Murphy's Law

I'm a huge fan of UK/Irish crime dramas and mysteries, but this one did not work for me. The Murphy character is a cartoon Irishman, shallowly- drawn and made of cardboard. The plots are pretty unrealistic. Murphy is like a character in an Irish joke, a jerk who can out-drink, out-seduce, out-daredevil anybody.

This series is one step above reality TV. I found myself wondering why I should care about whether Murphy gets killed or not. He didn't seem much more likable than the thugs he was out to get.

In every episode, he should, by all rights, be killed, but of course, he squeaks by every time. This series is all bravado and no brains. If you want something with a tiny amount of intelligence and plausibility, look elsewhere. For an Irish drama that's worth watching, I recommend "Single-Handed".

I wasn't sure whether I would love Murphy's Law, the fact is I do. It is gripping and very well structured, perhaps a little bleak at times, but hey Taggart is bleak as well, well sort of. One thing I like about Murphy's Law is how it is shot. The photography is very well done, and the scenery is atmospheric. The music also adds to the gritty and tense atmosphere that is evident in some episodes. And then all this is coupled with some brilliant writing that is gritty yet intelligent, taut direction and interesting and well structured story lines. But I can't write this review without mentioning James Nesbitt in the title role of Tommy Murphy, a great actor who gives a superb performance throughout, bitter and indifferent, yet we love him for those reasons. Some episodes are indeed stronger than others, but it is like that with almost every show ever in existence. 10/10 for a very gripping detective series, and well worth watching for Nesbitt especially. Bethany Cox

I'm late to the party, but spotted this on Prime and decided to give it a go. I'm really glad I did. This is a fantastic series; well written, with fine acting, and as believable as these shows go. James Nesbitt is perfect in this role; Murphy is a complex and memorable character with plenty of great one liners mixed in.

It's been nearly two decades since it initially aired, and it still holds up well.

My wife and I just completed this series. We really liked it. It is very tense due to the undercover assignments that Murphy gets: one mistake and he is dead. James Nesbitt is great as Murphy.

It shines when it stays local. When it tries to dive into international waters like with the Yakuza or the Russian mob, it fails spectacularly. It's easy enough to skip any episode that's not to your liking without missing much of the throughline. The most difficult suspension of disbelief is accepting Murphy undercover as a lounge singer. He's terrible. The show mostly holds up even almost 20 years after its debut. Worth the 2atch if you're not expecting too much from it.