Above Suspicion

As a fan of detective/crime dramas, 'Above Suspicion' is, and never will be, one of my favourites, and it is a show that will divide viewers. For me, it falls into the reasonably decent but not great camp, after being riveted by 'Prime Suspect' and finding several impressive things with 'Trial and Retribution' there was the air of disappointment.

Considering the mixed reviews it could have been worse. There are problems sure, the script gets the job done competently and is reasonably tight but with not much spark or fire, only really coming alive from the climactic interrogation scene onwards. The cliché-ridden characters are not yet very interesting and little is done with them, both main characters being stereotypically one-dimensional.

The flashbacks have a tendency to be clumsily inserted, the sound can be sloppy and out of synch, the relationship between the two main characters is coming across as a bit contrived and makes Langton almost too much like a sleaze and some of the shock value is unnecessarily gratuitous (not quite as bad as "Red Dahlia" though). Lastly, Kelly Reilly is not doing much for me yet, pretty if implausibly young-looking but limited in expression and pallid in presence.

For all the flaws that have been listed, there are things that are done well. The series looks great, the split screen is something that will and has divided viewers but was done interestingly and cleverly here to this reviewer, and the gritty but never overly-drab look is a good fit. The story at least didn't make me look at my watch or want to do something else, and there was some atmosphere (admittedly however there is an over-familiarity and there is a lack of suspense, which doesn't make 'Above Suspicion' as constantly gripping as it should). Despite his material not giving him much variety and such, Ciaron Hinds commands the screen very strongly.

However there are two excellent assets. Much has been said about Jason Durr, and this reviewer can only echo the near-unanimous raving over Durr's chillingly creepy performance, especially in the interrogation scene. As for the interrogation scene, that was the other highlight, nail-bitingly intense and effectively harrowing it is by far the best individual scene of 'Above Suspicion's' entire run.

All in all, reasonably decent but not particularly great. 5/10 Bethany Cox

Anna Travis (Kelly Reilly) is a new police detective. Her first day does not go well as a decomposing body is discovered. Her new boss DCI Langton (Ciarán Hinds) is her late father's mate. The dead woman is related to a whole series of dead women and a possible serial killer. American acting star Alan Daniels becomes the prime suspect. She begins a relationship with him and also investigates him.

This starts well with an adorable Reilly stumbling through her first day. Hinds is a great mentor character. These two characters have the potential for building a great police procedural. There is no mystery with only one main suspect. The other problem is that Anna goes from zero to a hundred in a flash. She's completely incompetent in the first ten minutes and she quickly turns into one of the best detectives. The show is over-extended and the flirtations between Travis and Langton are really creepy considering his relationship with her. He's basically a creepy uncle. It would be better to eliminate his connection to her father.

I actually like the cast of this series and I might have given it an 8 if it wasn't for the sickening and gratuitous violence against women. Men don't get murdered anymore or mutilated women is just too inviting. So sick of the lack of imagination and total reliance on sex and violence.

I quite liked this show and I am a fan of British murder mysteries. However I am not a fan of the creepy older man in a superior position of power over a subordinate, younger female employee (very inappropriate). It is particularly creepy that he was friends with her father and may have known her as a child. Why on earth would an attractive young woman be attracted to an elderly gentleman in that way?! Yes I understand the father figure aspect, but why make it sexual?! Just another show where they pair younger female actors with much older male actors- just stop. If it wasn't for that I enjoyed this show the 3rd one deadly intent was the most boring, the other 3 were generally entertaining.

As a fan of mystery/detective dramas, 'Above Suspicion' is yet to grip me. It is not a terrible series and does have its good points, but has several big flaws. So far "Deadly Intent" is the weakest of the three seasons seen so far (have yet to see the fourth).

Sure, it is filmed stylishly and atmospherically and the locations are used well. No drabness or choppy editing in sight. The story never makes you want to look at your watch or do something else, though it is never completely gripping. The villain has some menace to him.

On the other hand, there are still a lot wrong with "Deadly Intent". Kelly Reilly gives her worst performance of the series yet, her expression is so limited, her line delivery has little expression and she is incredibly wooden. You can never shake off the feeling that she is implausibly young either. Even Ciaran Hinds, who actually was pretty good in the first two series, is not enough to save "Deadly Intent". Again Langton is too much of a sleaze and is too cartoonish, and while Hinds is more commanding and involved than Reilly he chews the scenery here to uncomfortable and misplaced effect.

The characters fail to be interesting, instead riddled with badly written and explored clichés. The relationship between the two characters continues to be contrived. The sound continues to sometimes be sloppy and out of sync, the dialogue never sounds natural and while it has its moments the story is convoluted in places and throughout lacks tension or suspense. The ending doesn't ring true at all either.

In conclusion, didn't do much for me and manages to be weaker than the average at best previous two series. 4/10 Bethany Cox