Frustratingly Brief British Series TRINITY Comes to DVD

A couple of weeks ago, I received a review copy of Trinity, a series that ran on UK television and Showtime for a single season back in 2009, and recently released on DVD. When the outreach team asked if I would be interested in taking a look, I thought the series sounded reminiscent of Veronica Mars and Gossip Girl, so I jumped at the opportunity.

Trinity is the story of a group of students at fictional Trinity College at fictional Bridgeford University, an ancient and prestigious institution somewhere in the UK that was formerly a playground for the rich and powerful, but recently began accepting “regular” students. Yes, class warfare is going to be a major theme. The series begins with the onset of a new academic year and the arrival of a few new students along with the return of the upperclassmen.

Charlotte Arc (Antonia Bernath) is our protagonist. Sweet, shy, devout, and very smart, Charlotte is determined to excel in her studies and stay away from troublemakers. Charlotte’s father, Richard Arc (Nick Sidi), was formerly a student and then professor at the college. Richard left Trinity suddenly some years earlier, without explanation, then two weeks before the beginning of term, he is found dead. 

As Charlotte and her fellow students settle in, they begin to realize that all is not what it seems at Trinity. Beneath the glossy, glamorous veneer lurks a much darker world, governed by strict codes of conduct and secret societies, most notably the mysterious Dandelion Club whose members are among the college’s wealthiest and most privileged students who are used to getting their own way.

A progressive new Warden of the college, Dr Angela Donne (Claire Skinner), is trying to modernize the institution. But she has a fight on her hands from those determined to preserve the old order, including the arrogant Dean, Dr Edmund Maltravers (Charles Dance), and the spoiled and manipulative President of the Dandelion Club, Dorian Gaudain (Christian Cooke), backed by his father, the interfering Lord Ravensby (Anthony Calf).

Besides Charlotte, the new group of students trying to find their way in the college include the streetwise and fiercely intelligent Theo Mackenzie (Reggie Yates), the poetry-loving hopeless romantic Maddy Talbot (Elen Rhys), Dorian’s stunning but emotionally-cold cousin Rosalind Gaudain (Isabella Calthorpe), and the lost stoners Angus (Mark Wood) and Raj (Arnab Chanda).

As if class warfare and a dead father weren’t enough, the college’s champion rower, Ross Bonham (David Oakes), turns up dead partway through the year. Viewers had been given hints of something untoward happening within the sporting program, and with Ross’s death, the secret is revealed.

The first few episodes of Trinity felt like an amalgamation of tropes – rich kids, elitism, sex, drugs, intrigue, subterfuge, star-crossed love – plus a little bit of science fiction and some murder. As the series progresses, however, the frantic need to titillate and force conflict calms down and we are given the chance to explore the characters and their world more organically.

Charlotte’s intention to devote herself to studying and to maintain her high moral standards is immediately challenged by Dorian, a self-indulgent, spoiled, hedonistic upperclassman who sets his sights on Charlotte. Being attracted to someone so completely antithetical to her beliefs and standards is quite a challenge for our Charlotte, but for all her innocence, she’s no pushover. She fights for what she believes is right, which only makes Dorian want her more.

One of the most intriguing characters for me is Rosalind*. She is Dorian’s cousin – which allows the show to tout a certain encounter in the first episode as taboo – and a fellow wild child. Her outlet for rebellion is sex, with as many unsuitable men as she can find. When she falls for a new student, we begin to see the real Rosalind behind the bravado and supposed ennui, then comes the revelation that her future is not her own. The abrupt end to her story is one of the most frustrating results of Trinity‘s cancellation.

*Bonus: look for Cressida Bonas, possible future bride of England’s Prince Harry, as one of Rosalind’s gal pals. That’s her on the left, supporting Rosalind’s bid to represent her fellow students on an advisory council.

While I want to recommend Trinity as a very British romp that begins to hit its stride in the latter half of the series, the fact that the entire series is only 10 episodes, and it ended with a lot of unanswered questions, forces me to caution audiences about visiting Trinity College. You will get invested in these characters. You will want to know what happens with Dorian and Charlotte. You will want to see how Rosalind handles her fate. You will want to know why Charlotte’s father died. And you will not find out. I suppose that’s when fan fiction becomes a necessity.

Trinity: The Complete First Season is now available on DVD in the US. Watch at your own risk!