Season 1 |
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Episode Guide
Episode 1 – | Review Score – 3/5
Episode 2 – | Review Score – 3/5
Episode 3 – | Review Score – 3/5
Episode 4 – | Review Score – 3/5
Episode 5 – | Review Score – 4/5
Episode 6 – | Review Score – 3/5
Episode 7 – | Review Score – 4/5
Episode 8 – | Review Score – 2/5
Criminal Record does have an intriguing premise for a crime drama, and the two central performances are both strong, with Peter Capaldi and Cush Jumbo working against each other as detectives Daniel Hegarty and June Lenker when an old investigation is re-ignited after a suggestion of a wrongful conviction.
It’s largely entertaining, despite being totally unrealistic in its setup. There are moments of junk science that are used to lazily further the plot, but there are some frantic and pacy moments that keep the viewer interested and intrigued by what’s going on under the surface. It’s an interesting dynamic that we don’t often see in a police drama, where two police officers are on the same side of the law but fighting against each other. Capaldi’s Detective Daniel Hegarty is a complicated character who is technically the villain, but the ex-Doctor Who star plays it so well, you’ll find it difficult not to like him.
There is some good commentary about racial inequality and undertones of racial injustice in this show that ring very true and don’t feel too heavy-handed. In fact, the show probably could’ve developed these elements further. Lenker is a very strong character and Cush Jumbo puts in a strong performance as the moral compass of the show.
The penultimate episode is an interesting one that goes back to the events in 2011 during the original investigation into the murder. Jumbo only appears briefly at the end of the episode when the timeline returns to the present day, allowing Capaldi to take centre stage as we follow him and get his perspective on the case. This is one of the stronger episodes of the series and fills in a lot of the gaps in the story.
Unfortunately, the finale of Criminal Record is disastrous and fails to stick the landing as it rushes through the resolution part of the story, and introduces a wholly unsatisfying villain, who is then quickly disposed of. Some promising supporting characters are completely absent from the final 2 episodes and this really hurts the show. It was always about Lenker vs Hegarty, but the other cast members were vital to the story as well, particularly the fantastic scene-stealing Zoe Wanamaker as June Lenker’s mother, Maureen. Season 2 is unlikely as the story has been wrapped up, albeit in an unsatisfying way.
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Verdict - 6/10
6/10