Monday , March 18 2024
"George Gently: Series 7" - still the standard against which all other police procedurals should be judged.

Blu-ray Review: ‘George Gently: Series 7’ – A Change Is In The Air

Police procedural television shows come and go in an endless blur of troubled cops and grisly crimes. However, amidst the dross a few gems shine through for the quality of their scripts and exemplary acting. Watching the Blu-ray of George Gently: Series 7 from Acorn Media, you quickly understand why this show has been consistently a cut above the rest of the field.
Cover George Gently Series 7 sm
First of all there are the actors. Martin Shaw, Chief Inspector George Gently, and Lee Ingleby, Detective Sergeant/Inspector John Bacchus, have worked together through six previous seasons and their relationship on screen is a joy to behold. The rapport between the two is such they are able to bring extra layers of nuance to both their characterizations and interactions. Anyone who has watched the series has seen a gradual evolution in their partnership as the years have passed.

With the new character of PC (Police Constable)/Sergeant Rachel Coles, Lisa McGrillis, entering the mix the dynamic between the two leads changes. While she had appeared in the previous series, Coles takes on a bigger role in these episodes and forces Bacchus to undergo some more attitude adjustments and growth. Especially when it comes to the way he, and police in general, treat women.

The four feature length episodes in this series are set in the transition from 1969 to 1970. English society, like the rest of the world, is going through major upheavals, and sleepy Northern Durham is no exception. As is usual for the Gently series each of the investigations is played out against a backdrop which reflects these changes. However, there’s little or no preaching. Instead we are merely presented with the reality of the times and witness how the three main characters react to the situations.

From the way complaints of rape are treated by the police at the time (Gently Among The Women) to industrial pollution (Breathe in the Air) the show brings into focus the growing awareness that attitudes need to be changed in the way both are treated, Again we see how the elder Gently is far more open to change than his younger colleague. However, Bacchus isn’t without a brain or his own sense of personal justice; he just takes a little longer to overcome his ingrained conditioning.

The third and fourth episodes, Gently Among Friends and Son of a Gun deal with issues unique to England. In the former the suspicious death of a local businessman is played out against the beginning of the reconstruction of Newcastle and a garbage strike which crippled the city in 1969. The latter shines a spotlight on the very unique British phenomena of skin heads.
Lee Ingleby:Lisa McGrillis:Martin Shaw George Gently Series 7
Nowadays we identify skin heads with neo-nazi movements. However, in 1970, a lack of jobs in major cities gave rise to a huge population of disaffected youth who started comparing themselves to slaves. Instead of being anti-black, they turned to the music of Jamaican immigrants, ska and rocksteady, which spoke of the fight to escape oppression for inspiration and solace. Of course, it’s very easy for a skilled leader to manipulate lost people with a few promises of easy escape and wealth.

In a fore taste of the race riots which would rock England in the late 1970s, we see how Gently and his team have to deal with a group of skinheads who go on a violent rampage of robbing banks under the guidance of one particularly violent individual. Further complicating matters is Gently’s discovery of a personal connection to the robberies.

As is usual for this show each episode is a wonderfully crafted piece of television. Not only do they take full advantage of their 90 minute length to fully develop plots, they also add in details about the lead characters’ personal lives which allows us to identify with them as people closely. Even better is how these individual problems aren’t solved in an episode, or even over the course of the series. Sometimes life isn’t neat and tidy and one of this series’s strengths has been its ability to depict this without concessions.

George Gently: Series 7 continues the tradition of excellence we’ve come to expect from this exceptional police procedural. An incredible recurring cast, wonderful guest turns by great actors. and fascinating scripts are still the show’s hallmarks. This series is still the standard against which all other police procedurals should be judged.
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About Richard Marcus

Richard Marcus is the author of three books commissioned by Ulysses Press, "What Will Happen In Eragon IV?" (2009) and "The Unofficial Heroes Of Olympus Companion" and "Introduction to Greek Mythology For Kids". Aside from Blogcritics he contributes to Qantara.de and his work has appeared in the German edition of Rolling Stone Magazine and has been translated into numerous languages in multiple publications.

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