DVD Review: ‘Jack Taylor Set 1’

The ex-cop, private investigator with a drinking problem shows up so many times in television shows, movies, and books that the characterization has become almost a cliche. It’s unfortunate because the traumas and horrors encountered by detectives who deal with violent crimes could be enough to leave them sufficiently and emotionally crippled and psychologically scarred; there’s a good possibility they would turn to alcohol or drugs to deaden their feelings. Like anyone suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, they will never be able to forget what they have witnessed and, if extremely unlucky, will be cursed with having to relive experiences we can’t even begin to imagine on a regular basis. Trying to deaden the pain or reduce the vividness of the memories would be a natural reaction.

Reducing this type of disorder to a cliche, or making light of it in any way, diminishes the suffering these people undergo. There’s nothing romantic or funny about drinking to forget or the lives of quiet desperation lived by those attempting to hide from their pasts. So the way in which the lead character in the three DVD set Jack Taylor, Set 1, being released by Acorn Media Tuesday June 25 2013, is depicted not only adds to the realism of the show, but helps make it all the more powerful.

Set in County Galway on the west coast of Ireland, Jack Taylor, Set 1 tells the story of ex Garda (policeman) turned private eye Jack Taylor, played by Iain Glen. Each of the three discs are a separate 90 minute episode and investigation. This not only allows plenty of time for the plot to unfold, but also gives ample opportunity for us to get to know Taylor. The opening instalment, The Guards, begins with Taylor still a police officer. Even then we see his drinking is a problem as he’s sipping from a mickey while sitting in his car with his partner waiting to catch speeders. We also see he has a definite self-destructive bent, as he sets off after a speeding car and doesn’t break it off even when his partner points out the car they’re chasing contains a minister in the Irish government. He not only continues the chase, but forces the car to stop and, when the minister gets out of the car to protest, Taylor punches him in the face.

Needless to say the next shot we see of Taylor he’s no longer a member of the Garda. In a quick voice over he informs us he’s become a private investigator and how private investigators aren’t common in this part of the world. In fact, the impression we receive is the idea of someone doing this kind of work is not looked on kindly by the Garda and part of the reason he might be doing the job is because it will piss people off. While he’s obviously still bitter about being tossed from his old job, especially as we find out the politician he punched is currently under investigation for corruption, part of him still clings to his old identity as a member of the force.

This is brought home by his walking around in an overcoat which is official Garda issue uniform and the fact an artist friend of his painted a portrait of him titled “Once A Garda”. The implication being while he might not be a member of the force any more, he can’t shake himself free of the his old life. We even see him try to cross a police line, as if from force of habit, when he walks by a crime scene on the waterfront.

He still has friends on the force and is able to make use of them to find out information when he needs to. So when a woman hires him to investigate the whereabouts of her missing teenage daughter, he makes use of those connections to find out details of the mysterious suicides of four young women, each of whom have been found washed up on shore in the same place, the crime scene he tried to get a closer look at down at the waterfront.

Over the course of his investigation we discover some important details about Taylor’s personal life. His childhood had been unpleasant, to say the least, as his mother’s oppressive view of christianity had driven his father away when he was young, and she continues to make no secret of her disdain for him and her son. Taylor is not only an alcoholic, he’s also a binge drinker. He can drink himself into blind stupors which result in him not being able to remember what he’d done or where he’d been. His way of dealing with any extreme emotion is to start drinking and not stop until he’s passed out and not feeling anything.

Yet, over the course of the three episodes; The Pikemen, where he comes up against a group of vigilantes going around killing people for crimes they believe have gone unpunished, and Magdalen Martyrs, where he investigates cases of abuse which took place at the infamous Magdalen laundries – Catholic homes for so-called wayward girls, we also learn he has a highly developed sense of justice. He’s not one of these people who sees the world as black and white, with good guys on one side and the bad guys on the other. However, nothing sets his back up more, or makes him more determined to find out what really happened, when people in positions of power assume they are able to act with impunity.

Whether its a corrupt businessman using his influence and wealth to ensure people turn a blind eye to his activities, The Guards, a father emotionally blackmailing his son, The Pikeman, or the Catholic church trying to cover up abuses carried out by clergy, Magdalen Martyrs, doesn’t matter to him. They all have to be called to account no matter what the cost. Unfortunately, it usually turns out Taylor is the one who pays most of the cost. His relentless quest for truth doesn’t come without casualties, and unfortunately even when he’s not directly responsible for what happens he can’t help shouldering the guilt.

Glenn’s portrayal of Taylor is a finely crafted depiction of a man whose desire to right the wrongs of the world is constantly in competition with his penchant for self-destructive behaviour. Wearing his heart on his sleeve, the pain caused by what Taylor has witnessed over the years is almost palpable it’s so intense. The more we watch Glenn’s performance the deeper we are drawn into Taylor’s world until we start to see things through his eyes. It makes for somewhat uncomfortable viewing at times, but it also ensures the show attains the kind of quality and verisimilitude you don’t often experience in television police procedurals.

There’s nothing romantic about waking up not knowing what you’ve done and where you’ve been. However, some people know no other way of dealing with the emotional pain they carry with them. As a cop, and now as a private investigator, Jack Taylor has witnessed the worst humans inflict upon each other. The helplessness he feels at his inability to prevent them translate into both rage and grief which he can only partially assuage by bringing those responsible to justice. Catching the crooks doesn’t undo the murders they’ve committed or the abuse they inflicted, and the only way he has of coping is by doing his best to deaden his own emotions.

Jack Taylor, Set 1 is an unflinching look at one man’s valiant effort to combat his own demons and to set right as many of the world’s wrongs as he possibly can. Taylor is not your typical private eye and this is not your usual police drama. However, it is one of the best and most intriguing crime shows you’re liable to see in a long time.