The most curious serial experiment of Netflix. For some reason, this series is sometimes called a “legal procedure” (a procedure is a series with independent series that can be watched separately), but it is more of an investigative, that is, a detective procedure.
In each series, there are only three identical locations, which can be in any city. The main location is the room in which the interrogation of the alleged criminal takes place. An interrogation involves one detective, two detectives, or one detective and one superior inspector. During the interrogation, a video is being recorded, about which the offender is warned. A hefty mirror hangs in the room, behind which there is an observation point: there are other police officers in it – a psychologist, a boss, a computer specialist, and so on.
The second location is the very point of observation, in which quite violent skirmishes sometimes take place regarding a specific interrogation. The third location is the corridor between these two rooms, in which there is a vending machine selling all sorts of soft drinks and snacks. Participants in the interrogation periodically buy something in this machine and exchange opinions there.
Locations are always the same, as if it takes place in the same place.
At the same time, the most interesting thing is that plots with criminals and detectives from various countries are shown here: Great Britain, France, Spain and Germany. in the same interiors. Each episode is provided with a track in the original language and in English. Three episodes were filmed for each country.
British version, first episode. Two detectives interrogate a suspect about the death of a 14-year-old girl. The detectives have every reason to suspect this man, but he answers all questions on the advice of his lawyer, “No comment.” The detectives have no direct evidence, and the authorities change one detective for another, but at the same time, the retired detective finds something interesting.
French version, first episode. A certain Emily is interrogated about a terrorist attack at a concert in which her fiancé died. Emily founded a support group for victims of the terrorist attack after the attack, but detectives have serious doubts that Emily was even at this concert.
Spanish version, first episode. Two detectives interrogate a certain woman who last saw a man who was brutally murdered – possibly the woman’s brother. The suspect is clearly mocking the detectives, talking about her beloved dog. But the chief of detectives has a plan on how to get the woman to talk.
German version, first episode. A certain pregnant detective lady interrogates a respectable rich owner of a large company about one employee from the GDR who once worked for him and then disappeared. In the process, it turns out that the lady is an inspector from the regulatory authority and is working on a case that Detective Schulze has been working on for a long time. The detective shows up later, infuriated that the lady inspector is conducting the interrogation, but joins her and takes part in the interrogation.
***
Great project, very exciting. A very good idea is to show the work of detectives from different countries in the same setting. And the situations there were very, very different: both with the detectives as such, and with their bosses and the bosses of their bosses. Some detectives had love with their superiors, and it didn’t end too well, others, as it turned out, drank alcohol at the workplace, and this almost spoiled the whole interrogation – in general, there were enough intrigues, both with suspects and with interrogators.
All four blocks of three episodes are very, very different. Although they were specially filmed in the same scenery. But everything is very different there – both on the part of the investigation and on the part of the criminals. Also, various colorful characters are periodically added to the “behind the glass” investigation team, who comment on what is happening or somehow influence it.
All four versions are interesting in their own way. And completely different. I started watching from the Spanish version: there was a strong boss lady who led the investigation and who by the third episode came in the style of “Gleb Zheglov and the purse thrown to Kirpich.” All this made a somewhat painful impression, because the Spanish police (according to the series) were engaged in direct forgery – of course, in the name of the triumph of justice, but by illegal methods, and what kind of justice can we talk about then?
The British version is good, but they worked more with newly obtained evidence: there was less purely psychological game.
The French version is also interesting and also made in a purely French style. I won’t spoil it so as not to spoil the experience.
The German version just blew my mind. I left it at the end (I don’t really like the sound of German, to be honest) and decided that I would only watch the first episode – well, it will do for a review, I thought. And I watched the first episode, which I really liked. And I watched the second episode because I couldn’t help but do it after the first episode. And I watched the third episode (the most powerful one), which crowns this crown of three episodes, and the development of the relationship of the main characters is very important here, for which you need to watch all three episodes.
And I was very impressed with the German version, which I did not expect at first. But they were the coolest – both in terms of the detective component, and in terms of drama, and in terms of relationships, and in terms of suspense. That’s just amazingly cool – I could not help but say that. And the German version is much cooler than all the others.
And I’m rated from major to minor – German version, British, French and Spanish. Although I started with Spanish, and she, like a carpet at the Big Lebowski, was supposed to set the tone for the whole room, but she could not do it.
A very good series, very outstanding and, in my opinion, very worth watching. It is especially interesting to watch in the original with United Statesn subtitles – this version is available in famous places.
Criminal serie menaing
Director: Jim Field Smith, George Kay Cast: David Tennant, Nicholas Pinnock, Katherine Kelly, Lee Ingleby, Mark Stanley, Rochenda Sandall, Shubham Saraf, Lolita Chakrabarti, Kevin Eldon, Mark Quartley
Series, 2019, 59 min. 12 episodes