Wire in the Blood (TV Series) The Mermaids Singing: Part 2 (2002) User Reviews

Excellent UK crime film. Beautifully understated, tense drama. (possible spoiler)

[firegrrl-dungeon-1 · 8/10 · 2 December 2006]

The story itself is excellent, being by Val McDermid, one of my favourite crime authors. The movie adaptation is the pilot for the series, Wire In the Blood, featuring psychologist Tony Hill and Detective Carol Jorden.

It's an English film, and true to most English crime films, is fast, full of suspense without opting for the overkill of the US. The relationship between Tony and Carol is understated. Robson Green allows Tony's eccentricity to be established without needing the obviousness of twitches or mental problems. He's played as unusual, possibly somewhat neurotic, but certainly doesn't seem to need medication. Hermione Norris is thinner than I would have imagined a Detective Inspector to be, but still came across as knowing, phlegmatic, yet with intelligence and wry humour.

My biggest issue is with the character of the villain, and that is more an issue with the writer than the actors. I won't give it away, but after you have seen it you will know what I mean.

The Mermaids Singing: Part 2

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 28 April 2023]

With a dead cop killed in a gruesome manner. Jordan finds that she needs to stop her boss Tom Cross to frame the wrong man.

Stevie McTeer is in custody but with the press smelling blood. He takes his on life.

With Tony Hill on the case. He is now the next target for the killer. While Hill looks at possible suspects, one of them might be Jordan's brother Michael.

Another graphic moment with Hill being tortured and about to meet a grisly end. I would like to thinks Robson Green's naked body double earned his money.

I do think Green was not a strong enough actor to make the most of those scenes convincingly.

As I have not read the source novel. I can only go by what was on the screen.

I mentioned The Silence of the Lambs in my review of the first part. Coincidentally this story features a trope. The trans serial killer stereotype . It goes back to movies like Dress to Kill and Psycho.

Although made over twenty years ago, given the recent rise of the anti trans movement and anti trans legislation in American states. I would have liked to know why the killer did what they did and that was never adequately explained.

Given that trans people are 4 times more likely to be victims of sexual violence or other forms of violence. This increases even more for black trans people. The haziness on motive means either this was lazy stereotyping or something more sinister.