Now that NBC has picked up an Americanized version for the fall it's worth looking back on the original UK Prime Suspect, just rereleased on DVD, and on the mother of all tough-as-nails female detectives, DCI Jane Tennyson (Helen Mirren). Mirren threw herself into the role in a way that was unprecedented for television, and became the basis for many female cop characters to this day. Which makes you wonder whether television really needs another Prime Suspect ripoff, since we already have (and don't really want) The Closer.
Mirren plays a Detective Chief Inspector in 1991 metropolitan London, in a country barely out of the conservative Thatcher 80s, rife with sexism, where the only other women who seem to be around are either secretaries or prostitutes (or "hairdressers"). The police department is a boys' club and she is constantly overlooked for any real cases. When one does open up (in a particularly disturbing way) she jumps on it, forgoing all tact or good taste in the process.
The case of course soon proves to be more than anyone was expecting, more bodies turn up, and she has to deal with the hatred of her whole department as well as institutional sexism, inflated expectations and a possible serial killer. The loyalties of her office get questioned, evidence goes missing, and their only lead, the flustered George Marlow (John Bowe), slips in and out of custody and suspicion.
Prime Suspect is more accurately a miniseries than a season, with a single story told over two 90-minute episodes, so don't expect a cut-and-dry Law And Order story arc. But don't expect twist-filled suspense either. It's pretty slow going. At the time the show was lauded for its realism, and the cops spend less time chasing down red herrings and false suspects than they do agonizing over evidence and procedure. The show takes its time, as does Helen Mirren, who spends most of her role staring off into space with a pained yet reserved expression.
Time and care is taken to get to know the people involved, including some important digressions. You might wonder why we spend a few minutes watching one of the young detectives in a police benefit boxing match, since it seems to have little to do with the case. And yet, it has a lot to do with police work. First off, it's a male-dominated sport, being held in an all-male club. But also it's about how many punches you have to take in order to land that knockout blow. Mirren is knocked around like a punching bag for most of the series, and if she does make it through it's more about perseverance than strength.
On the other side of the law, we also get to know the prime suspect George Marlow, along with his common-law wife Moyra (a delightfully evil Zoë Wanamaker). It's easy to overlook Bowe's performance here as the "ladish" Marlow. He's just so slightly off, just creepy enough to make you certain he's holding some things back, but not certain about how much. It keeps you guessing as to whether he's the psychopath the cops seem to think he is, or just a creepy yet innocent man and definite candidate for a police harassment suit.
But in the end, no matter how many gory photos or tarp-covered bodies or bereaved families go past, the crime is simply a puzzle the detective has to solve. From Sherlock Holmes to The Wire, the crimes have always been less important than how the cops go about solving them (or how the criminals go about evading the cops). It's Helen Mirren that makes the show interesting. In a late scene she gets a moment to herself after what might or might not be a confession, waiting alone in the interrogation room, and as she realizes she's alone she drops her head to her hand while whole waves of relief, exhaustion, joy, anticipation, triumph and finally composure cross over her face in the span of twenty seconds.
It's a painfully good moment, made even better by the weight of all she had gone through to get to it.
DVD Bonus Features
There are none.
"Prime Suspect: Series 1" is on sale August 23, 2011 and is not rated. Mystery. Directed by Christopher Menaul. Written by Lynda La Plante. Starring Helen Mirren, Tom Wilkinson, Tom Bell.
