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Reviews
Judge John Deed (2001)
Romancing the Judge
A High Court Judge torn between both several lovers (in adultery or otherwise) and the boundaries of justice. For a student of the law almost a text book of cases of likelihood of bias, undue influence, zig-zagging on the straight and narrow and kiss and tell. However, that may well be the reality of major cases. There is no way of escaping the Judge. He is at his best battling with the politicians who would like to stage convictions, mistrials and favoring the cronies of the economy. He is humbled but not humiliated by the women he can't resist. He is brought to modesty by ex-partners, daughters, best friends and those who love him as much as they hate him, without ever being brought to his knees. And the wig does become him as well.
Waking the Dead (2000)
Quality without an end
Trevor Eve has come a long way from Shoestring to Boyd. The level of discussions mixed with the passion for the trade is not that unusual. However, the team of men and women of various ages and personalities is so much in the balance that even the worst crimes have more to offer than a mere solution. Cold case teams bring the hot pot to life again and many a criminal had better be stone cold him/herself before trusting that Frankie as the shopkeeper and the other as the forefront fighters won't find out. It is hard to choose between the episodes: one can only hope that more igneous criminals come to a fall. There is always another tree behind which they will not be able to hide.
Dalziel and Pascoe: For Love Nor Money (2002)
Dalziel reaches another height
Andy Dalziel seems to be fighting against his ghosts from the past, as he finds out that there is much more to the death of his colleague (hours after his retirement) than just the involvement of someone who walked because of the errors of that retired colleague. For a man of such ample proportions, he surely can deal with details. Dalziel and Pascoe are amongst England's finest. Not Morse, nor Midsomer murders, but still very much a class of their own. Miss Quick is wonderful as she combines female power in uniform with the sheer elegance of a truly mature actress. If only Peter Pascoe could produce a genuine smile. Qui custodet ipso custodes (who shall overlook the over-lookers).
Dalziel and Pascoe: Sins of the Fathers (2002)
Various lives come together on the border between charity and discipline
Investigating several murders, Andy Dalziel and Peter Pascoe bring to light the dark secrets shared by children "saved" from a orphans home. A priest, who has decided to cover up some of his colleague's crimes, is confronted with the truth at last. The addition of several incidents and accidents to what started out as a simple case, brings DI Dalziel close to pains of his youth and the truth about the past of his mother. The last part, where Dalziel is consoled by the last words of his dying sister - tied into the maze of links as well, is a beauty as such. The more intriguing bit, however, is when the nurse tells Pascoe something just happened before Andy came to the hospital - an emotive scene around a man who is a notorious hard cookie.
Inspector Morse (1987)
in 33 episodes, a hero without glory loses to no one but himself
Save for a trip to Australia, all episodes deal with murders in and around Oxford. For each of his character traits, ways of behaving and addictions one can either admire Morse or frown on him. But even if you don't like a Jaguar MK II, drinking beer or whiskey, Wagner and other classical composers, letting someone else pay for the drinks and falling in love with the wrong women, you will not be able to deny that the intellect, love, loyalty, courage, stamina, wit, tenacity and sometimes blunt hum-our, brought about by Morse and Sergeant Lewis and quite a few others (Strange and sometimes very beautiful coroners) has seldom been combined in this manner. (A Touch of)Frost is more human, Barnaby (Midsomer Murders) kinder and Dalziel (and Pascoe) grouchier than the late great John Thaw, but no one adds up like Inspector Morse.