I have seen this series in its entirety and this episode is where the last season starts to go wrong. The first four seasons isn't the best police procedural out there but the characters are good for the most part and the plots are fairly immersive. This show also does something unique, or so I've read... the actors don't memorize lines, they are given a basic rundown of the scene and they have to create the dialog themselves. If true, that's pretty cool!
The fifth season/series is different however in that their boss, DI Martha Bellamy, is murdered offscreen and a new trio of characters step into the team. I was concerned that the new people would be grating and/or melodramatic but they're actually quite good IMHO. Where it starts to fall apart is all the nonsensical decision making and obvious questions that aren't asked to service the plot.
For example: this episode has Jack call an ex-girlfriend to get to know his daughter better (who he just learned about and doesn't tell anyone for some reason), but it's really a setup to arrest said ex. How did the conversation go to set this in motion if a) Jack didn't tell anyone else of his former relationship with a murder/kidnapping suspect and b) he didn't tell anyone of the possibility this ex has a daughter that could be his? That's not even the most egregious example, just one of the first ones.
The final season could've easily been an episode or two shorter and not missed a beat; focusing primarily on Martha's murder instead of the additional side plots. The finale also leaves a lot of unanswered questions, which is more than a little annoying, but if you like the genre I'd say check it, though from the beginning. Cheers.
The fifth season/series is different however in that their boss, DI Martha Bellamy, is murdered offscreen and a new trio of characters step into the team. I was concerned that the new people would be grating and/or melodramatic but they're actually quite good IMHO. Where it starts to fall apart is all the nonsensical decision making and obvious questions that aren't asked to service the plot.
For example: this episode has Jack call an ex-girlfriend to get to know his daughter better (who he just learned about and doesn't tell anyone for some reason), but it's really a setup to arrest said ex. How did the conversation go to set this in motion if a) Jack didn't tell anyone else of his former relationship with a murder/kidnapping suspect and b) he didn't tell anyone of the possibility this ex has a daughter that could be his? That's not even the most egregious example, just one of the first ones.
The final season could've easily been an episode or two shorter and not missed a beat; focusing primarily on Martha's murder instead of the additional side plots. The finale also leaves a lot of unanswered questions, which is more than a little annoying, but if you like the genre I'd say check it, though from the beginning. Cheers.
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