Dalziel and Pascoe (TV Series) Ruling Passion (1997) User Reviews

Hunt for the Yorkshire Micturater.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 10/10 · 24 November 2020]

I absolutely loved every single minute of this epsiode. A brilliant opener to the second series, for me this was better than the first three episodes.

A terrific mystery, which was deep and intriguing, some wonderful characters, and some terrific humour.

First of all the humour, it works so incredibly well, I love Andy's sarcasm here, what type was it, I think it was a Swan, that was so funny, as was Andy punching that guy.

The characters were all used to great effect, I had no idea that Ellie and Andy got on so well in these early years, nice scenes between the two, before that relationship soured.

A grouping of wonderful actors, Peter Blythe, Freddie Jones, Mark Benton and of course Patrick Ryecart, who is very funny.

The mystery is very clever, two cases running side by side, seemingly unrelated. I was left guessing until the very end.

The opening was very dramatic, grabbed the attention straight away, terrific ending.

One of the best, 10/10.

Imitation "Midsomer Murder"?

[moristotle-145-190158 · 28 August 2011]

Disappointing, a failed attempt to imitate a "Midsomer Murder"? Set in a quaintly named English village and all, with everything being everyone's business, except certain things one would kill to keep quiet....Nothing more need be said, except, perhaps, that the murder victims are discovered by Inspector Pascoe and his wife, who is quite pregnant; they arrive where they had been invited for dinner, only to find three bodies. The usual Dalziel & Pascoe approach cleverly links the investigation of this case with that of a second case. At least the episode ends on a happy note, with guess who named the godfather of child Pascoe?

Ruling Passion

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 24 April 2023]

Ellie and Peter Pascoe go down to a Cotswold village of Thornton Lacey for a break with old university friends. One of them is Colin Hopkins, an author.

Instead they find several dead bodies, including Colin's wife. He is nowhere to be seen, Maybe it is a murder suicide.

Pascoe has to rely on Supt. Derek Backhouse (Peter Blythe) to solve the case. He is aware who Dalziel is.

Meanwhile back in Yorkshire, Dalziel is investigating a burglar who has been stealing antiques and valuable stamp collections. He also has the habit of urinating in his victims kettles.

Pacoe finds that the village is full of eccentric chauvinistic types who did not like the Hopkins. The local squire is a snob who doesn't like trespassers.

There is a colourful newspaper columnist who has taken interest in the murder investigation but he is not a crime reporter.

I suspected that both cases would have some links once Ellie saw the reporter on home ground. Pascoe seemed not have paid much attention of the valuable figurines held by one villager.

Some of the plotting was murky, I thought it was simply a case of adapting the book for television. The central plot that Colin Hopkins exposing village life and some of the villagers was hard to take for something shown in the late 90s.

I noticed there were several mentions of how bad the economy was in the post 90s recession. This would have been broadcast a month after the Labour landslide election of 1997.

Too much plot for one episode?

[xbatgirl-30029 · 6/10 · 11 September 2022]

Watched this right after the previous one from last season. I couldn't help but thinking that Ellie is incredibly unpleasant. I thought maybe she warms up eventually, especially after the ending, but I take it from the other review that's a no. Hard to be happy for Pascoe marrying her then having a child when she makes it so obvious she looks down on him and his vocation.

Andy was grumpier than usual, at times, but I guess he was somehow sick, then magically better? I wish overall this episode had a medical consultant. He still managed to get in some funny lines. I loved him with the baby at the end. A nice way to end.

The mystery was a bit hard to follow at times because, at least to me, some characters were a bit indistinct and undefined. Perhaps there was way too much from the original book to get into just an hour and a half on tv? Two cases plus everything related to D & P's developing personal lives, and even squeezing in the large group at the station. It all becomes a blur.