Viewers tuning into ITV’s new drama series Out There were left getting more than they bargained for after a harrowing opening scene that came just minutes in.
The series stars Martin Clunes as Welsh farmer Nathan Williams, who is confronted by the impact of county lines drug dealing in his local community. The first episode aired on Sunday night (January 19), with viewers quick to announce on social media how excited they were to settle down with the series.
However, a ‘gruesome’ scene unfolded just minutes in to the episode shortly after Martin’s character and his son Johnny (portrayed by Louis Ashbourne Serkis) were introduced to viewers.
After receiving a distressing phone call, Nathan heads out to find a woman named Gwen (Sharon Morgan). He meets her as she is shouting and signalling towards a locked barn. He discovers an elderly man who has shut himself in there with a shotgun.
Nathan tries to reason with the man through a crack in the door, before the shotgun can be heard going off, followed by images of the barn covered in blood.
Shocked viewers flocked to X, formerly Twitter, to share their thoughts on the scene. “I know they advertised this as ‘gritty’ but this is depressing,” shared one watcher, as another penned: “Think this might be too stressful #outthere.”
“A bit topical and close to home this with farm land worries and suicides,” said a third viewer, accompanied by sad emojis, as others claimed the show was simply “too depressing”. Another simply stated: “Grim opening.”
The grisly opening scene wasn’t the only complaint from viewers. While many praised Martin Clunes’ performance, not everyone was impressed with his attempt at a Welsh accent.
“Really wanted to watch this but I’m not getting it so far and Martin’s attempt at a Welsh accent is grating,” vented one fan. Meanwhile another was left confused, penning: “What accent is Clunsey supposed to have? It varies.”
However, leaping to the star’s defence, one fan of the series said: “I’m Welsh. I have no problem with it. There are so many different accents in Wales.”
Out There episode two airs on ITV1 on January 20 at 9pm, with the full box set also available to watch now on ITVX
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