I actually enjoyed the second episode more than the first. Apart, that is, from Dawn French playing Dawn French, and the fact that everything is a bit too sanitised.

There were some moments of great visual beauty (the woodland scenes with the convict and his wife, for example). But the overall visual tone is more Helen Allingham than George Clausen (anyone know the rural paintings of George Clausen? They are often very gritty and convincing - especially a poignant and powerful image of a ragged boy scaring crows at dusk).