Prime Suspect: The Lost Child

Having loved the first three 'Prime Suspect' series, when seeing all the episodes and series over-time since reviewing the first instalment a year ago, expectations were understandably very high. They were met with 'The Lost Child' but not quite surpassed.

'The Lost Child' is very good, terrific in its best moments and almost all elements are spot-on, just not quite as good as the first three series before it. It introduced quite a few changes in format, including Lynda La Plante not being involved and the lengths of the episodes being shorter, for the fourth series (of which 'The Lost Child' is part of) it was three cases clocking in around just over five hours overall for 'Prime Suspect IV' rather than one case split into two halves like in the first three 'Prime Suspect' series.

On the most part, the changes worked well. Parts of the story do feel slightly on the rushed side with the shorter length and while the climax was very powerful the final twist was not particularly a surprise. With that being said, it was somewhat of a good thing for the pacing to be tighter and not have quite as much filler (in no way intended to knock the first three series, just a comparative observation).

It is stylishly and cleverly filmed, with slick editing and atmospheric lighting, and there is a consistently wonderful atmosphere throughout. It is very gritty, if not quite as dark as 'Prime Suspect III', and effectively claustrophobic and even though the pacing is tighter it is also still deliberate. It is very hard to forget the music score too. The scripting, like its predecessor, is some of the best there is of any mystery/detective drama, being superbly constructed and intelligent.

Story-telling is very compelling and twisty, with an atmosphere that is gritty and harrowing but also intricate and honest. It is a complex story that keeps one guessing right up to the end while also being easy to follow. Tennison's personal life is balanced very well.

Jane Tennison continues to be an interesting character, the character and the depiction of the police force was very ahead of the time back in the 90s and holds much fascination now even if not so novel.

Helen Mirren gives a typically magnificent performance in the lead. Close behind her is a brilliant performance from Robert Glenister (it is agreed that his performance has inexplicably not been mentioned enough here), one that is chilling but very conflicted.

Altogether, harrowing and often terrific if a slight step down from what came before. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Jane Tennison (Helen Mirren) has been newly promoted to Superintendent. She has a short unknown hospitalization. The first case is an abducted baby. Somebody knocked Susan Covington unconscious and stole her baby Vicki. Chris Hughes becomes the prime suspect but Anne Sutherland provides him with an alibi. The case hits home for Tennison. Mistakes by subordinates puts Anne and her family in danger.

The Prime Suspect episodes get shortened from its four hour TV running time in half. It's much more of a TV police procedural and it works better as such. It doesn't feel stretched out. Helen Mirren is great as usual. There is less filler which results in a higher intensity although the final twist is easily foreseen.

Sometimes the authorities have feet of clay. What looks open and shut proves to be anything but. This episode begins with Jane having an abortion. At the same time, a young single mother faces the terror of having her child kidnapped. Jane's guilt plays a factor in this episode, although it is delicately downplayed. A man who has been convicted as a pedophile is immediately made a suspect, and because the woman who has lost her child saw him once in a park, it is assumed he is guilty. No other suspects are investigated. Also, there is damning stuff brought out and, hence, the police become relentless. At one point the cops are sent to pick him up. He runs and he is beaten and ultimately thrown in front of a van. This is a really intense episode where we get to see how cockeyed things can get when objectivity flies out the window. The acting is superb, particularly that of the guy who is being pursued. Mirren is solid, as usual. This series which I had never heard of, is a hallmark of British television.

I didn't expect to see Helen Mirren over-acting in so many scenes, but the time constraints (1hr 40) meant the director packed in every reaction he/she could think of..

The great thing about Prime Suspect is the time given to develop both the stories and the characters. Such time gives the actors an opportunity to show their skill, but in this episode there is a lot of crap acting - too rushed and overly dramatic.

The detective work is also a bit too contrived - it's all too quick and easy.

Parts 1-3 are superb, and I am pleased to see that 5 is back to the length needed for quality TV.

I recommend skipping this episode.

"Prime Suspect 4" continues the exploits of the inscrutable and dogged seeker of truth and justice, Detective Superintendent Jane Tennison; the first of three miniseries (PS4, PS5, & PS6) with the notable absence of founding writer Lynda La Plante from the credits. Imbued with the same gritty reality of the first three series, the second three series pit Tennison against the forces of evil while coping with middle age, loneliness, indiscretions, a host of personal and professional problems, and resolutions which are sometimes less than ideal. PS4 conjures two stories while PS5 & PS6 are single episodes each which find Tennison seeking justice on behalf of the brutally wronged while waging war against institutions which are willing to sacrifice the interests of her victims for those of a greater good. In other words, to prevail, Tennison must overcome both evil and good forces, something which makes the always gray scenarios of the PS series yet grayer and the Tennison wars as much a matter of principle as of finding murderers. Very good stuff which only gets better from series to series. (B+)