This is possibly even better than the Prime Suspect I. DCI Tennison has to find a murderer when the body of an unknown teenage girl is dug up from a suburban garden.
The theme of tensions between the Afro-Caribbean community and the Metropolitan Police is added to the mix of Tennison's personal life and police politics.
There are some unforgettable scenes, such as when the hysterical mother of another missing girl identifies all the items found with the body as belonging to her daughter, as well as Tennison's own watch that she surreptitiously puts on the table.
There is also a magnificent sequence lasting about half an hour that starts with a deathbed confession and ends with tragedy in the police cells. This was one of the most gripping pieces of television I have ever watched. At over three hours the writer and director can again take their time in revealing the plot to have the maximum effect of the viewer.
The acting is again superb. Helen Mirren is brilliant, as are all the supporting cast. Tennison is almost an anti-heroine. She makes no secret of her desire to climb the promotion ladder in the force and her personal life is a mess. However she is a superb copper, using her gut instinct as well as normal police procedure to get to the bottom of the grisly murder.
Needless to say I can't wait to watch the rest of the complete Prime Suspect box set.
The theme of tensions between the Afro-Caribbean community and the Metropolitan Police is added to the mix of Tennison's personal life and police politics.
There are some unforgettable scenes, such as when the hysterical mother of another missing girl identifies all the items found with the body as belonging to her daughter, as well as Tennison's own watch that she surreptitiously puts on the table.
There is also a magnificent sequence lasting about half an hour that starts with a deathbed confession and ends with tragedy in the police cells. This was one of the most gripping pieces of television I have ever watched. At over three hours the writer and director can again take their time in revealing the plot to have the maximum effect of the viewer.
The acting is again superb. Helen Mirren is brilliant, as are all the supporting cast. Tennison is almost an anti-heroine. She makes no secret of her desire to climb the promotion ladder in the force and her personal life is a mess. However she is a superb copper, using her gut instinct as well as normal police procedure to get to the bottom of the grisly murder.
Needless to say I can't wait to watch the rest of the complete Prime Suspect box set.