Waking the Dead

I'd give this series a 10 minus if I could. This series is so compelling, I lack the words to express it. And that's saying something for me.

We just finished viewing season six on BBC America, and I say with greatest admiration that I hope it comes back for as many seasons as the producers, actors and writers wish. You have a willing viewer, here.

I also wish BBC America would show the whole of each episode. Some of the jump cuts between scenes create periodic non sequitors. It appears as though parts of the narrative are shaved off to make room for advertisements.

Trevor Eve may be one of the best actors I've ever seen.

I've been watching the series on BBC America. Turned it on part-way through an episode and haven't turned away yet. It is exceptionally well-written and well-acted and positively disturbing. Love it. I was especially impressed with the most recent episode, "Into Thin Air." Actually taped it and sent it to my sister the mystery buff, who doesn't have cable. She passed it on to our parents (who don't have cable, either). Mom wants to see more. If anyone from the BBC is reading this, PLEASE SEND MORE!

We very much enjoyed the characters Grace, Mel, Spence, Frankie and Felix. However, Peter Boyd, their boss, is a pain. He constantly yells and berates his staff. We tried to stay with the show - we're in season 6 - but we're done with Boyd and his tantrums. In to something else.

Trevor Eve ( Boyd) must have gone to the Loud School of Acting it's unfortunate , he yells and berates ,creates a toxic workplace and his charm offensive after ( too little ,too late) seems smarmy and insincere .. however we love the rest of the cast and watch it in spite of Boyd's histrionics.

I adore this show--the writing is excellent, the cases are intriguing, and the actors are very, very good (especially the lady who place Grace, the far-too patient Psychiatrist profiler of the team.

The one part of the show I can't stand is the way Boyd, the leader of the team treats his people. He talks down to them, berates them, humiliates them, and is a blatant hypocrite. Some of his actions during interviews of suspects are so out of line that in real life, he would have--and should have been fired. In at least one show, he is directly responsible for the deaths of others, due to the way he handles the case (and I am tempted to believe that this occurs--directly or indirectly, more than once).

I'm currently into the 6th season, and if anything, his behavior gets progressively worse, but like abused children forever trying to earn their abusers' love, his team is desperately loyal while at the same time overtly exasperated and upset by the way he treats them. In real life, no one would willingly work for this jerk. None of this dynamic is accidental or incidental, the characters and their interactions are obviously written this way--and the acting by the cast is spot on, not a false note among them--including the actor who plays Boyd. I just can't fathom why the writers would continue to paint this character in such a dreadful light. I find it extremely distracting and perplexing in an otherwise excellent and interesting crime show.

I've grown to hate Boyd so much that I actually stopped watching the show for several months. And that's just sad, because it really is an excellent program with interesting and unique cases that avoid cliché, and characters that avoid stereotype. I keep waiting for Boyd to get a wake-up call and change his ways, but so far, after watching most of the 6 seasons, his behavior gets progressively worse with no improvement in sight. Just be forewarned.