Here we go again: plucky female cop, lusted after by boss, envied by colleagues, investigating brutal murder of glamorous young woman. That's just about it. Nothing superior about the script or the production, and the above-average cast fail to rise above the below-average material. Or, in short, 'Prime Suspect' this ain't. Kelly Reilly has come on a lot since the terrible sequel to 'Poldark' (the less said, the better), but she looks too young to be a DI, and we suspect policewoman viewers must be either laughing or appalled at her pencil skirts, high heels and Kohl-rimmed eyes. Nor is she or Ciaran Hinds able to convince us that they've got chemistry. A drunken fumble after a party maybe, but real passion? Just because they admire each other's ability to snarl at colleagues and suspects alike? Hmmm.
The other problem is the plots. Whereas La Plante's successes like PS or even 'Widows' are firmly rooted in some kind of sleazy, sordid reality of crime, 'Above Suspicion' likes to focus on fantasy and even fetishistic aspects of murder. Previous series have featured a famous actor who murders women to re-enact his revenge on his abusive prostitute mother, an international drugs dealer who has plastic surgery to change his face and a killer who is copying the so-called Black Dahlia murders of post-war California. The current story, 'Silent Scream', tackles the murder of a famous young actress who, naturally, was hated by just about everyone who met her. It features the sort of uber-clichéd on-set diva rivalries not seen in a drama since 'The Mirror Crack'd'. Actors may not be known for their down-to-earth qualities, but the lines as spoken by Joanna Vanderham as the victim, Amanda Delaney, and her former friends from drama school were virtual caricatures. Given that Ms La Plante was herself an actress, it's not encouraging.
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