Written in 2003, the first of Karen Pirie's six novels, A Distant Echo has obviously been modernized a bit, with its talk of podcasts, "awakened" politics, white privilege, Karens, and the "Me Too" movement. But some things never change.
Pyrie is portrayed as an oppressed woman in a male-dominated police force; nothing new there, then. So when she's put in charge of a cold case, the murder of a barmaid in St Andrews 25 years ago, Pirie worries that it's all a show. But if she can prove herself, however, things could change.
In the long line of signature TV sleuth looks (Columbo's jacket, Sarah Lund's Fair Isle knits, Saga Norén's leather pants), a sweater vest and fanny pack might not seem like the options. most inspiring wardrobe. But DS Karen Pirie isn't one for style. Her practical attire is reflected in her approach to solving crimes. No messing around, no fun stuff: Karen, played by Lauren Lyle, just gets down to business with the job at hand.
Stars: Lauren Lyle, Emer Kenny, Gemma McElhinney
In Karen Pirie, ITV's adaptation of the first of Val McDermid's best-selling novels, that job is to reopen the cold case of the murder of a teenage waitress, Rosie Duff, who was found strangled and mutilated on the Cathedral grounds. of San Andres. The opening flashback introduces us to Rosie and her main suspects: three college students who discovered her body and are definitely covering for something or someone.
A flash forward tells us that Rosie's case has languished for 25 years but, in a clever addition from writer and showrunner Emer Kenny, a true crime podcast now explores what went wrong with the investigation, threatening Fife Police with a PR nightmare. And so the higher-ups hand the case over to the inexperienced twenty-something Pirie, figuring not only that she helps the optician put a woman in charge, but that she can take the blame for her when she inevitably comes up empty-handed. .
Pirie's relative youth compared to both her peers and other television detectives is part of what makes this feel fresh. She is not plagued by a dark past, but rather a capable young woman eager to prove herself to her and ultimately underestimated her. Lyle isn't a complete unknown, she's best known from Outlander and Vigil, but this is certainly a star turn. Her Pirie is brave, empathetic, ironic, level-headed, and utterly convincing.
The broader cast is equally strong, particularly two Sex Education alumni in Chris Jenks as Pirie's earnest gym underling DC Jason Murray and cocky but annoyingly helpful podcaster Rakhee Thakrar.
As for the central case, the show carefully establishes two distinct timelines that intertwine but never get confusing. It's confident enough to take its time, with the story unfolding over three feature-length episodes, though its deft pacing would have more than sustained six shorter installments. However, a longer runtime devoted to a singular story means there's room for both genuine character development and for the mystery to be plausibly resolved.
There's also room for levity, and Kenny's naturalistic script delivers believable moments of humor that never feel forced or misjudged. This is particularly the case with regards to the true crime element, which nods to podcast tropes while acknowledging what a wide reach can accomplish.
Perhaps most importantly, even though she seems to be back on old ground in the murder of a young woman on her way home, Karen Pirie, with her distinctly feminine lens, feels relevant and self-aware, with a Understanding the effects of trauma. that she is not always served by this kind of show.
Watch Karen Pirie 2022 Tv Series Trailer
Comments
Post a Comment