What is effective about S2:E6's opening to Utopia?

This is the recent exam question I did on an opening to a TV drama, Utopia.

It is effective because it reflects the zeitgeist and people can relate to it in everyday life. This is because everyone seems to be worried about the environment and what can be done to change it. However, it tells you in an extreme way what can be done to change it and draws you in because it mentions the killing of a child, which is not only evil, but it adds tension and meaning to the message.

The camera shots are effective because a wide range of shots are used, adding dramatic effect to the scene. For example a close up is used to show the emotion on the speakers face and how serious he is when he talks about killing the child, and the exact antithesis is shown on the child's mothers face; perhaps portraying the emotion of most of the viewers faces- involving the audience, making it effective. Other shots, such as two shots are used to show the conversation and the use of a low angle at the end shows the evilness of the man who spoke of killing and 'innocent' child, which is also used at the start of the scene, making the viewer anticipate him being evil.

The representation of gender is effective because the man is shown as clever by showing his knowledge through using facts and figures. The way he speaks shows his evil tone, and it is he is seen to be dressed in black-a dull colour to again, add to the subtle evilness of him. The woman is shown to be 'aware' of the environment but doesn't actually know a great deal-suggesting that most people, in this instance women, use a token of good gestures but what they do doesn't have a significant impact. The woman is again shown as the exact opposite of the man aa she seems innocent and actually cares about her child. The man is also shown to talk over the woman in a passive aggressive way, which adds the gender stereo-type that men are better than women-making it effective because it will create discussion between genders, luring them in to the programme and making them want to watch it.

It is an effective opener because of the music used to creat tension and suspense, with non-diegetic sounds used as the programme is shown at 10 at night- just after children are put to bed and although sinister it could entice you in to watch it.