Above Suspicion

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.

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.

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

Travis doesn't have a clue about how to dress for a crime scene. Her main focus seems to be attracting admirers. Although her eye make-up is extensive in every scene, she apparently hasn't any idea how to comb her hair. These are all minor diversions that keep the viewer from getting involved in the plot. At the end of one episode, she sceams "I love you" to her superior officer, who's been dismissive of her - what the hell is there for her to love?

It's a miracle that this squad solves any of the crimes the writers have devised. They devised a squad that seems to be made up of about 30 people, but they have no idea how to solve crimes.