While the second half of this episode takes paths all over the place, getting to the end the long way, it's an engaging plot. Helen Mirren is one of the our greatest actresses, as her movie roles will attest. Her Jane Tennison continues, facing demons of her own making. Her drinking continues and she gets downright abusive and mean spirited when her father dies. Her sister gets the brunt of the abuse (we don't know very much about her, except she is jealous). She continues her investigation into the murder of the young girl. She finally attends an AA meeting, but it is obvious her heart isn't in it. However, at the meeting, she meets Bill Otley, her longtime adversary. It has been years and he sincerely apologizes to her. They renew a friendship, but, sadly, as she confronts a young suspect, the guy pulls a gun in a parking lot and kills Bill. I won't say more than we find out her murder victim was pregnant at fourteen and this stirs the pot of suspects. Her circle is quite large. There are several diversions as we plod toward the end. I found the ending a bit contrived but it was still satisfying. I'm glad to have chanced upon this series on Hulu. I had never heard of it. It is top quality television, done in a superior way.
2 Reviews
This is not really about a crime but about the end of a career.
georgedyson-7419719 October 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I had a very hard time watching this episode 7 as it was mainly about what has happened to Tennison. She has become so tired and worn out, disillusioned, lonely and totally burnt out from her career and choices she has made throughout her life that she is barely alive.
She has resorted to alcohol as a solution with all the consequent catastrophic outcomes.
Now maybe I am particularly sensitive to this as my wife was an alcoholic, but it just awful to watch what happens in this situation.
I found myself having to fast forward through the worst parts - where she buys more alcohol and once more descends into the worst depths.
Had this been an episode about what can happen when you resort to alcohol. Then it might have made a more worthwhile show. But as an ending to the career of Tennison it was something I cannot recommend anyone watching who had expected another show about crime.
The crime aspect of this show was completely incidental and really had no part at all. The plot is an old one and the outcome quite predicable early in the show. It was just a background piece to illustrate the complete breakdown of the career detective.
A very sad end to what has been an otherwise excellent program.
She has resorted to alcohol as a solution with all the consequent catastrophic outcomes.
Now maybe I am particularly sensitive to this as my wife was an alcoholic, but it just awful to watch what happens in this situation.
I found myself having to fast forward through the worst parts - where she buys more alcohol and once more descends into the worst depths.
Had this been an episode about what can happen when you resort to alcohol. Then it might have made a more worthwhile show. But as an ending to the career of Tennison it was something I cannot recommend anyone watching who had expected another show about crime.
The crime aspect of this show was completely incidental and really had no part at all. The plot is an old one and the outcome quite predicable early in the show. It was just a background piece to illustrate the complete breakdown of the career detective.
A very sad end to what has been an otherwise excellent program.
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