Warning: contains mild spoilers for the first episode of BBC One’s Chloe.

We love a drama that gets us thinking. We don’t mean a subtle head-scratcher; we mean really considering and reflecting on certain aspects of our lives – and that’s just what the BBC has continually nailed in its recent series offerings.

As well as getting us thinking about sex positivity in A Very British Scandal or having us reconsider all we know about everyone and everything in The Tourist, the BBC is gracing our screens, once again, with a truly thought-provoking drama.

Chloe – which premiered last night on BBC One – is perfect for any viewers who lapped up Netflix’s You, are still patiently awaiting for further instalments of Black Mirror or have been left reeling from The Girl Before.

It’s slow-burning and suspenseful, but all the while, you don’t quite know what’s around the corner. We’re certain, though, that viewers will be left thinking about one major thing after watching the series’ first episode and that’ll be all the wonders (and frightening corners) of social media. 

A harmless snap of our surroundings, a cheesy smiling selfie or a candid group shot with friends – our Instagram feeds are full of them and, in an age of more casual Instagram consumption, we’re thinking less about what we post in a bid to keep things as authentic as possible.

But what happens when – in the case of Chloe – there’s someone out there who is watching your every move? 

The new series follows Becky (The Crown’s Erin Doherty), a temp worker who lives at home with her mum and just seems like any other young woman on the face of it. A little burnt out, a little tired, always scrolling through her phone – all sounds relatively normal, right?

Well, as we start to get a peek into Becky’s life – the constant eye rolls at work, the attentiveness to very specific conversations – we learn that she’s a mastermind in manipulation.

It starts as she eyes up a particularly garish jacket worn by one of her co-workers, and as we switch scenes, we realise that Becky’s stolen the coat for herself. Not just that, though, she also wears it to the charity art auction mentioned by her boss in passing.

It’s quick yet calculated – an eerie sentiment that weaves its way through this entire first episode. 

We flicker between the present, flashbacks of the night before and imagined conversations of people around her – while it makes for confusing viewing at times, it does offer us a window into Becky’s innermost thoughts. It’s frantic, mirroring the same way she incessantly looks through her phone – as if looking for something at all times.

We realise that the target of her actions is Chloe (Stay Close’s Poppy Gilbert) – the titular character who, on the face of it, had it all: the lavish home, the caring boyfriend (The Serpent’s Billy Howle), the attentive friends. It’s a life Becky wants and you start to see – from the way she goes about life in a selfless manner – that she’ll do anything to achieve her end goal.

Underpinning her every action, move and thought, though, is her constant social media swiping. It’s the basis of all her information, the foundation of how she chooses to act and informs the who, what and where of her actions.  

She stalks Chloe’s best friend Livia (Gangs Of London’s Pippa Bennett-Warner) and no sooner than she flicks through Livia’s social media, Becky appears at Livia’s side as she runs an event for work. It’s a brief introduction that doesn’t even cross Livia’s mind until she spots Becky at her yoga class.

Soon, the two are exchanging life stories, eating dinner and talking about Chloe’s death. Without spoiling too much, you get the sense that Chloe’s death is not as it seems – people believe she committed suicide – but you’re left thinking: could Becky’s desire to replace Chloe signal that she had something to do with it?

It’s safe to say that although the series follows Becky, while you’d think we’d get a grasp of her behaviour, we never actually do. It’s enough to keep us watching this suspenseful thriller – not least because the first episode ends with a rather big twist.

One thing’s for certain, though, it’ll have you switching your Instagram to private before the end of the credits.

All episodes of Chloe are now available to watch on BBC iPlayer, with episodes airing consecutively on BBC One every Sunday at 9pm. 

Image: BBC