New Tricks (TV Series) Prodigal Sons (2015) User Reviews

It's just not cricket

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 1 September 2015]

When a government scientist is disgraced many of the cases he investigated are reopened; this includes the death of a young cricket star, AJ DaSilva, who had apparently drowned after drinking too much. Strickland is keen to see the case resolved as AJ's father can help with his membership of the MCC and the father, who believes his son was a clean living boy, thinks it must have been murder. The USOS team soon learn that there was another death in the team; an apparent suicide. They also learn that AJ was far from popular with his team mates and also far from clean living. He had slept with the wife of the other man who died and certainly liked a drink. As the investigation progresses several suspects arise; his brother, who kept cleaning up his mess; an obsessive autograph hunter, the woman he had the affair with and even his former captain. Away from the case Danny learns of Steve's money problems and tries to help him budget carefully, Sasha wants the team to attend a function with their wives/partners, Danny must decide whether to tell his wife about his new partner and new boy Ted surprises the team when he introduces them to his partner.

This was an entertaining case with plenty of suspects and motives; and while only one person actually committed murder others were involved before and after the death whose actions affected the original coroner's verdict. This all means that the viewer will be left guessing till almost the last moment as the killer's guilt isn't too obvious. Away from the case we get some nice character development; some comic some more serious. The cast did a fine job although it was Nicholas Lyndhurst who stood out this week as his character, Danny, had to decide whether to tell his wife, who is in a psychiatric hospital about his new relationship… he is torn between not wanting to harm her treatment and wanting to make his new relationship more 'official'. The final revelation of the episode comes as a bit of a surprise but is handled well… the exact details I won't spoil here though. Overall a pretty good episode; new boy Ted Case is settling in nicely.

One of the better season 12 episodes

[scsaxe · 8/10 · 16 December 2021]

This one follows the patterns of other season 12 episodes after Gerry left, but does it better. Cricketer Ajuna/AJ Da Silva supposedly drowned accidentally, but his farther thinks it was murder, and gets the team to investigate. Sure enough, under the cricket team's surface is a seedy collection of interpersonal conflict and crime, with the victim right in the middle of it. The final solving of the case is done well, with good twists and turns, and.an ending that can't be guessed ahead of time but makes good sense as a story.

As with the ret of season 11 and 12, the personal stuff within the team isn't as good, though more fun this episode than other times: it feels more tacked on/added to fill a requirement rather than a natural part of the story. In this episode it works better, the reveal of Ted Case's partner, Danny and Fiona, and attending the show at the end are generally fun and add something to the characters.

And speaking of chemistry, a theory: the show would have worked better with Fiona Kennedy, or a similar character, as a team member instead of Danny. The original 4 were strong, contrasting characters: Gerry the glad handing, social, slippery with rules one, Brian the eccentric, detailed Sherlock Holmes type, Sandra the aggressive, ambitious one, and Jack as friendly caring, grounded. (Look up TV Tropes 4 temperament ensemble, and the characters are bang on) The new characters don't fit the archetypes as well, but problematically for the show, overlap somewhat with Danny and Ted Case both filling the eccentric role somewhat, Steve becoming more generic, and Sasha being friendlier than Sandra.

Subbing a Fiona like character for Danny would create more of a contrast, with a friendlier character who could fill some research/knowledge roles, while allowing Ted to be more eccentric. Have Steve do some more questionable rules things like in season 9, and you've got another set of contrasting characters in a different way to take the series forward. Of course, actually doing this would have required more planning/foresight to know when people would leave, assuming it even would have worked.

So back to the episode: is a fun one, check it out.

Prodigal Sons

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 25 March 2018]

Have always been a big fan of detective/mystery shows from a fairly young age, well since starting secondary school.

'Inspector Morse', 'A Touch of Frost', 'Midsomer Murders' (in its prime), 'Law and Order', 'Inspector George Gently', 'Criminal Minds', 'Murder She Wrote', you name them to name a few. 'New Tricks' has also been a favourite from the start (despite not being the same without the original cast in recent years). Although it can be corny at times (in an endearing sort of way) it has always been perfect for helping me relax in the evenings. Something that was needed during all the hard times endured in school.

Season 12 with "Prodigal Sons" is at its halfway point, and while it is nowhere near the level of the show in its prime it is very good. One of the better episodes of the twelfth season and easily the best one since the second part of "Last Man Standing", having been somewhat disappointed by "The Curate's Egg" and particularly "The Wolf of Wallbrook".

While not as interesting as any member of the original team, Ted is more settled and Larry Lamb plays him well. The team dynamic charms and amuses and feels more natural than in the previous two episodes. Still think it doesn't sparkle anywhere as much as the original team dynamic and doesn't have its freshness.

The case very interesting and twisty, that avoids being too confusing while suitably challenging. The ending is surprising in the who and why factors, helped by that there are a sizeable number of suspects, if slightly on the rushed side.

Moreover, there are some very funny lines, particularly with Ted, and Danny's subplot here is touching without going overboard that it becomes mawkish (which thankfully it never does) and being at odds with the rest of the cast.

Visually, "Prodigal Sons" is slick and stylish as ever. The music is a good fit and the theme song (sung with gusto by none other by Dennis Waterman himself) is one of the catchiest for any detective/mystery show and of any show in the past fifteen years or so.

Good performances from the whole cast, Nicholas Lyndhurst standing out of the regulars. The supporting cast do well.

Overall, very good episode and one of the better ones of Season 12. 8/10 Bethany Cox

One of the most successful later episodes.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 9/10 · 17 June 2023]

Prem Da Silva asks Strickland to look into the death of his son, cricketer AJ Da Silva, who's death by suicide is now looking like murder. The guys each face a medical.

This is definitely one of the best episodes from the final series, it echoes the better ones from the show's early years. A great mystery, with some interesting characters, and some nice touches of humour.

I loved the Fitbit jokes, seeing Danny and Steve walking around trying to get their steps in, I can really empathise, and walking around at work, it's what I do to try and reach the magic number. The dance lesson was also a scream.

A great episode for Danny, seeing him having to deal with the possibility of telling Sarah about his new relationship, so good.

Lyndhurst definitely still this one.

9/10.

It's Pat!

[safenoe · 9/10 · 13 June 2017]

I'm not sure how Gerry Standing (who is travelling around the USA) would have responded meeting Ted Case's male partner Pat. Gerry was famous and loved for his politically incorrect views, and wow, the writers would have gone into overdrive giving his forthright and politically incorrect views about same sex marriage. It's a relief Gerry is no longer with UCOS or else it could have been political correctness run amok and so on.

Anyway, Ted bravely introduces Pat to the UCOS team at the dinner dance to wrap up a fine episode where the UCOS team investigating a murder of a cricket star, who was hated by his team mates but was an impressive cricket player big time.