Channel 5’s new thriller The Imposter has landed just in time for cosy nights on the sofa, but after episode one, we’re all asking more questions about Amanda.
The four-part drama began tonight (Monday, December 15), introducing us to Helen O’Riley, the formidable general manager of a vast seaside hotel. She’s close to her three grown-up children – Simon, Kate and Ian – but there’s a long-buried secret she’s never shared with them. The show wastes no time whisking viewers off to sun-soaked Australia with a dark twist lurking beneath the surface.
Years earlier, before her family life ever began, Helen gave up her first child for adoption in the UK. Now, in The Imposter, a woman named Amanda suddenly appears claiming to be that lost daughter. Lonely and vulnerable, Helen is quick to believe she’s finally found the missing piece of her life. But viewers are left asking the big question – is Amanda really telling the truth?
According to Channel 5, things soon take a sinister turn. A teaser promises that “the lucrative hotel is the ultimate prize”, as a carefully laid plan descends into betrayal – and, ultimately, murder.
***Warning: spoilers from episode 1 of The Imposter ahead***
Jackie Woodburn and Kym Marsh as Helen and ‘Amanda’ in episode 1 of The Imposter (Credit: Channel 5)
The Imposter episode 1: 5 Clues Amanda isn’t who she says she is
In episode 1 of The Imposter, viewers saw the dynamic between matriarch Helen and her children, who all worked in the family hotel in a Melbourne beachside suburb.
However, Helen’s not getting any younger and a diagnosis of advanced macular degeneration (AMD) means she won’t be able to run the hotel indefinitely. And what chance does she have of her passing the responsibility to her kids? Helen believes that eldest son Simon is lazy and can’t be trusted. While Kate and Ian are dedicated, Helen disapproves of their husbands, Todd and Lee. Real estate agent Todd wants the hotel sold, while Lee has a history of recreational drug taking.
So what convenient timing it is when Helen’s secret daughter Amanda turns up in Australia, looking for her real mum. Turns out Helen wrote to her a year earlier, but never heard back. Suddenly the daughter, Amanda, appears out of the blue… Red flag anyone?
Clue one: The show is called The Imposter
Well pardon us for stating for the obvious, but the show is called The Imposter. Now if that isn’t a pretty huge clue as to ‘Amanda’s’ real identity, then we don’t know what is.
Channel 5 thriller’s tend to tell it like it is. See The Feud, The Game, The Au Pair, The Drowning, and The Rumour for evidence.
Support authors and subscribe to content
This is premium stuff. Subscribe to read the entire article.
