter and can hardly pay her rent. The wedding ring is the last item of value that still brings in something, and she refuses the landlord Pendleton’s (Steven Waddington, HALO: NIGHTFALL ) advances to settle the arrears in kind . He doesn’t let the rebuff sit on him and starts the rumor that Grace is a witch. She vehemently defends herself against the accusation, but as a single woman cannot do anything and ends up in the city dungeon. After a torture in which she refuses to admit a falsehood, she suddenly receives Satan’s voice …

The Reckoningfails all along the line and it is a challenge to highlight positive facets even with the most objective handling of the strip. To be fair, it has to be said that there was not much that could be gotten out of many components for budgetary reasons. But it is hard to explain why the original location – a castle in Hungary – looks like a classic 90s-medieval backdrop. Wasn’t the budget enough for contemporary equipment either? And then there are all the decisions in question that affect Kirk’s personality. She doesn’t have the acting class to take on such a role, nor do her efforts seem credible. Except when the director – namely Marshall – wants it to be staged in an exemplary manner.