Divergent Beats

We couldn’t start this year without an incredible Netflix miniseries, the best so far.

Toxic Town, the British miniseries by Jack Thorne, will leave you with anger, tears and joy.

The real-life events of the Corby poisonings inspire Toxic Town.

The 2009 legal battle at its core follows a group of Corby mothers, led by Susan McIntyre (portrayed by Jodie Whittaker), as they unite to challenge the borough council over the mishandling of toxic waste, which resulted in disabilities among their children.

The series delves into the lives of three young mothers: Susan McIntyre, Tracey Taylor, and Maggie Mahon. Susan and Maggie’s children are born with limb abnormalities, while Tracey’s daughter is born with a severe heart defect, having only two chambers instead of the usual four. Tragically, she passes away just four days after birth. Their emotional journey will leave you deeply empathetic.

The series starts with a disclaimer, emphasizing the authenticity of the story. It states that a few characters and situations were invented to be more dramatic, but the core of the story is based on real events, making the audience feel more connected to the narrative.

The filmed way leads you inside the Town of Corby, on what they are breathing, eating, drinking and living.

But also the many aspects of a council that was riddled with corruption and misconduct.

The miniseries is done significantly, and the acting is intense, taking the audience inside those lives.

Jodie Whittaker, who plays Susan McIntyre, had to change her accent to a mix of a Glaswegian and Corby accent.

In a recent interview at This Morning, she said, “From my point of view, I’m instantly terrified because I think the opening scene is karaoke in a Glaswegian/Corby accent, so there are things like that where you’re going ‘right, okay”.

Fear comes with a significant backlash from Scottish people who have watched the series so far. There is so much negative feedback on app X about the accent itself, but there is also much praise for the series.

Many people, including cast members, didn’t know much about this case and what those families had to pass through.

Netflix did something incredible by doing a meeting between the cast and the real people they played.

Aimee Lou Wood’s meeting with Tracey Taylor, which you can watch on your YouTube Netflix account, left us in tears.

This emotional video, shared on social media by Netflix, sees Wood and Taylor sharing a picture of Shelby Anne.

‘Oh my God’, says Wood, ‘So beautiful.’

‘What you have done for her, I’m in debt to you,’ Taylor tells her. ‘Because you have done her justice, and you’ve done us justice, and we will forever be grateful. Thank you very much.

After Baby Reindeer, this is another five-start series made in the UK on Netflix, and it is a must-watch.
It is a 4 episode series, one hour for each episode.

But here is our Emotional Divergent tracker: