Patrick Malahide has left the series, taking his indelible DS Chisholm with him. Michael Povey's Jones is promoted into that job and given his own sidekick.
Peter Child's DS Rycott has taken over the clown cop role. A deep fall from his no-nonsense portrayal in the earlier seasons.
Mark Farmer - who made a memorable guest appearance as Justin as wannabe gangster Justin in Season 6 - is unwisely brought back.
The cops are in full Keystone mode rather than being legit adversaries to Arthur. Daley is himself getting worked left, right and centre and, by my scorecoard, loses every gambit in this episode. Terry McCann fails to pick up the bird at the laundromat (she implies he's having a mid-life crisis). And later he's prevented from getting into a fight by Justin.
In other words, almost every element that made Minder so great for so long has been neutered.
Depressing, init?
Peter Child's DS Rycott has taken over the clown cop role. A deep fall from his no-nonsense portrayal in the earlier seasons.
Mark Farmer - who made a memorable guest appearance as Justin as wannabe gangster Justin in Season 6 - is unwisely brought back.
The cops are in full Keystone mode rather than being legit adversaries to Arthur. Daley is himself getting worked left, right and centre and, by my scorecoard, loses every gambit in this episode. Terry McCann fails to pick up the bird at the laundromat (she implies he's having a mid-life crisis). And later he's prevented from getting into a fight by Justin.
In other words, almost every element that made Minder so great for so long has been neutered.
Depressing, init?
