Things are not normal in Chadder Vale. Last month saw the premiere ofthe British mystery thrillerPassengeron BritBox, and it takes viewers on a wild ride, to say the least. Created byAndrew Buchan, the series takes place in a small Northern English village wherea series of mysterious crimes has rocked a close-knit communitythat at times barely seems to register that anything is amiss. A former Met Police Detective who, herself, isn’t as deeply ingrained in the Chadder Vale way of life, is certain that something bigger is happening that’s more concerning than some missing trash bins. As the series progresses through its six-episode first season, things only become stranger, culminating in a finale that leaves a lot of burning questions for its BAFTA-winning lead,Wunmi Mosaku.
Speaking toPerri Nemirofffor an episode ofCollider Ladies Night, theLokistar was asked about the lingering thoughts she had about what happened during the finale. There are so many revelations that finally begin to explain the oddities around Chadder Vale. Mosaku was impressed at how the series managedto tie in every little detail into the wider mystery, even making her character Riya’s seemingly mundane pinched garbage bin investigation connected to the conspiracy involving the shady company Pangaea Initiative, Derek Jackson’s (Daniel Ryan) Jumbo Breads factory, and the young minds like Mehmet (Shervin Alenabi) recruited through the in-universePassengervideo game. Nearly everything seems to be connected to Pangaea and the real-life game they’re putting “players” through, but there are a few things left uncertain.
With just about everything and everyone in Chadder getting the spotlight, Mosaku wants to dig deeper into the fracking site and especially into Sue (Clare Burt). The finale added another layer of intrigue to Riya’s husband’s mother, revealing that her condition, which gave Riya fits and required constant specialist medication, may be related to Pangaea. A blink-and-you-’ll-miss-it momentindicated that Sue was a previous player of the life-or-death Passenger game. It’s a plot point that Mosaku is eager to return to, along with her dismissive boss Linda (Jo Hartley), as she explained:
“One thing I love about the script is that every single character, every single thing that has a little bit of focus has become something. So the bins, an inanimate object like a bin, becomes a thing in the whole story. And I’m convinced the cat with a cough is something too. I think it’s connected to the fracking and the fumes and stuff. I think you know, like Sue’s memory… I also feel like Linda’s hiding something.”
‘Passenger’ Has No Shortage of Twists and Conspiracies Left to Explore, Mosaku Says
Linda may be one ofPassenger’s most peculiar characters. She’s always aggressive in trying to shut Riya’s “crazy” ideas down to the point of trying to get her transferred, even when they start to prove to be true. While that might only be coming from her desire to keep Chadder feeling normal with the Best Kept Village award coming up,that doesn’t stop Mosaku from theorizing that she’s much more aware of the shadowy forces at work beneath their feet than it seems. Mosaku was all for Linda’s moment standing up for the town, saying, “But she was great in that. I absolutely love that scene,” but she added, “I do think it’s a distraction, and I think she knows more. I think she knows more. I do. I just do! I think Best Kept Village is also a distraction.”
It wouldn’t be too much of a shock to see Linda involved with Pangaea when so many people around town had some sort of tie to the company, unwitting or not. Even one character, only known by the name “Kid on the Wall” who was a recurring background presence, was in on the company’s game. In the waning moments of Episode 6, the camera finally follows him inside to reveal that he’s been monitoring the players the whole time. “Kid on the wall -nice little twist there, right?,” Mosaku asked. “Really nice little twist.” Exactly what role he plays in the operation remains to be seen, assuming a second season is ordered.
Will We Ever See the Creature in the Woods?
IfPassengerdoes get a second run, one thing viewers can hope for is to finallysee the horrifying creaturesPangaea employs in its twisted games. Season 1 kept one of the creatures in the shadows, but it made its threat known, causing Katie and John to grow ill and witness their worst fears after escaping captivity. These creatures are what thePassengerplayers are supposed to face off against, and it sounds like Riya’s colleagues Nish (Arian Nik) and Alison (Ella Bruccoleri) have a nasty encounter with one at the end of the finale. According to Mosaku,we almost got to see one of the monsters on-screen, but for whatever reason,that’s been left for any future installments. “I think I saw a version of it, but I was surprised they didn’t put it in there,” she said. “I’m pretty sure I saw a version of it, and we just never saw it.” It’s all the more reason to pine for a Season 2, as she adds, “These cliffhangers! There’s too many!”
All six episodes ofPassengerare now streaming on BritBox. Stay tuned for Nemiroff’s full conversation with Mosaku.
