The Vice

I enjoyed this series and watched all episodes. I was pleased when Kett Stott disappeared as I was getting tired of his character, anger and poor decision making.

Someone who has stayed too long in Vice. Some of the vice officers should have been removed as they were clearly not suited to that unit-Kirsty, Stewart and the other new constable (who likes to sample the prostitutes are clearly not Vice material. Joe is not a great leader and perhaps above his ceiling as an inspector and has difficulty making good decisions. However, the show goes on. Vice is a difficult area for anyone to work in. The acting all around was very good and the situations for the most part were believable. Tim Pigott-Smith is very good in his role but I was amazed that he went from a Sergeant about to retire in two weeks to an Inspector and then a Chief Inspector without writing any of the promotion exams and not retiring.

UK cop shows are exemplary at portraying the reality of police work and especially at uncovering the ineptitude and corruption of police officers and detectives. However, this series goes over the top. It's as vile in many episodes as the criminals it contains. Stott, known for his explosive, temperamental acting style, goes WAY over the top here. He screams, yells and berates when he's in a good mood. When he's not, it's almost comical the way he explodes in anger.

This is especially sad considering the plots, direction and writing are all quite fine otherwise. Too bad there aren't more moments of levity or real compassion to overwhelm the tantrums galore.

This is one of the cringiest series I've ever watched. I don't know if it was just the years it was made in or the subject matter but it's really hard to watch. I've never been a fan of old men attempting to seduce MUCH MUCH younger women maybe that's exactly how prostitution game works but even the "good" guys give me a major ick. Maybe it's just me being naive but these police officers in The Vice shouldn't be working in Vice. I would think they'd be transferred to another unit. Chief Inspector Frank Vickers is by far the scummiest excuse for a human being and how the hell is he still in charge of anything by season 5. The trope of making ALL the female characters all stupid and needing rescuing is a trope that needs to die. Only watch this series if you have a strong stomach.

I have only watched series 2. The plots are interesting enough - but really, they are almost beside the point. Yes, there are social issues, there are personal issues, there is some suspense, some romance and not hard to figure out plot twists. Also there is this big question. What always baffles non-British is why do British police (in TV series) so often go into knowingly risky, if not potentially fatal situations, unarmed and not backed up. It happens time and time again. It happens here. It happens in other British police, crime, legal series.

So, what is it that makes The Vice - so good? What impressed me was the very high quality of the actors. Their ongoing performances are stellar. There is a constant upward moving arc in character development, in their subtleties, and in the connections they make with their audience. Its ensemble casting at its best. Ken Stott is a master in every way. David Harewood and Caroline Catz are equally intriguing in their roles. The secondary characters are invariably terrific. Highly recommended.

It's 2022 and I just discovered this series. It is marvellously written and well acted. No series filmed in 2019-2022 can hold a candle to it. That is because it was not held to the boring constraints of wokeism and political correctness that makes so many series have the same plot and characters. I'm sure many others like me are searching for entertainment that is not part of the get woke or get shamed era. Every episode explores the dark underground world of vice cops. This series is so realistic and touches on the various ways seedy people prey on others to make a buck. The vice officers that deal with it keep you spellbound, shocked and sometimes heartbroken.