Criminal Record

First: wow. It's been such a long time since a crime drama kept me off my phone. The pacing is perfect for me as often crime drama's for me feel a little overdrawn not this one.

Cush Jumbo is as ever amazing in her role, Peter Capaldi was also brilliant I even forgot about his previous roles I usually think of when I see him (Sid's dad in Skins and his roles in Doctor Who).

The twist at the end was genuinely surprising (I'm pretty good at this whodunnit game) and here I am writing a review to recommend anyone thinking of watching it to do exactly that.

Lastly I think there is enough left from the season to justify a second season and I really hope they renew this one rather than leaving it to fade as a limited series.

I really enjoyed Criminal Record. Some reviewers claim they've seen the same story a thousand times, but that's nonsense. Yes, it's a police procedural, but there are a bunch of different threads interwoven that keep the viewer guessing until the final scene - and then opens up another possible can of worms right before the credits roll. The acting by the two leads (Jumbo and Capaldi) is first-rate. They play off each other like a cat and a mouse - and neither of them is above breaking the rules to get what they want. As far as complaints that the show is too long and drawn out, I hear that time and again about pretty much every show I watch. Personally, I think people have forgotten about letting a story unfold at its own pace, rather than cramming non-stop action and cliffhangers into every episode. Criminal Record may not be the best or most original show ever, but I think 8.5/10 is a fair rating for this excellent series. I don't think Apple TV+ has any plans for another season, but if they do I'll certainly be watching.

I may be wrong, but this is IMDB, people, and TV shows are TV shows.

It gets complicated when we use the reviews tab for debating politics, racism or political correctness instead of assessing a production as a whole, or try to 'punish' the show with a poor review just because the angle or the ideas portrayed in the plot do not match our view of the world. Yes, it happens, sometimes we get incensed about some messages (this is not the case, Criminal Record is certainly not about the message), but, as a reader seeking for reviews before watching a show, I prefer less opinionated perspectives and find them more helpful.

In purely cinematographic terms, this is a quite enjoyable show, even though the theme is not new to the genre and has already been visited before by quite a few crime and procedural series.

However, the premise still holds, and so far the story is intriguing enough and ambiguous enough to feed the mystery about how things will resolve in the end. You wonder, is the 'bad guy' really that terribly bad or is he not, and a surprise awaits at the end of the season?

It is a pleasure to watch the extraordinary performances of Peter Capaldi (kudos) and a very accomplished Cush Jumbo, who add complexity and nuances to their characters.

Capaldi, in particular, is magnificent. His facial expressions are austere and exuberant at the same time (how does he do it?).

All the supporting roles are well performed and the script hooks the spectators enough to have them waiting for the next chapter. It is not The Wire, it is not Line of Duty, and it stretches some plot lines a bit. But it is still a fine show. I have watched a few hundreds of procedural and detective shows, and this, so far, I am enjoying.

As Episode 1 of "Criminal Record; 2024 release from the UK; 8 episodes ranging from 43 to 53 min) opens, we are in London, and introduced to Chief Inspector Hagerty, who does an Uber-like gig on the side for extra money. In a parallel story, a woman is calling 999 (the British equivalent of our 911) to report domestic abuse by her boyfriend. Along the way, the caller makes an astonishing revelation about a crime committed in 2012... At this point we are 10 minutes into Episode 1.

Couple of comments: this crime mini-series is the brainchild of British writer and producer Paul Rutman ("Indian Summers"). Here he brings the story of how a Black man may have been wrongly convicted and imprisoned for a crime committed over a decade ago. The mini-series is plot heavy so the less said, the better. Suffice to say that it plots a senior cop who is a white male against a junior cop who is a Black female. Things are tense from the get-go. Check out the very first meeting (in Episode 1) between the two lead characters. To say things are awkward and uncomfortable would be a serious understatement. It also sets the table nicely for things to come. Not enough praise can be given to the lead performers: Peter Capaldi and Cush Jumbo are simply stellar, and the key reason why this miji-series makes for great viewing.

"Criminal Record" premiered on Apple TV a few weeks back. We are now exactly halfway through. The remainder 4 episodes will be released on Wednesday evenings. I just caught up with the initial 4 episodes, and can attest that there is good reason why "Criminal Record" us currently rated 90% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. If you are in the mood for a top quality crime mini-series, Id; readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.

It took me a while to get into this series, but I'm glad I did.

It accurately captures the zeitgeist of inner-city policing during the austerity years; over a decade of funding cuts mixed with the normalisation of xenophobia and racism that were an inevitable consequence.

It's a (very) slow burn that frequently keeps the viewer flipping between sympathies. Personally, I love a series that challenges me to keep guessing who are the good guys and who are the bad guys! Ably assisted in this drama by a superb cast whose complex characters you couldn't help but like.

Simply put, Criminal Record could be described as a dish best served cold. And for everyone who didn't make it to the end? Your loss.

The last 10 minutes made the wait soooooo worthwhile! Well played everyone.