# Irish crime comedy races through tangled plots but loses coherence

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/tall-tales-and-murder-review-this-irish-version-of-the-wire-makes-for-mile-a-minute-tv/
- Published: 2026-11-03T23:30:17+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-04T00:41:58+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/nov/03/tall-tales-and-review-dublin-trilogy-bbc
- Topics: Culture, Fashion

## Key points

- The Irish crime caper moves quickly but feels overcrowded.
- Hyland and Walsh’s chemistry is a highlight.
- The review says its treasure plot loses focus.

## Summary

*Tall Tales and Murder*, a six-part Irish crime comedy based on the first novel in Caimh McDonnell’s Dublin Trilogy, races through gangland feuds, care-home life and a hunt for buried treasure. The review finds it lively and entertaining, but argues that its many plots, characters and tonal shifts make the story confusing and ultimately less satisfying.

Ella Lily Hyland and Casey Walsh bring warmth and chemistry to the central pair, while Aidan Gillen appears as a comatose man whose awakening reignites an underworld feud over Celtic gold. The reviewer also praises 93-year-old Sheila Flitton and Philippa Dunne, but says the care-home residents are soon sidelined and the gangland drama feels familiar despite the show’s creative pedigree.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.