Red Ink is a South African thriller miniseries which unfolds when publicist and ex-journalist Lucy Khambule receives an unexpected call from a convicted serial killer, leading her life to take a dramatic turn.
PR powerhouse Lucy Khambule's (Nunu Khumalo) life is in crisis behind the scenes.
Her marriage has cracked thanks to her husband's constant cheating, and her boss has backed out of their partnership agreement.
To make it worse, she's facing these struggles as a mother.
Then, at the moment when her life is at its most chaotic, South Africa's most notorious serial killer, Napoleon "The Butcher" Dingiswayo (Bonko Khoza), phones her to demand a meeting.
After 13 years behind bars the spotlight is back on The Butcher following the discovery of the corpse of one of his missing victims.
And he wants Lucy to write his story.
Red Ink is an adaptation of Angela Makholwa-Moabelo's novel of the same name.
The story is partly inspired by Angela's own early days as a crime reporter, during which she tried to interview jailed serial killer Moses Sithole.
Eight years later, while she was working at the PR company she founded, Sithole reached out to her.
She visited him in prison over the course of eight months with the idea of writing a book about him.
Red Ink is a Showmax Original series produced by Britespark Films in collaboration with Bomb Productions. The series was created for television by Angela Makholwa and Andy Petersen.
The screenplay was written by Thishiwe Ziqubu; the director is Zeno Petersen.
The producers are Thabo Boom and Gavin Joubert; the executive producers are Angela Makholwa and Desireé Markgraaff.
The music composers are Ludvig Gawell and Hamilton Eklöf.
Main Characters
Lucy Khambule (Nqobile Nunu Khumalo)
Ex-journalist and would-be author Lucy is now a PR powerhouse, living the beige life in the suburbs.
Life is a crisis, 24/7, in the world of high-end reputation management and Lucy's private life is starting to fall apart, too.
Her boss and ex-best friend Patricia seems to have forgotten about their partnership agreement.
Her cheating husband Gary has broken countless promises, but Lucy's stuck with him since he's a great dad to their son, Khaya (Retshepile Masola).
Lucy has untapped potential and courage, and she's going to need both.
Napoleon "The Butcher" Dingiswayo (Bonko Khoza)
This quiet gentleman with the glasses seems charming and polite.
He's a gospel music-loving, Bible-reading man who's meticulously tidy.
But Napoleon Dingiswayo is not husband material; he's seething with rage and contempt for the world.
He harbours a deep-seated misogyny, believes that women's sexuality is inherently sinful, and that he has the right and duty to "cleanse" them by raping and dismembering them.
Behind bars, Napoleon watches people strictly with a view to how he can manipulate them.
He will attack verbally, then physically when he get him what he wants.
Detective Morapedi (Lorcia Cooper)
This brilliant, compassionate young detective is not easily shaken.
She's quick to see connections, detail oriented and has a long memory for everything from what a missing person was wearing, to the looks on the faces of a victim's family.
She's bold enough to face down a serial killer and look him in the eye, but is she smart enough not to get too close?
KG (Kwenzo Ngcobo)
Charming, ambitious newshound Kagiso is an old friend of Lucy's and one she feels she can turn to when she's desperate.
He's pulled back into Lucy's orbit after he blackmails her into granting one of his reporters an on-screen interview about Napoleon.
Kagiso is an old-school journalist who openly admires Lucy for her skill, and enjoys her quick wit and humour.
Patricia (Jo-anne Reyneke)
PR manager Patricia used to be Lucy's BFF... until they went into business together at The Publicist.
As Red Ink begins, she has become Lucy's so-called friend, and her promises of 40% equity in the firm have come to nothing.
While she might pull the big clients, Lucy's the one who really sorts out the mess.
Patricia can turn the tears on and off in a blink.
Gary (Yonda Thomas)
Lucy's husband is charming, handsome, selfish and a player.
He has sophisticated tastes in everything from suits to alcohol and cooking ingredients.
He's a great listener, great dancer, great in bed, a great dad, but a lousy husband.
Gary watches porn on his laptop, can't be trusted behind closed doors at a party, and is a messy and careless cheat.
He plays golf and only ever reads non-fiction. He's going to be hard to get rid of.
Fundi (Tsholofelo Maseko)
Fundi is Lucy's hype woman, her BFF and the yin to her yang.
She holds Lucy's hand through those major life changes, like dumping your cheating husband's stuff on the street.
Fundi might be the only sane person in Lucy's world.
Why listen to what a serial killer has to say, when he's exactly where he needs to be?
But Fundi's love life is dangerously messy.
Kofi Motaung (Themba Ndaba)
Kofi is a politician who's running for Premier, hoping to oust MEC Khumbane (Jeffrey Sekele).
He has fingers in every proverbial pie and a network of secret alliances, from the businessmen who front for him, to loyal inkabi who do his dirty work.
It's dangerous to go digging in Kofi's past; too much dirt can bury a person.
KK (Bongile Mantsai)
KK is one of those rich businessmen who's forever throwing parties for the city's movers and shakers.
He's a man of many connections, most of them shady.
A practised charmer and seducer, he has reasons of his own for making a play for Fundi.
Goliath (Abdul Khoza)
When Napoleon is moved out of solitary confinement into Gen Pop in prison, he strikes up a relationship with Goliath.
Napoleon might have been a butcher on the outside, but in the world of the prison, he's fresh meat to the gang bosses like Snakes.
Goliath has his own reasons for having Napoleon's back, but who makes buddies with a serial killer?