Insoupçonnable

Typically busy, far-fetched crime drama from the well-worn pen of Lynda LapLante, played out as usual over three nights on prime-time ITV. Like its channel-mate "Trial and Retribution", it attempts to follow the successful trail of the Helen Mirren-starring "Prime Suspect" in laudably centring the sleuthing on a female character, in this case Kelly Reilly. However, whereas in "Prime Suspect", there was an undercurrent of down-to-earth realism, particularly in the lead character's portrayal, here you have to suspend all disbelief as Miss Reilly has to fend off almost everything in trousers, including the again almost cartoonishly over-the-top Ciaran Hinds as the tough-as-nails, bring-me-a-sandwich DCI to whom she reports.This she courts by permanently wearing a short skirt and high heels even when on muddy crime-scene locations together with pancaked make up and a pout that would put Victoria Beckham to shame.

Better to sidestep all this Betty Boop stuff, very possibly deliberate genre-subversion by LaPlante and concentrate on the story itself, which while lacking some originality as a heavyweight drug-dealer attempts to flood the UK with a deadly addictive drug and gets into complications with his ex-wife, her sister, his brother and a Columbian cartel hot on his trail, nevertheless by turns winds and rattles along to a big finish. Said drug-baron, to escape pursuit, pulls the old "Face-Off" transplant, before escaping the chasing Reilly and Hinds in a car versus plane set-piece, which I first remember seeing years ago, in "Charley Varrick".

At least the bad guy got away, reducing the perceived omnipotence of Reilly who seems blessed with the unfortunate gift of delayed-reaction photographic recall, which sees her periodically divine impossible clues just too late to help solve the actual case.

There's no doubt there'll be another entry in the series, if only to play out the hackneyed affair which has been beckoning for some time between the two leads. I'll watch it because I quite like high production TV crime procedurals, which this certainly is, but I won't kid myself that it's anything more than contrived pulp fiction at the end of the day.

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.

Laura LaPlante has written many excellent scripts for British television, notably Prime Suspect and one of my favorites, the 1992 version of "Framed." Here she gives us "Above Suspicion," starring Kelly Reilly and Ciaran Hinds. The story arcs are done in a series of episodes -- the first story, about a serial killer, guest-starred Jason Durr in a fantastic performance, and the second story concerned someone who was copying the Black Dahlia murders. It was so interesting to me that the British detectives had never heard of the Black Dahlia, which in America is a famous case.

These episodes are pretty graphic. Kelly Reilly, as a woman in a man's world has a lethargic way about her, giving the impression that she can't do her job. I think this is an acting choice. - quiet, obedient, but resourceful and smart. It's not a particularly well-written role. Reilly is gorgeous, with striking coloring and a beautiful figure, and very intense eyes that seem to bore into the various characters. The script seems to depend a lot on the camera work, with her in closeup. The role definitely could be stronger.

Ciaran Hinds plays the somewhat unpleasant boss. He does a good job, almost too good because I really don't care for him.

Good enough that I would watch another episode if one came out on Netflix.

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.

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