Catch Me A Killer

11 episodes, 11 cases, 11 serial killers, exactly zero are memorable. We get endless scenes of profiler Micki Pistorius lighting cigarette after cigarette, closeups of her face looking blank (but she's thinking DEEP and TORTURED thoughts, we're meant to believe), and then when she talks, it's not exactly the stuff of genius. This show needed a lot more of the science of profiling.

And please explain how her alleged skills actually CAUGHT anyone? Then, after a killer is caught, she's supposed to swoop in and save the day by coaxing a confession out of him - with basically "tell me about your childhood." That's apparently all it takes for a killer to suddenly confess? PUH-LEEZE.

I had no idea what this was when I started the show. Despite part of this being hard to watch - it's very well done. This is the true story of horrific crimes, but I give the series credit for showing the crimes in a respectful way. There is not much gratuitous violence - most of what we see of the crimes comes from the profiler and her reactions to them. We also see what happens to a person when they are exposed to so much violence. Nobody can see terrible things every day without consequences.

The landscape of South Africa looks incredible, and it's a stark contrast to the crimes committed. The acting is great - Charlotte Hope is amazing. The direction is good. It's a bit slow, but appropriate for its subject matter. You can tell it's based in the 90s - they caught that vibe perfectly.

Give it a watch - it's a bit sad, but a very good series.

A lot of firsts in this series, and the message comes across very strongly. Profilers were few and far between in the nineties even in the US let alone in South Africa. Micki Pistorius is a pioneer in the field, so much so that she gets the attention of Robert Ressler, who defined the term, serial killer.

The series takes the viewer on a journey of the first South African profile as she goes about solving cases of many serial killers. All are real cases. I never knew there were so many serial killers operating in South Africa.

It's well made and a little concerning but well worth watching. I recommend it.

The first episode was very good. I remembered that case as it was splashed all over the news and serial killers were still something not really heard of then. No-one quite believed it at first - apparently such a well liked and respected teacher. Just goes to show, never judge a book by its cover. I thought the episode was well acted and gripping.

Things sort of dropped off thereafter as she steadily became more unlikeable. I have no idea what she is like in real life, but god she must have been hard work, even with making allowances for the exceptionally horrendous circumstances she had to work in.

I know a lot of people smoked back in the day, but jeez she was like a walking coffin.

The settings were very authentic though and the supporting actors were good.

As a long-time fan of UK crime dramas, Scandi noir, Korean revenge films and series, this one piqued my attention. I'm nearly done with it and it's only been a couple days, so that's a good sign.

The series opens with a bit of a reference to Cracker (UK), and throughout there are touches of UK forensic psychology dramas like Wire in the Blood and Touch of Evil, as well as Prime Suspect for the resistance local police departments put up to psychological profiling and detective work.

The stories are all true. Most are just one episode, which is unfortunate insofar as there's less of the juicy build we are accustomed to with classic crime series. There's also a bit of rotation amongst the actors, as the crimes occur in different places.

These are not crimes that we get to try to solve - it's not a puzzle crime mystery series.

But if you've ever wondered if ScandiNoir can be done in a bright and sunny location, the answer would be yes.

Charlotte Hope does a fantastic job. Not unlike Holly Grainger's step up from her partner role in CB Strike to lead in The Capture (also good!).