tv: line of duty

We watched all existing series of Line of Duty over the last few weeks. I enjoyed all of it, but the second to last one with Thandie Newton was really the apex of what the show had been doing, for me. It wasn't flawless, but I think it was the best executed series-length plot and the best-handled series-long guest star. The character and the writing of it took a lot of what worked about Keeley Hawes's character and put a new spin on it, in a more coherent and compelling package. And Thandie Newton's performance was fantastic. The show is very good and it doesn't have bad performances, but she was on another level.

I think I can see the logic of the most recent series deciding not to add a big name guest star to continue in the tradition of Hawes and Newton. Instead there are two significant series-long characters who share the focus a bit, which worked fine and made more space for Adrian Dunbar's character onscreen. They wouldn't have wanted the new plot to seem like a rehash of the beats of the last ones, and the balance and dynamic was successfully altered by what they did. It was exceedingly well acted, and the appeal of learning more about the main characters and their relationships with each other is undeniable, but overall it seemed like a step down to me. ( Also, spoilers, and a digression about my Opinions on the mystery genre. )