Critical and viewer response The
pilot episode received mixed-to-positive reactions. Dan Owen of
MSN praised Turner's performance, but criticised "some clunky moments and weird shortcuts" in the story. Sarah Crompton of
The Telegraph gave the episode 3/5 stars, calling it "a compelling 90 minutes", but criticising the depiction of the army as being more suited to "a glossy advertising campaign" than a drama, adding that the pilot "glamorised both its methods and its personnel". Despite mixed critical response, audience reactions were generally positive on
Twitter. Sam Wollaston of
The Guardian called the pilot "clichéd and schmaltzy", and deemed Molly's character development as unrealistic. He added that it was "naive, crude", and "practically a recruitment video for the army". Despite this, Wollaston found himself "swept along" by it, complimenting Turner's performance as being "gutsy" and "very watchable", overall concluding that the pilot was enjoyable. The first series was generally well received. Dale Cowan of
Cultbox awarded the series 5 stars, explaining "Director Anthony Philipson's visually stimulating direction continues to impress as does the writing from creator Tony Grounds, who has produced something truly wonderful". Cowan continued by praising the performances of the series, naming Sean Gallagher and Kerry Godliman's performances as "honest" and adding "emotional realism", and Turner's as being "warmth and human", describing it as "electric". However, Cowan criticised open ends left in the
final episode of the first series, naming some plot lines as "unfinished". Julian White of
The Least Picture Show gave the first series a 7/10, considering Turner's performance as a positive as the actress "does a magnificent job of making her seem warm-hearted and funny". White also praised the writing of the characters, particularly Captain James. He concluded: "For all its occasional flaws and excesses, Our Girl paints a portrait of men and women in uniform who haven't allowed a long and bloody conflict to dampen one iota of their humanity". Kendall Hutt of
Square Eyes commented that she "loved" the series, singing praises towards the characters, performances, and direction. Henry Tucker of
Blueprint Review gave the series 4/5 stars, concluding that "if you like your military viewing with lots of bangs and gunfights then give this a very wide berth. If you would rather engage with the personal side of warfare and how it affects those in the middle of it, then this is for you". Cowan described Turner's departure from the series as "bittersweet". Michael Hogan of
The Telegraph gave the premiere a mixed review, 3/5 stars, praising the drama, "adrenalin-pumping action", "tantalising cliffhanger", and Keegan's "tough-but-vulnerable" performance, but criticised the dialogue, mainly the "clichéd sexist 'banter'", and underwritten characters. Julia Raeside was also critical of the script, as it intailed "unpleasant sexist banter", but praised how "the romance manages to coexist with the military drama while still keeping its boots on the ground". Adam Starkey of the
Metro reported mixed reactions on Twitter to Keegan's portrayal in comparison to Turner's. Cowan praised the
second episode, commenting: "The musical score is subtle yet cinematic and aids the sparkling direction from Jan Matthys well. The supporting artists are also very strong here". However, was critical of the episodes' lack of stakes: "despite the sense of urgency the episode tries to create, it seems to fall flat in places and doesn't have the necessary impact that we were hoping it would". Justin Harp of
Digital Spy reported that the
fourth episode had viewers "chomping at the bit during the non-stop thriller". Cowan praised the
series finale, as it ended with "drama, suspense and action". Euan Ferguson of
The Guardian was critical of the third series, labelling it as having "dishearten[ed]" him. He further criticised the show's new characters and the script. Ed Power of
The Telegraph awarded the
first episode of series 3 3/5 stars, praising Keegan's portrayal but criticising the new characters and 2-Section as they "spent most of the time larking, bantering and mucking about, like a heavily-armed stag party". Thomas Ling of
Radio Times echoed the criticisms, particularly citing positive
Twitter responses to Georgie's return and negative reactions to the new character Maisie Richards. The
finale of part 1 was poorly received by audiences, partly due to the death of Elvis. Additionally, Alana Anderson of
OK! magazine noted viewer criticisms towards plot holes surrounding a phone's battery life. Alistair McKay of
The Standard criticised the
first episode of the Nigeria Tour, describing its depiction of army life as "almost teenage in its simplicity".
Adam Sweeting of
The Arts Desk awarded it 2/5 stars, concluding it as being "awfully silly all round". The third series received rampant viewer criticism for a lack of Elvis, the ending of Captain James and Molly's marriage, as well as his eventual relationship with Georgie, several medical inaccuracies shown, and Bones's premature death.
Awards and nominations ==References==