Reported Missing is an utterly fantastic and heartbreaking show showing us just how much time and effect the police put into finding people who have gone missing. Yes in some cases maybe they could’ve tried harder, but you can’t fault them, I can’t imagine the blow they must experience not being able to find someone or having them found deceased.

While each episode follows different people’s stories of their family members going missing. One thing stood out for me throughout the whole season: communication. It seemed, in a lot of these cases, there was just a lack of communication or no communication at all between the family members and the missing. One episode a woman finds out her husband had a drug problem she knew nothing about and he is found dead not far from where the deals take place. Another was about a young lad who went on the run because he owed someone money and he was worried his mum would be angry at him for it. Instead she was very sympathetic and more than anything just wanted her son home because a bit of money lost is nothing compared to her own flesh and blood.

But the one that had me bawling my eyes out was the story of George, a man who was an alcoholic, suffered with depression and had recently lost his job. He told his family he was going to go to the job centre to sign on again but failed to return home. Although he was supposedly sober he had been drinking behind his families backs and was last seen at a pub.

The family felt the police weren’t doing enough to find him so also set up their own search teams etc. and it all came to a head when George randomly out of the blue called his wife but when she tried to call him back he didn’t answer. At least this was a sign of hope.

The police then texted George as the connection to the family would’ve been far too traumatic for them to try and contact him and this is when George finally reveals that he just wants to be dead. It’s incredibly harrowing and horrific and gives me goosebumps even now. But thankfully George gives his location to the police and he is found safe and somewhat well. It’s an absolutely heartbreaking reunion where you see how much pain he’s put his family through but also to imagine the pain he must’ve been feeling.

It seemed he did all this because he was depressed and he had just lost his job, through age apparently more than anything, and this had a toll on his mental well-being. He was the breadwinner and could no longer provide for his family the way he used to so felt useless. It was a downward spiral and thankfully he was found before anything worse could’ve happened.

But the main point from George’s story was that his family didn’t know this. They didn’t see the pain he was going through or the hurt he had. And if he had opened up to them and spoken through his problems maybe things would’ve worked out better. It’s a sad story but one I think is echoed around the country, where people don’t believe people will understand their pain or they will be seen as weak because they’ve opened up.

And it’s not like that, yes we’re told to ‘man up’ but when you’re really struggling and really need help sometimes the bravest thing you can do is talk to someone else about it.

While this show is fascinating it is also a hard watch and can be quite traumatic. But I think the lessons we can learn from it about checking on others and helping those around us can be incredibly important.

I highly recommend it.

Until next time.

Published by shonaharding

Film and TV critic. View all posts by shonaharding