Love detective mystery dramas, particularly those from the UK and US ('Inspector Morse', 'A Touch of Frost', 'Foyle's War', 'Inspector George Gently', 'Midsomer Murders', 'Law and Order', 'Criminal Minds', 'Monk' and 'Murder She Wrote' for examples,, and non-English/American ones (i.e. The Swedish 'Wallander' and the Danish 'The Killing') also fascinate me.
'Inspector Montalbano' is one of the best and most entertaining examples. It is not easy breathing freshness into a well-worn genre but 'Inspector Montalbano' manages to do so with aplomb. Watching 'Inspector Montalbano' is like eating a delicious Italian meal that immensely satisfies and leaves you wanting more. There may be very familiar tropes, but in a way it's inevitable and doesn't detract from the enjoyment at all.
"Equal Time" is another excellent 'Inspector Montalbano' episode, if not quite one of my favourite. Prefer just slightly the poignant and more reflective ones and where one sees a more human side to Montalbano, but really essentially there is not anything wrong as such with "Equal Time", other than that there are occasions where Catarella's actions do happen a little too much by chance.
One always expects 'Inspector Montalbano' to look good. As always with 'Inspector Montalbano', "Equal Time" is beautifully shot and the scenery is stunning (the historic locations here are atmospherically and cleverly used), making those who've never been to Italy want to book a holiday there as soon as possible and is a treat for anybody who loves all things Italian. The music is never over-bearing or low-key with a nice atmosphere and flavour, a lot of it is very cleverly used. The sound effects are remarkably authentic.
Writing is tightly structured and taut, with very funny to hilarious humour, nail-biting tension and involving and poignant human drama balanced beautifully. The subtitles are not hard to follow, and the story is very tightly constructed and compelling, for 'Inspector Montalbano' surprisingly brutal with one of the show's highest body counts.
Characters may be stereotypes but well-written ones, especially one of the most fascinating foreign detective mystery dramas titular characters there is to me and the scene-stealing Catarella (hilarious comic relief but more than that). Loved that Catarella is given more to do and is more of a heroic figure than the source of the comedy. The supporting characters intrigue too.
Acting is terrific, especially from Luca Zingaretti who is a treasure in the title role, having a perfect balance of comedy and drama and playing it straight while always engaging with his material. . Angelo Russo's comic timing is a refreshing and always perfectly timed joy and Cesare Bocci, Peppino Mazzotta and the supporting cast are strong.
In conclusion, excellent. 9/10 Bethany Cox