Bodies

The show places four detectives at the center, and each lead has a visible identity detail. Hasan is a Muslim mixed-race woman and single mother in 2023. Whiteman is Jewish, Hillinghead is closeted and attracted to men, and Maplewood is a disabled woman in 2053. The pattern is easy to notice, although most choices fit the character or time period instead of looking like a forced modern swap.

The 2023 story opens with Hasan policing a far-right rally and calls attention to right-wing violence. The 1941 story includes an officer using an anti-Jewish slur against Whiteman. The show also has brief talk about a bombing, terror groups, free will, and state power. The dialogue stays tied to the mystery and time periods, so it does not become a modern activist speech.

The detectives’ personal struggles repeat the idea that people can be controlled or hurt because of who they are. Hillinghead hides a same-sex relationship, tells his wife the truth, and faces danger in 1890. Whiteman hides that he is Jewish, while Hasan faces a hostile rally as a Muslim woman and Maplewood lives with a disability under a strict future state. These arcs add a strong identity layer, but the time-travel mystery remains the main plot.

The show presents a far-right rally as a danger in modern London and shows police prejudice against Jews in 1941. The future is ruled by a harsh state that demands obedience from citizens and police. The story rejects these groups and systems, but it treats them as villains in a time-travel thriller. It does not spend much time attacking ordinary Western family life, faith, or society.

One Spectator review called the show politically correct and objected to its Muslim detective, Jewish storyline, and gay Victorian subplot. Some UK forum users called the show woke or said these parts felt added as a checklist. A smaller European review made similar complaints about Netflix’s inclusive style. Many Letterboxd and Reddit posts focused on the mystery, acting, ending, or the Hillinghead and Ashe romance. The backlash was real but scattered, and it did not become a major public controversy.

Paul Tomalin and Danusia Samal provide the clearest identity and diversity signal among the key writers. Tomalin has publicly supported diverse representation and casting linked to lived experience, while Samal often works with identity and activism themes. Si Spencer, the directors, producer, and casting team have no strong public activist record in the available creator history. Amaka Okafor said the writing let Hasan be a full person instead of only an issue, which makes the show feel less like a message-first project.