Have loved 'Taggart' (another show gotten into during my teenage years) for a long time, although the more deliberate and even grittier Taggart and Jardine periods to me are superior to Burke's. Although it was actually through watching the late afternoon reruns of the Burke period episodes (starting from "Compensation" right up to when the episodes became shorter, too short in my mind) at one point that got me hooked, the Taggart and Jardine episodes were actually seen a lot later.
There were only a few episodes that did absolutely nothing for me when first getting into 'Taggart'. "Genesis" is one of those. 11 years on from when the show ended, "Genesis" still does nothing for me and still is one of the worst 'Taggart' episodes. It has a few good things, though all of them were done better in other episodes, but many things about it are really quite awful. 'Taggart' had really run out of ideas and gotten tired at this point, and "Genesis" is one of the biggest examples of episodes where this is most apparent.
Am going to start with the good. It is made with a lot of grit and atmosphere, as well as a slick style, that fits the gritty tone of the show very well. The scenery once again is both beautiful and uncompromising. The main theme is still memorable and fits the show's gritty tone well.
Don't have any issues with the leads and their chemistry is well connected.
Sadly, for me "Genesis" is one of the few episodes of 'Taggart' where the supporting cast is not too great. At best it's forgettable, can't really think of a particularly memorable performance, and at worst they seemed under-directed in sketchy roles. Characters that have been seen many times before and with more personality. The script is mundane this time round and it lacks the grit and tautness seen with nearly all the previous episodes of 'Taggart'. The music also shows its age, liked it a lot for a long time for the show but in the mid/late Burke period episodes there is too much of an 80s sound to it and it doesn't fit.
"Genesis" story and pacing are a mess. The story is literally a series of old ideas rehashed to death already, including the fertility clinic setting that is done nothing fresh with, and has no tension or surprises. Meaning that the episode feels very tired, made worse by the lifeless pacing with a middle act that drags hard. Some of it gets ridiculous, especially in the final quarter where things get strange. The final solution is not a surprise at all in all senses, in fact it's to me one of the most prematurely obvious reveals in the show's history. Partly because it's familiar territory and partly because there was something about the way the murderer is written and acted that made them seem off too soon.
Overall, very weak. 3/10.