An excellent interlude in the “Masterpiece Mysteries” series. Basically two 90-minute movies about a brilliant attorney (David Tenant) who finds himself in a nightmare with a psychotic killer. Excellent drama. It aired this past Sunday, but PBS sometimes repeats these airings. Highly recommended.
I just loved this. David Tennant was, as usual, brilliant, and the supporting cast was very good (especially the psycho guy). I wish it could have been a series instead of a two-parter.
The actress who played his wife appeared in Ricky Gervais’s short-lived series “Extras”. She played his ditzy best friend with humor and pathos.
I found the pacing a bit odd until I read that the program was shown in the UK as three 50-minute episodes. (PBS, as mentioned, cut it into two 75-minute episodes.)
It was well-made and worth watching. This is two in a row* for Tennant, however, in which the main point of the overall plot seems to be the revelation that a female colleague is too thick (or overly-ambitious or otherwise defective) to do her job. Gets a bit dull. How about a change of pace for your next project, Mr. Tennant!
Of course from his point of view it’s probably only coincidence. I doubt that this is how he chooses roles–it’s probably more that the makers of such stories prefer to hire an actor who’s popular with female viewers (as Tennant undeniably is).
*In the US, at least, the last thing we saw him in was Broadchurch.
Speaking of thick, I thought his accent gave me problems until I heard the solicitor in Scotland start speaking. “Wae nae brae gae, hoot mon an a’that.” 
Me, too; I actually reached for the remote to turn on captions (but decided to try to figure it out without the help of technology).
I thought Tennant gave the actress a funny look when she started talking, as if thinking ‘hey*, I put in the effort to be more generally understandable; why can’t you?*’ But probably I imagined all that. :o
Huh? Which female was too dull in Escape Artist? The one who completely figures out exactly what Tennant did, but just didn’t know the party in question was cremated? Seems to me she had her shit pretty much together, though a bit ethically questionable (e.g., sleeping with someone to get exculpatory info, isn’t that frowned upon? Are you allowed to do it with the wig on?)
I found it pretty compelling to watch. Broadchurch was even better. However, I think his plan was pretty tenuous – a lot of things could have gone wrong, and it’s hard to predict a jury, even if you’re Mr Super Barrister. Seems to me he got a few lucky breaks that things worked out just as he planned, during both the act and the trial – and no surprises at the trial! (How often does that happen? Not much, on TV anyway!)
But hey, it’s fiction. Tennant nailed it, and I look forward to his next effort.
It does depend on one lucky fact about the killer. If that hadn’t turned up, there was no Plan B. It’s a common flaw in many US police procedurals, too.
But otherwise is was nicely acted and plotted.
Originally Posted by Sherrerd
“Or.”
Specifically, “or overly-ambitious”–a trait you yourself alluded to with the “ethically questionable” part of your remark.
My point was that these plots–the ones in which the big reveal is a Defective Career-Woman (whether the defect lies in the career-woman being oblivious to what’s right in front of her face as in Broadchurch, or in being ambitious and unscrupulous as in The Escape Artist–has kind of been “done.” How about something fresh for Tennant’s next project?
You’ve nailed it, here. But I agree with you that it was an entertaining program nonetheless. Not award-worthy, mind you–but entertaining.
I was amazed at how easily cases were getting thrown out because of minor issues, such as the eye witness just saw his wife murdered and was under stress - who wouldn’t be? Also didn’t the lady give permission to look in her storage locker, regardless of the search warrant? Is that realistic in British courts?
One of the reasons I liked this and Broadchurch is to see ordinary life in the UK and inside their homes. I thought seeing a Scottish court was also different.