Prime Suspect 2

The always calm, clear thinking, and very busy Brit Detective Jane Tennison (Mirren) is back in "Primary Suspect 2" solving a pornography laced murder case while mired in police brutality allegations and suspicions of inappropriate conduct involving an affair with a fellow cop. This edition of "PS" is more emotionally charged than the first and rumbles with racial undercurrents. However, like the first in the series, it ends abruptly with unresolved issues and plenty of room for a follow up installment. Okay stuff for sofa spuds into realistic police/crime drama tv fare out of the UK. (C+)

DCI Jane Tennisson finds herself having a bit awkward case involving a body in decomposion for over 3 years. It is supposed to be a black girl living in the neighbourhood where she lived, abused by a white man. The story reveals some rasisim from the british policeman regarding the black neighbourhood. Also DCI Tennison finds herself with an affair with one of her colleague-detectives, who is also black. Hellen Mirren does a great job acting in the second part of this mini-series.

People are compulsive liars, so finding grain of truth inside a lie is detective work.

I've seen three of the Prime Suspects and I like the series a great deal. This one messes up. I don't expect perfection. I tolerate the usual contrivances of the genre. The fatal narrative flaw here is that the plot starts with one girl's murder and never ties the pieces together, even though the mother of the girl plays a predominate, even intrusive role, this lead guest character disappears entirely. There's enough pieces to put the mystery to rest but it lies literally and figuratively jumbled on the evidence table. There needed to be a resolving scene with the principle victim's mother. I enjoy the intradepartmental friction and the political issues. Not at the price of dramatic satisfaction. After reading in other reviews that the writer/creator did not write this one, it makes sense. I like to understand cultural frictions in other societies, as well as ours; it's a disappointment that this didn't satisfy me on their own initial question. I can forgive this series one serious lapse because it's well done, in cinematography, directing, casting, and acting. I was so incredulous and felt betrayed - I saw it twice to be sure, I didn't miss it.

I didn't it wasn't there. I hope the other three parts are not as disappointing as this one.

Yes, this terrific four-hour (really 3.? hours) miniseries (actually, just a long movie when you think about it) deserves far more accolades on this here site.

I don't have much to add, except to say that I thought this was a notable improvement on PS I -- truly impressive stuff that, for me, didn't QUITE live up to the hype.

This one, however, exceeds it. If you're a fellow fan of T.V. police procedurals, this is possibly better than even the very best episodes of "Homicide" and definitely far more fleshed out and believable than any episode of "Cracker" -- and with an lead actor every bit the equal of the amazing Robbie Coltrane. This one was powerful stuff indeed, upsetting at times, complex in the best possible way and constantly fascinating.

And Helen Mirren as Jane Tennyson is, in her own way, almost as morally ambiguous and psychologically messed up as poly-addicted Fitz of "Cracker"...In a world where most movie cops fear promotions and the specter of a desk job more than death itself, she just may be the first truly careerist detective hero.

The only thing missing is that there's little humor here, but that's probably appropriate too. In the case of Jane Tennyson, a policeman's lot is definitely not a happy one!