Macdonald (Line of Duty, Boardwalk Empire, State of Play) is, as always, compelling: her fiercely driven, defiant, relentless and unapologetic crusader has pain and anger blazing throughout most of her time on screen. And costume designer Alison Mitchell emphasises Anna’s rigid determination by dressing her in strong, severe colours: blood-red, bottle-green, charcoal grey, black. “Act like a victim and you’ll get treated like one,” she crisply advises one of the troubled patients at the hospital where she works.

Harkness (Gangs of London, The Nest, The English Game) is equally powerful, playing an introvert who’s uncomfortable in social situations and may or may not be concealing an awful secret. He also portrays pain, that of a quiet man unceasingly and possibly unfairly and cruelly hounded, a person who becomes a captive in his own home and a target outside it. Everywhere he goes, he’s regarded with suspicion or raw hostility, or met with violence. Meanwhile, life also becomes difficult, and even dangerous, for his wife (Karla Crome) and young daughter (Sienna Ogunyemi).

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Directed by Niall MacCormick, The Victim is an emotionally and morally complex study of pain, rage, regret and forgiveness that captures and holds attention until its stunning final scenes. Williams said, “Hopefully the last episode delivers a series of verdicts, but in different ways.” Mission accomplished.

The Victim streams on 7Plus.