Waking The Dead, Season 6 (BBC/DVD/2011)
One of the best written-director-and-acted shows on television, this continuing season (#6) of the show that was the British forerunner of America’s “Cold Case,” concerns murders of the past and how forensic science can find answers long-thought unobtainable. As such, the science is impeccable (if, as the experts tell us, improbable in its speed) but as important are the personalities and dedication of the folk involved.
Taking a cue from the two-hour episodes (split in two) from the old and lamented “Inspector Morse,” the producing company has taken six stories, each in two halves. Each of them is detailed in its writing and execution, making this one excellent show.
“Wren Boys” deals with nomadic Irish Gypsies, who keep to themselves and are always under public scrutiny. But when a corpse of a young man is found encased in decade-old concrete, the forensics team (Trevor Eve as Detective Superintendent Boyd, Sue Johnston as psychologist Grace Foley, Wil Johnson, as DI Spencer Jordan, Tara Fitzgerald as specialist Dr. Eve Lockhart and Felicité Du Jue as DC Stella Goodman) continue their research and the puzzle of the young man’s death is unraveled. The chore of putting the parents and close-knit community under the microscope of justice demonstrates damn good writing (Declan Croghan) and direction (Tim Fywell).
“Deus Ex Machina” (taken from the old Greek/Roman play-standard of having the gods swoop down and end the spectacle) has the team examining a 150-year-old skull of a Mahdi (a religious leader), taken as a war-trophy and hidden away until new murders unravel the past. Creator Barbara Machin and Nicholas Blincoe wrote a taut script and Andy Hay has directed it well. Alex Jennings and Polly Walker are antagonists here.
“The Fall” examines when a double-murder in 1992 is accidentally discovered during the renovation of an office-building in the heart of London and points to high-level crooks in the hedge-fund arena. The ever resourceful Peter Capaldi and Oliver Ford Davies headline the supporting cast. B. Machin and Damien Wayling’s script and Robert Bierman’s direction lay it all out for us.
“Mask of Sanity” follows the dangerous release of James Jenson (Nicholas Beveney) who had been convicted of mad-man-style-killings of three men. Now that he’s out, who is guilty of similar killings? Ah, our contemporary cop/scientist/sleuths will find out, due to Lawrence Davey and Declan Croghan’s script and David Thacker’s direction.
“Double Bind” examines a dreadful double-parricide from 1967 when the son who was convicted of the killings is released. The background on the killings is well-presented (B. Machin and Richard Warlow, writers; Andy Hay, director) and the story is stretched tight for us.
Lastly, and the best of the six, is ”Yahrzeit,” an examination of how fleeing Nazi’s hid out in London at the tail-end of the war, killing an entire Jewish family to steal their identities. When their past begins to unravel (how they aided Dr. Josef Mengele) and more killings are plotted, the Team protects the innocent. The always-resourceful Eileen Atkins stands out in a strong cast as a women who holds no remorse. The entire episode reeks of authenticity (a hallmark, it must be said, of the entire show). Writing, directing, acting, art-direction, music, etc, contribute to a fully-satisfying series.
If you’ve seen any of these previous episodes in seasons 1-5, you will see character progression, as well as missing actors. But what a treat this show is.