Taggart (TV Series) Knife Edge: Part One (1986) User Reviews

Possibly the best episode of vintage Taggart.

[bethwilliam · 8/10 · 14 March 2006]

A truck driver stops beside a busy road and discovers a severed arm. The following day a fisherman finds a leg and it looks like a murderer is disposing of his victim one piece at a time. Thus begins possibly the best episode of Taggart starring Mark McManus.

This is the fourth episode in the series and the story line continues to develop the characters that have become familiar to us. We learn why Jean Taggart is in a wheel chair and discover that Jim Taggart is starting to question his future in the marriage. We also see the seeds of discontent which lead to Detective Peter Livingston eventually leaving the series.

Alex Norton gives a brilliant performance as the primary suspect while Corrine Harris shines as the love interest.

Taggart is not formula TV. The writing is clever, the story lines are complex and will keep you guessing right to the end. But perhaps the reason I enjoyed this episode more than others is the way in which Glasgow is put on display. The camera work throughout this episode is brilliant.

Classic early Taggart

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 16 October 2017]

This ain't no boy scout jamboree....

A severed arm is discovered by the side of a motorway, soon after a severed leg is pulled out of the water. Taggart and Livingstone are called in to investigate. Taggart faces a personal crisis, battling his demons over his marriage, and struggling to work alongside Livingstone, whom he has very little in common with.

I'm struck by the real quality in these early episodes, and this one seems to stand out in particular, it's a very intriguing mystery, with some quite grizzly elements, you are kept guessing the outcome right the way through. Some very interesting characters, including the private and secretive George Bryce, brilliantly played by future show lead Alex Norton.

Both stories in this series are high quality, Knife Edge gets off to a fine start.

I especially loved the nightclub scenes, seems funny to see how they partied in the eighties, love it.

They've definitely changed things up a little, Kenny has been brought in,

I liked Livingstone as a character, Duncan is a quality actor, Peter is very much the man of action, chases, sprinting, tennis, it was never going to work between him and Taggart, Mike always seemed the more balanced fit. Poor Peter, everything happens to him.

Gritty, quality drama.

8/10.

On the edge

[TheLittleSongbird · 9/10 · 6 August 2018]

Have always adored detective dramas/mystery series. This has been apparent from an early age, half my life even, when getting into Agatha Christie through Joan Hickson's Miss Marple and David Suchet's Poirot and into 'Inspector Morse'.

Whether it's the more complex ones like 'Inspector Morse' (and its prequel series 'Endeavour') and anything Agatha Christie. Whether it's the grittier ones like 'A Touch of Frost' (though that is balanced brilliantly with comedy too). And whether it's the light-hearted ones like 'Murder She Wrote'. 'Taggart' is one of the biggest examples of the grittier ones, especially the Mark McManus years and the earlier James MaPherson episodes.

"Knife Edge" is very good for such early 'Taggart'. There is a sense of things still settling and not yet found its groove understandably, with it dragging slightly occasionally, but what made 'Taggart' such a good show when it was in its prime is evident here. The characterisation here is meatier than seen previously, therefore more interesting with more development to Taggart.

Really like the slick, gritty look and Glasgow is like an ominous character on its own. The music matches the show's tone and has a good amount of atmosphere while the theme song/tune is one that stays in the memory for a long time. The relationship between Taggart and Livingstone is nice enough and getting stronger all the time if still evolving.

As to be expected, "Knife Edge" is thoughtfully scripted with nothing ridiculous happening and things being taken seriously without being too morose. The story is involving in its complexity with nothing being what it seems, making the most of the long length (have generally found the 2000s episodes too short and rushed) without padding anything out. Some parts are not for the faint hearted but nothing feels gratuitous and the investigations are compelling and with enough twists to stop it from being obvious. One doesn't predict the ending at all. The night club scenes are quite fascinating.

Good acting helps, with Mark McManus being a suitably tough and blunt presence throughout and Alistair Duncan being every bit his equal. The supporting cast and chemistry not undermining him in any way, Alex Norton (who later went on to be a lead in the later seasons) is especially impressive.

Overall, very, very good and often great. 9/10 Bethany Cox

A gorgeous episode in which literally everything is perfect

[znatokdetectiva · 10/10 · 31 October 2022]

For a long time I have been an ardent fan of "Taggart", in my opinion, the best show in the history of British television and the detective genre. It started off terrific with "Killer" (actually one of the best episodes), to continue two years later with "Dead Ringer", a good if not great episode, whereas "Murder in Season" was also decent. "Knife-Edge" is an amazing start to season 2, a brilliant episode in itself and the high point of the show.

The script of "Knife-Edge", as in the whole "Taggart", is absolutely stunning, it is complex and rich, it is layered like a pie, full of various magnificent plots and at the same time managing to focus on the central line. A lot of things happen, but the story doesn't look crowded and clogged (as it was with some later episodes of the show), the relationships of the characters are perfectly shown, and the ending is absolutely unexpected. Glenn Chandler is the best screenwriter of the show, and he did a great job here, this is one of the best scripts of "Taggart" (along with "Death Call" and "Dead Giveaway"), which makes us feel a sense of tension and uncertainty for 2 hours, so by the end we are biting our nails waiting for the denouement. The final is an absolute nail.

In addition to all its undeniable advantages, "Knife-Edge" is certainly one of the most atmospheric episodes of "Taggart". This is an indescribable feeling of something sinister and tense, capturing us from the very first seconds and not letting go until the finale. Visually, the episode looks amazing, an amazing rough view of Glasgow with insinuating lighting.

Every actor is great. Alastair Duncan is absolutely incomparable here as Livingston, and Mark McManus, Iain Anders and Stuart Hepburn are all beautiful. All the support is amazing: Christian Rodska looks elegant as AlexDiver, and Andrew McCulloch is tough and scary enough as Fred Swan, but the show steals AlexNorton as George Bryce, one of the show's most colorful characters, he outshines everyone, including Taggart.

That's what I call really awesome TV. 10/10.

Knife Edge Parts 1-3

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 7 February 2020]

By series two. I got a fair idea of the early episodes of Taggart. Macabre murders, an obvious suspect, plenty of misdirection with a less obvious person unveiled as the culprit.

In Knife Edge, Taggart has to get people in Glasgow to confirm if they know of their wives whereabouts after body parts of a woman are found in various locations.

Even a policeman in the investigation is unsure where his wife has got to after she left him a few days ago.

Pigeon fancier and butcher George Bryce becomes the main suspect. The viewer sees him act suspiciously right from the off. He seems to be hiding something and his wife left him some time ago. A death of his child to drugs seemed to have caused issues in the marriage.

However Taggart also comes across other people of interest. A philandering hypnotherapist, a drummer in a rock group. A nightclub that seems to be a magnet for the all the middle aged people of Glasgow. DS Livingstone has a black eye that never seems to heal according to one person.

After all that, writer Glenn Chandler has weaved a complicated plot with plenty of surprises and red herrings. We also delve into Taggart's personal life and it seems his marriage is on the rocks.