Just watched it last night.
I thought it would have been better as either a series, so it could take its time and go properly into the side characters and the government story etc, or as a film, where they could really major on its mood and the metaphorical/non-literal side of it.
But I did think it was good; Benedict was excellent as always and, rather against the grain, I liked Kelly MacD!
I agree with the PP who said Charles Darke meant HE was the 'child that was denied'; I imagine that he was sent away to school and had emotionally distant parents.
It did seem to me to be about how precious childhood is and how we must avoid repressing or denying it, whether that be through stiff boarding schools or silly theories about when to teach literacy, or whatever.
What I was most confused about was the timeline of them getting the estate agent round – at what point did that happen? Immediately after Julie moved out, or about a year after, the same time as Stephen went to visit her at the cottage? Or in between? And did they end up selling the flat, or not? It would seem unlikely given they had a baby at the end.
And why did she not want the asking price said out loud? 