2nd November, 2019
It has to be said, there are nights where a movie would be nice.
No, really.
It would be nice to sit down, watch a film, write about it, and then go to bed.
I’d like to: but there’s times I’m really not in the mood.
Last night? I really could not sit still with a copy of The Creature from the Black Lagoon, for example.
I just couldn’t get into it, for some reason. I suspect staying up late to watch Midsommar, the night before, put me off my stride.
Maybe.
I don’t know … !
At any rate?
I wanted to watch something, tonight.
And, even though I’ve a few movies sitting in the collection? Including a few horror films I know Old Peculiar regular, Badwolf Anne* would appreciate hearing about?
I wasn’t necessarily in a movie sort of mood.
Something I’ll have to see if I can’t remedy.
OK … I wasn’t in a movie mood …
I was wanting to see a TV series.
Something I hadn’t necessarily watched, already.
Something that’s been a legend since it’s original screening in 1985.
You’re right …
~≈¥≈~
Episode 1 — Compassionate Leave — opens by showing us Detective Ronald Craven (Bob Peck) of the Yorkshire police: an officer on the brink of being asked to investigate an election rigging case …
And, once that initial meeting is done?
Taking home his daughter, Emma (Joanne Whalley) home: from a meeting of an activist group she belongs to.
They get home …
Only for Emma to be shot: fatally …
~≈†≈~
In the wake of that trauma?
In the wake of that trauma, Ron is understandably numb …
Numb enough to be granted compassionate leave by his boss: Ross (John Woodvine†.)
But functional enough to clean up the family home: prompted by the imaginary voice of his daughter, telling him how to cook, what to clean … and what settings to use on the washing machine …
And functional enough to head for London: various branches of the Met want to take over the case.
There’s another issue in London.
Ron is contacted by the mysterious Pendleton: who ISN’t with MI6 … but seems to know more than he’s letting on …
~≈†≈~
Now …
What did I make of this … ?
This first episode seems … a touch on the slow side: but that could well be a product of the era it was made in.
And a result of it being the first episode: and thus spending time showing introducing us to its main characters.
For all that?
For all that’s there’s a certain tautness to episode one.
Compassionate Leave is sparse, spare … and completely, utterly, watchable, riveting: with Bob Peck’s restrained performance as Craven being far more watchable than Mel Gibson’s in the 2010 movie version.
Frankly?
Compassionate Leave’s set up the basic premise of Edge of Darkness … and left me wanting to see more.
* Anne, if you’re reading this … ? You’ll have to let me know if anything in the collection catches your eye!
† Who’s a very familiar face, to an ageing Dr Who fan: Woodvine crops up as the Marshal, in The Armageddon Factor.
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