Devices and Desires - Part 2

Hilary Roberts is the latest casualty, and a man, believed to be The Whistler, is found dead in a hotel room, Dalgliesh has to consider whether he's chasing one or multiple killers.

A good second episode, not perhaps as good as the first part, but still a decent watch. I felt that there was a degree of accuracy in the first episode, a fair retelling of the story, that wasn't the case here, the story was totally rehashed.

Definitely still a good watch, and overall an interesting take on the story of PD James, although it does surprise me a little when modern writers feel that they know better than the original authors.

It's very bloodthirsty, there are multiple deaths, it's bloodier than an episode of Midsomer Murders.

It was nice to see Adam a little more animated, once again I think Bertie Carvel was excellent, I just hope he's signed up for a forth series.

At times if felt as though the brightness of my screen was on the blink, some of it was a little dark, not sure that really worked.

7/10.

The first episode ended with Hilary Roberts as the latest victim of The Whistler.

As DCI Adam Dalgliesh and acting DCI Kate Miskin discover. They think they have found The Whistler and he has committed suicide.

So a lot depends on when Roberts was killed and maybe how she was killed.

It could just be, the person found dead is not The Whistler. There could be a copycat.

Dalgleish and Miskin have to start again and reinterview people at the nuclear station. This time someone needs an alibi.

I liked the clever way this story published in 1989 was updated. There was some slight of hand. There were inferences of groups being infiltrated taking the story to a different level. By the end Dalgliesh even shows some emotion.

...but that's not saying a lot. It might not to so bad if we couldn't compare it on YouTube with episode 1 of the 1991 Anglia TV version (sadly only that one episode). This is of such low quality in comparison. For one thing it's more cheaply made with about a third of the cast, according to IMDB. That was set in the P D James setting of Norfolk with local accents and atmosphere. Now we have moved to an unconvincing generic location which is described af Kent. (If it was really Kent, Dungeness would have been the place to set it.) Roy Marsden was a slightly sad but also human and likeable Dalgliesh. Bertie Carvel's is mainly just grim and glum. Now we have goodies and baddies, much like in a children's story. Back then there was actual nuance. Take for instance the caravan-dwelling protesters, Neil and Amy. Now they are just angry caricatures. In 1991, Robert Hines and Nicola Cowper included a gentle, touching, human quality to the roles. There was Gemma Craven and Suzanna York and various other excellent actors of the period. Nuff said. Why did they bother with this inferior remake?

I'm rating both parts of Devices and Desires in one review since they are linked together.

Part 1 really set the crimes up great. Two murders in a small coastal village with both women working at the nearby nuclear power plant. Dalgliesh is called in - and re-unite with his old assistant investigator Kate Miskin.

To avoid a spoiler, I won't give too much away, but I the first episode was great. Then at the very end and with the second episode, it just took a very unexpected turn that I did not see coming at all. Having never read the book, I don't know if this was true to the novel or not. Yet, it really is rather jarring. Then the whole matter wraps up in a very off - and at least to me - unsatisfactory manner. Dalgliesh is still one of the better police procedurals out there, yet be forewarned that this is one of the least satisfying in the series.