Silk

I Loved This. But you need to know some stuff about U.K. Law.

1. In the U.K. there are barristers and solicitors; each practicing law. However only the barristers plead their cases in court. 2. So it is up to the solicitors to do the legal ground-work and then 'hire' a barrister to represent their client in court. And so, 3. Barristers market themselves to solicitors, hoping to get their 'business', and, 4. Barrister Law firms have 'Clerks' whose responsibilities include this marketing function. And finally, 5. Barrister Law firms can represent the 'government' much like District Attorneys do in the U.S.. So it is possible for a Barrister firm to represent both the defendant and plaintiff in the same case.

Maxine Peak and Rupert Penry Jones play Senior Barristers in the same firm, both vying for the position of 'Silk' which entitles them to appear in a higher level capacity. Both attorneys are more than capable, both have lives outside their professions, but the law is always at their centers. Neil Stuke plays the firm's Senior Clerk whose marketing schemes often are the cause of upset within the firm.

The Series ran for three years; six episodes per year, for a total of eighteen. There is an over-arching story to the eighteen episodes; how will the attorneys adjust their moral compasses as required by the demands of their work. That said, each episode does have its own conclusion; each 'closed case' adding to the cumulative effect on the attorneys.

If the series has a weakness it's the character played by Rupert Penry Jones. He is portrayed as the most handsome man in the history of time; every woman he meets hopes to bed him, and most do. It is a tiresome plot device and should have been discarded early on. That said, the series' 'heroine' played by Maxine Peak is one of those women. And we like and respect her so very much that her pursuit of Jones is somehow ...... disquieting. Unnerving. She deserves better.

One final point. Some reviewers have found fault with the series' closing episode. Final seconds, in fact.

Not I.

I believe that the comments of a solicitor (see earlier reviews) are completely true and the series is far from being realistic. But am I enjoying watching House (being a doctor of medicine myself) because it is realistic? Lol. Of course not, if I would judge it from realistic side, time, diagnostic, budget and ethical constrains we have in real life, House is an annoying and superficial series, turning medicine into a tragicomic theater - but I choose to relax and enjoy the show. Same applies to Silk.

Like House, the fun of Silk lies mostly in its dialogs and, to some extent, non verbal communication and narcissistic characters (in and out of the court). Note I agree Silk lacks building of the characters. We only learn about Martha. We are becoming almost obsessed with her, as the camera frequently stays on her face for loooong time. Thus, not much place left for others or to put in some more of a story. However, I need to disagree with the previous reviewer about Clive Reader character. The comment about him was: "When he is not being a jackass, he's as nice and loyal as a puppy." Emmm .... This sounds like a stereotype of a successful alpha man and I definitely know a few like him (unfortunately not that cute to be worth making use of it).

I am a bit puzzled how some characters (Kate Brockman? - I thought she was allowed to stay?) disappear completely out of series as new ones get introduced. We miss the old ones, too. Am very puzzled over John Bright character as well. We are allowed to glance at his stunning and gorgeous appearance in almost every chapter, never to touch under surface - I wonder about his work and why is he sitting in the office ... Acting is good, but many times slightly exaggerated (theater style) - an example would be Jake Milner character. Pushing it a bit too far (but cute anyway).

The series seems underrated to me at IMDb. I promise it wont insult your intellect if you understand the concerns I raised above and have no expectations of any realism. It will give you an interesting drama, tension and sublime interactions. I love it, even though it looses its way at times. I think it is very enjoyable, much more than any other series I have seen.

It truly was a pretty muddled, empty ending, to what for most every episode was a highly entertaining series. And it could have easily gone on for at minimum another couple seasons had they just maintained average storyline quality. But to end it the way they did really doesn't do justice to the exceptional character portrayal by one of the UK's top-notch actors. One with the greatest dialogue and integrity of the entire lot just disappearing into the night without comment... really??!! That's what they dreamed up this wonderful series coming to.. leaving all to the sleazy, office-manager screwing egocentric!! As it was nearing the end, a first thought was that would definitely like to see them keep the story going, but now they've pretty much ruined all future expectation and excitement for that ever happening. They've blown up that hope in such a way it could never be meaningful again... what an absolute, bs waste.

Rumpole fans already know the drill—solicitors (though we don't see much of them) deal with the clients and prepare a brief, barristers plead the case in court, either for the defense or the prosecution, and a small platoon of clerks take care of the business side. Experienced barristers who make the right moves can hope to "take silk," or be appointed to the privileged caste of Queen's Counsel (more prestigious cases, better money, even a bigger wig).

Maxine Peake is refreshingly unglamorous, with her crunchy Northern accent, and projects a wonderful intensity as one such barrister; Rupert Penry-Jones is well matched as a cynical, corner-cutting rival. This series does office politics extremely well; the first time we watched, I was blown away by a couple of brilliant scenes in which Neil Stuke, as Billy, the hard-nosed senior clerk, fights off a coup attempt and turns one of his big earners who's trying to defect. Apart from the climactic murder trial, court cases are a lot less flashy than you'd find in a show like "The Good Wife," but story lines are brisk, engaging, sometime surprising (Colombian drug mule explains why she's better off in prison); interesting that in the UK it's a criminal offense to own (or be) a pitbull. Supporting honors go to GoT's Natalie Dormer as a "spoony" (born with a silver one in her mouth, i.e.) pupil, Tom Hughes as a not-so-spoony pupil and Nina Sosanya as a mutinous junior barrister.

Here's hoping that the next few seasons will turn up before long on PBS and eventually on Netflix.

Really enjoyed all the series. Good cast of powerful but flawed characters. Variety of cases and situations kept it flowing. Terribly disappointed in the weak ending. I have no problem with leaving situations open and unsolved, but this was simply poor quality, cheap and lazy scriptwriting. The series deserved a better ending.