For those who want a nailbiting hour of television and fancy sending their pulses racing, ITV’s Sticks and Stones has been branded the most stressful show to air on TV. Sorry Jed Mercurio, it looks like Line of Duty has some competition.
If you’ve seen Stick and Stones advertised on ITV, you’ll know it follows one man’s life as it descends into hell in this workplace drama. It’s not quite The Office as Ken Nwosu plays a downtrodden worker in middle management who tries to get his life back on track after he freezes during a pitch.
The three-part drama is written by Doctor Foster‘s Mike Bartlett, so it’s no surprise this one is a heart-pounding outing. If you thought seeing Suranne Jones play the vengeful Doc Foster was something, you ain’t seen nothing yet.
While the first episode was enough for some as Thomas began to question his own sanity at the hands of his bullying co-workers, some viewers were forced to turn off when he had a full breakdown in episode two.
Things really came to a head in episode three as the whole sordid story came to a dramatic conclusion.
As well as having his deaf daughter mocked and his colleagues trying to throw him under the bus in the midst of company redundancies, Thomas eventually flipped and lashed out at the others. Posting on Twitter, viewers couldn’t help but feel for the poor man.
Many highlighted the potential triggers of Sticks and Stones, with some saying it needed to come with a warning. Importantly, many praised Bartlett for discussing bullying in the workplace and an issue that largely flies under the radar.
While we won’t ruin what happens in the final episode here, there are already whispers from fans about whether Sticks and Stones could return for a second season. Well, here’s hoping it’s not as stressful next time.