critics also applauded the dramatic space given to the two contending sides. sheridan morley in "the times" described "stalker and sir john hermon of the ruc, two giants superbly played by jack shepherd and t. p. mckenna. both men are fighting for what they believe to be paramount: stalker for the objective truth, hermon for the honour of a police force in what he describes as a jungle". according to mark sanderson in "time out", "both sides are fairly represented". patrick stoddart in the "sunday times" agreed: t. p. mckenna as sir john hermon had been "forceful", and the film-makers had been "wise" to demonstrate that they "understood the stresses facing members of the royal ulster constabulary" and to "set the investigation against that backdrop". in the end, according to stoddart, it was "the cock-ups and the cover-ups that really exercised the investigators".