DVD Review: ‘Line of Duty – Series 1′

Article first published as DVD Review: ‘Line of Duty – Series 1′ on Blogcritics.

If you like gritty cop dramas that exceed expectations and keep the twists coming, Line of Duty is for you. Initially broadcast on the BBC, and available on Hulu in the U.S., Series 1 has recently been released on DVD. The two-disc set from Acorn Media includes all five episodes of the critically acclaimed series, plus a couple of extras.

Detective Sergeant Steve Arnott (Martin Compston, Ice Cream Girls) is a hero. Though, not in the eyes of his department, which shuns him for refusing to participate in a coverup after an unarmed man is shot during a counter-terrorism raid gone wrong. But to the viewer, Arnott is a man to root for. Because of his troubles, Arnott is re-assigned to the anti-corruption unit headed by Superintendent Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar, The Life and Adventures of Nick Nickleby).

Detective Chief Inspector Tony Gates (Lennie James, Low Winter Sun) is the opposite of Arnott. Decorated by his employer and frequently praised for his success rate, Gates is actually quite corrupt, and soon becomes the subject of Arnott’s investigation. Gates pretends to be a family man, but keeps a mistress, businesswoman Jackie Laverty (Gina McKee, The Borgias), on the side. And this is only the tip of the iceberg of his misdeeds, which extend into his work life as well as home. However, he is surrounded by a loyal team who protects him, which makes Arnott’s mission a difficult one.

Obviously, Line of Duty sets up Gates and Arnott to come in conflict, and true, that is one of the most central and most enjoyable aspects of the show. These are veteran, top notch actors who handle their scenes with aplomb. I could watch the series even if that’s all it was, two interesting characters repeatedly squaring off against one another.

There is much more present than that. Episode after episode, more layers are added, and more corruption is exposed. Each insignificant plot point is blown up to mean something so much more, and every character has a secret. A minor traffic offense can lead to something far more scandalous. For over three-hundred minutes, you will be confined to the edge of your seat, racked with tension over what might happen next.

And I haven’t even mentioned Detective Constable Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure, Broadchurch), a woman brought onto Gates’ squad for gender balance, and whose story is better left to be experienced, rather than told about.

Besides the compelling narrative, one of the draws of Line of Duty is that it seeks to give new meaning to the word “gritty.” The violence comes hard and fast, frequently erupting in very disturbing scenes. Line of Duty is not for the squeamish or faint of heart, setting a new bar in its genre, and certainly going further than most would expect to see on a standard television program. Given the tone and the quality, though, it enhances, not detracts, from the overall production.

The special features are a bit sparse for my taste.There is a forty-seven minute set of interviews with various people who work on the show, and that’s great. There are also ten minutes of behind-the-scenes footage. But two is a low number, and it would be interesting to get some audio commentaries to highlight specific happenings.

Overall, though, Line of Duty is a gripping thriller that I definitely recommend checking out. Having been a fan of James for awhile now, it’s great to see him in this, and the rest of the cast is also talented. The writing is sharp, and the show mostly stays realistic, albeit with heightened events for entertainment’s sake. It’s a solid series that should impress.

Line of Duty – Series 1 is available now.

BROADCHURCH Not Warm, But Welcome

Article first published as BROADCHURCH Not Warm, But Welcome on TheTVKing.

BBC America viewers are halfway through the first series of the British show Broadchurch as of this past week. The hour-long drama is similar to The Killing, revolving around a single murder of a young boy over the course of the eight episode run, and depicting his family as well as the police looking into the death. At this point, the list of suspects is long, but the number of important clues are sparse.

Broadchurch is an excellent entry to the crime genre. It boasts strong storytelling, with natural twists, and numerous threads intertwined. The acting, done by a roster that includes several familiar faces, is fantastic, and the series lets us dwell on characters as appropriate. However, it also avoids the slow pacing that turned some (not including myself) off of The Killing, and will almost certainly solve the case at the end of hour eight.

The lead detective is DI Alec Hardy (David Tennant, Doctor Who), a man with a past. It is clear that whatever demons dwell within him, owing to an old case he screwed up, are catching up now, as he falls and hits his head, which is presumably connected to pills he is taking, mixed with alcohol. The question we're faced with is, will he self-destruct before he can finish the job? Tennant very rarely lets Who slip into the role, showing fans something new with this part.

Alec is assisted by DS Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman, Twenty Twelve), who is inexperienced in such grisly murders, but is intelligent and capable. This week, Ellie invites Alec over for dinner, which he awkwardly agrees to. This not only allows them to bond a bit, but we see a lighter side of Alec as he drinks with Ellie's husband, Joe (Matthew Gravelle, The Bible). Alec and Ellie are a bit of an odd couple, but are likely to succeed together, both being beneficial to the other.

Of course, Ellie is distracted by her very personal connection to the small town scandal, her son, Tom (Adam Wilson, Mr Selfridge), being the dead boy's best friend, leaving her in an awkward position when talking to the victim's mother, Beth (Jodie Whittaker, Wired). It's an interesting dynamic, when the police, by virtue of the size of the village, have feelings about those involved, and it's part of what makes Broadchurch so good.

Another thing the show does well is deal with the aspects of this type of murder. For instance, this week Beth finally agrees to talk to Karen White (Vicky McClure, Line of Duty), a big-paper journalist who is working with the local press. Karen isn't pushy, and seems sincere when pleading with Beth to do the interview, pointing out that press attention could help motivate witnesses to come forward and the truth to come out, and she's not getting that support now. But are Karen's motivations merely selfish? The pack of pushy reporters who follow behind her aren't so kind to the family, and Karen doesn't do a good job of preparing Beth for that backlash. It's a tricky business.

There is also a fake psychic who convinces Beth he wants to help, but whom Ellie reveals as a charlatan. It's a shame such jerks prey on those who are grieving, but this is a fact of life, not often seen in standard cop procedurals, so it's interesting to be brought in here. Plus, the psychic character is fairly convincing, even for those skeptical, so it's easy to see how a desperate Beth would fall for his charade.

I also love the way Alec goes to church just to spy on the locals, hoping to figure out who is responsible. It's a smart, though cynical, viewpoint, aided by the other characters' treatment of religion in general, attitudes that are just now catching on on this side of the pond.

Among the prime suspects right now are: Mark (Andrew Buchan), the victim's father, who was having an affair with hotel manager, Becca (Simone McAullay, Blue Heelers); Jack (David Bradley, the Harry Potter films), the victim's newspaper delivery boss, who claims his recently uncovered past as a sex offender isn't what it appears to be; Susan (Pauline Quirker), the scary owner of the cabin that is likely the crime scene, and who goes by a different name than she used to; and Rev. Coates (Arthur Darvill, Doctor Who), who doesn't have an alibi, and just feels slightly creepy.

It likely isn't any of these people, since we're still only halfway through. Anyone who has read or watched a few murder mysteries know that the killer isn't unmasked until late in the game, with plenty of red herrings along the way. My wife has theorized that Joe Miller could be the culprit, appearing the least likely at this time, but that seems too much of a stretch to me. However, I don't mind waiting to find out when the journey getting there is this good.

Something some people misunderstand about a good series such as this is that who is guilty is not the point. If it were, we'd learn who they are early on, and the rest of the tale would be about proving it. Instead, the draw is the process of putting together the clues, as that is what most of the plot concerns. In this, Broadchurch is doing a spectacular job with a complex, well-thought-out arc. This is definitely one of my favorite shows of the summer.

Broadchurch airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on BBC America.