I find my opinion similar to most of the reviews out there. The first two seasons were definitely better than the third. Honestly, I don't enjoy the way they focus on three characters in one episode and then switch to another three in the next. Sometimes, you don't see a main character for weeks. I think this format is one reason why season 3 feels so slow and boring.
Most of the characters lack depth, which I attribute to the writing rather than the acting. Melanie is the only character I find worth watching, and Jennifer Connelly delivers a great performance, as always. I aslo think season 3 suffered a lot because she was hardly present.
I've just started season 4, which we've waited ages for, and it looks like they're sticking with the same format, showing different sides of the story in each episode instead of giving us the full picture. It's too early to tell if there will be any improvement in the character dynamics. I hope they don't continue the pattern of alternating episodes between different settings, one outside the train, the next on the train, and so on. This would be very dull. I also hope they bring everyone together again to face the main conflict, or whatever they have planned for this season. And of course, I'm hoping for more Melanie too. Let's see if things improve.
Update after 3 episodes: layton's character is as annoying as ever.. no improvement there.
