I have read the P. D. James novel 4 times in the last 2 years -- one of my all-time favorites. I was a little dismayed at first when this old TV series took so many liberties with the plot. But I decided to watch it without comparing it to the beautiful literary style of James which, of course, could never be captured on screen. I didn't quite understand all the machinations of the Stavros group and its connections, and I hated it when they used two actresses (Katja Kersten and Mel Martin) who looked so much alike. That always complicates the viewing of any show when it is not necessary to the plot.
Roy Marsden played the part of Dalgliesh perfectly: there to do his job and do it right without any emotion getting in the way. Yet in the end, the last scene with Debra Riscoe reveals his softer side and hints at a romance to come. Maybe that was too squishy for the denoument, but it had been a very hard-driving 6 episodes and this choice of endings gave it a soft place to land.
There were an awful lot of characters, but it was handled well by the script writer who kept it from getting too muddy. And the killing of Stavros understandable, especially if you'd read the book which contains much commentary about the doctor's suffering during the war. I enjoyed it, but as usual, the book was far better.
Roy Marsden played the part of Dalgliesh perfectly: there to do his job and do it right without any emotion getting in the way. Yet in the end, the last scene with Debra Riscoe reveals his softer side and hints at a romance to come. Maybe that was too squishy for the denoument, but it had been a very hard-driving 6 episodes and this choice of endings gave it a soft place to land.
There were an awful lot of characters, but it was handled well by the script writer who kept it from getting too muddy. And the killing of Stavros understandable, especially if you'd read the book which contains much commentary about the doctor's suffering during the war. I enjoyed it, but as usual, the book was far better.