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Inspector La Brea (2009)

From Global Screen:

Based on the successful detective novels by Alexandra von Grothe. Mourning his wife’s death, Inspector Maurice LaBréa leaves Marseilles for Paris with his daughter Jenny. But Paris is no respite, for a ghastly copycat killer is imitating a killing spree around the Bastille that went on ten years ago.

From MHz Choice you can stream 3 episodes of this German language detective series set in Paris with English subtitles. Each episode lasts about an hour and a half.

All the crimes are ugly and brutal. Mutilated bodies are par for the course.

However, the central theme running through all the episodes is LaBrea’s loving concern for his daughter Jenny who encourages him to romance his beautiful painter neighbor who often takes care of Jenny when duty so often calls.

  • Episode 1: The Beast of the Bastille.
  • Episode 2: Murder in the Rue St. Lazare
  • Episode 3: Deadly Dreams in Montparnasse.

Somewhat old fashioned, nothing special, but plots consist of a nice contrast between the grim crimes and LaBrea’s personal life.

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Silk (2011)

From BritBox:

Martha Costello is a brilliant barrister who is about to embark on the next step of her career and apply for ‘Silk’. 

From BritBox you can stream 3 seasons of this superb British legal series.  Each season consists of 6 episodes. Each episode lasts about one hour.

If you wish to subscribe to BritBox (entertainment from only members of the British Commonwealth) , then subscribe through Amazon Prime. In that way all the BritBox offerings will appear under the Amazon Prime collection. Accessing BritBox shows becomes that much easier.

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QUEEN’S COUNSEL (SILK)  (quoted from Wikipedia)

Queen’s Counsels are appointed by letters patent to be one of “Her Majesty’s Counsel learned in the law”. They are not a separate type of lawyer. They are more than long serving lawyers, because their status is given by the Crown and recognised by the courts.

Queen’s Counsel have the privilege of sitting within the Bar of court, and wear silk gowns of a special design (hence the informal title Silks). The special robes are the reason why becoming a QC is often called “taking silk”.

In order to “take silk” a lawyer usually has to serve as a barrister or a Scottish advocate for at least 10 years. Recently solicitors have also been appointed Queen’s Counsel.

A QC’s status means they generally charge higher fees than ordinary barristers, and always have another barrister as an assistant. This assistant is called a “junior” even if the junior has been a lawyer longer than the “silk”.

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In a certain sense the plot format resembles the American “Law and Order”.  Personal drama and office maneuvers lead to one or several trials. Although the trials do not span episodes,  the drama and intrigue is an ongoing soap opera.  No trial issue is trivial and often brutally engaging.  Be prepared for some difficult viewing.

After you have watched British TV drama for awhile,  you will see the same excellent actors over and over.  Since there are too many to mention, just a few are listed as follows:

  • Maxine Peake plays the series lead Martha Costello. Her courtroom skill is astonishing. Think of Martha as “the good guy” versus the “bad guys”.
  • Rupert Penry-Jones plays Martha’s rival Clive Reader, a handsome cad of a ladies man.  Recall him as DI Joseph Chandler in Whitechapel or Adam Carter in MI-5.
  • Neil Stuke is the ever conniving office boss Billy Lamb. Recall him as Chief Inspector Cooke in Silent Witness.
  • Alex Jennings plays Alan Cowdrey QC. Recall him as Andrew Aldridge in Four Weddings and a Funeral or as Dr. Tim Finch in Unforgotten.
  • Phil Davis plays Mick Joy. Recall him from just about everywhere, for example as DS Ray Miles also in Whitechapel.
  • Nina Sosanya plays Kate Brockman. Recall her as Kate in Last Tango in Halifax.
  • Indira Varma plays George Duggan. (Yes, the female character’s first name is George.) Recall her as Ellaria Sand in Game of Thrones.

Relentlessly engaging. DO NOT MISS!

 

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Goliath Second Season 2 (2018)

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From Amazon Prime:

Billy McBride returns to criminal defense, taking on a grisly double murder case. His client is a 16-yearold boy, and Billy’s damn sure he’s innocent. Billy, Patty, and the team fervently build their case in the seedy underworld of Los Angeles. As the murders’ true culprits come to light, the implications reach as far as the mayoral race — and the city’s preeminent billionaire developer.

From Amazon Prime you can stream 4 seasons of this lawyer series.  This review is just for season 2 which consists of 8 episodes where each episode is roughly one hour.

Normally I am recommending films. Here, however, I am strongly warning you that this is a ugly season. For one example, the chief villain amputates limbs from people who offend him.  For another example, one of the chief’s underlings suffers from “eroticized childhood trauma”, in which he can only get sexual pleasure from watching someone sooth an amputated limb. Heard enough?

To further clinch my discouraging review,   although some of the criminals suffer their just punishments, several innocent people are falsely imprisoned or killed.  As a final nail in this season’s coffin is that I purposely reveal that the chief villains succeed gloriously in their crimes and are so clever that they escape prosecution.

On the positive side (really?) the plot, good acting, detailed clever deceptions, utter evil of the conspirators, and the interactions of multiple characters make the story grimly watchable.

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!  STRONGLY DISCOURAGED!