Passenger review: ITV's new drama is a confusing supernatural stew with many more questions than answers

ITV’s new supernatural drama series writes a lot of cheques that six episodes can’t possibly cash.

There are more questions than answers, Johnny Nash once sang, and having binge-watched all six episodes of ITV's new supernatural thriller Passenger (ITV, Sun/Mon, 9pm), I know what he was driving at.

Wunmi Mosaku stars as Riya Ajunwa, a former Metropolitan Police officer who has come to the Lancashire town of Chadder Vale after her partner moved home to look after his mum, who seems to have mental health issues.

Of course, the partner left with the Spanish carer, leaving Riya trapped in Chadder Vale, looking after the mum and investigating issues like the mystery of the missing bins.

Wunmi Mosaku stars as detective Riya Ajunwa in the new ITV drama series Passenger (Picture: Sister Pictures/ITV)

When young people start disappearing in the nearby woods, and dismembered stags start dropping from the sky, covered in black goop, Riya gets her mojo back and throws herself into investigating.

Riya is aided by two young constables – Nish (Arian Nik) and Ali (Ella Bruccoleri) – who seem simultaneously to be naïve village simpletons and utlra-skilled hackers.

Meanwhile, a whole host of colourful characters revolve around the small village, from bread factory owner Des (Daniel Ryan) – whose failing business is hiding dark secrets – and his disturbed younger brother Kane (Nico Mirallegro), to black sheep Eddie Wells, who has been recently released from prison.

Eddie, you see, was put away by Riya after attacking fracking site owner Jim (David Threlfall) with a bottle in a drunken rage.

Nish Chowdry (Arian Nik) and Ali Day (Ella Bruccoleri) investigate a curious case of missing bins in new ITV drama series Passenger (Picture: Sister Pictures/ITV)

Then there's Eddie's daughters who are dreaming of getting out of the vale, Polish mechanic Jakub – with whom Riya has a bit of a 'thing' – introverted gamer Mehmet and his best mate John, who has a hair-trigger temper.

It's all a heady mix of characters and storylines, and over time you start making a list of all the plot points which crop up with alarming regularity and carry the prospect of never being resolved.

As well as the missing bins, and the missing people, there are acid-trip visions in the woods, random men in hazmat suits, fracking protests, Swedish detectives, a man in a Stetson who turns up at a B&B and then seems to disappear, shadowy businesses and retro computer games.

There are toxic plants, and best-kept village competitions. There are bags of money and allegations of infidelity. There is talk of monsters and curses, and a misty lake where ice forms despite there not being so much of a light frost anywhere else.

Fracking site owner Jim (David Threlfall) is the target of protesters in the new ITV drama series Passenger (Picture: Sister Pictures/ITV)

It's hard to keep track of much of it. Like when you read a book in bed and drop off, there is the constant impression that you've fallen asleep and missed a line with a crucial clue.

Did we know Des was married to Chadder Vale's own personal forensic scientist? Has that lad who we see smoking on doorsteps done anything yet? Have they explained the flashbacks Riya keeps having, where we see her hiding from someone – something – under a bed?

It has supernatural elements, but also it's a police procedural. There are domestic dramas and political statements about the north being left behind.

There are elements of the characters being trapped – possibly by supernatural forces, and possibly by circumstance, and not being able to leave – Riya is trapped in a dead-end job, young Katie Wells dreams of getting out to the big city and repeatedly heads to the bus stop but never seems to leave.

Is Chadder Vale limbo, or purgatory? Or is it, as the characters keep insisting, cursed?

It's like creator and writer Andrew Buchan – who made his name as an actor in series including Broadchurch and Garrow's Law – kept having ideas and just chucked them in, without thinking about all the previous ideas he has already inserted halfway through.

You get the impression that he subconsciously knows this, with the script providing a commentary on your increasing bewilderment.

“You go a thousand miles an hour in one direction and then slam it in reverse,” Jakub tells Riya.

Later, Ali asks Riya: “What about all the unanswered questions boss?”

“This place doesn't want them answered,” she replies.

And by the end, while a few things are resolved, most are not. And anyway, a whole new raft of questions has emerged, leading to a cliffhanger ending which almost blackmails the bosses at ITV into a second series.

By the time I got to episode three, I decided I was too invested to stop. Which begs another question – haven't I got anything better to do with my life?