The On the Edge series on Channel 4 are short drama that are meant to look at the British criminal justice system.
Through the Gates offers nothing new apart from a strong performance from Ria Zmitrowicz. She plays Aimee, on the verge of being institutionalised in prison through a series of petty crimes.
Having unreliable parents has led to her being a teenage delinquent. Her grandmother does not want her, her only friend is the dog which grandmother was looking after while she was inside. The dog due to its digestive disorders has run up high vet bills.
Wunmi Mosaku is Tessa, the overworked but kindly parole officer. In real life Aimee would give her a volley of racist abuse, here she asks Tessa to look after her dog as the place she is staying in does not allow pets.
Tessa herself is in a flux. Her boss Mark keeps giving her case files and is also sleeping with her. Mark also has someone else who has fallen pregnant and Mark keeps telling Tessa not to get too close with her client's, keep boundaries. Mark is less than pleased when he encounters Aimee's dog.
There is nothing new in this kind of drama. A bit of kindness from Tessa is not going to stop Aimee's cycle of anti social behaviour and then being sent to prison. Real life is not so simple as Aimee finds out that no one wants to offer her a room with her dog or a job with her record.
