Friday , March 29 2024
No Offence Series 3

DVD Review: ‘No Offence Series 3’

They’re back. The detectives and uniformed officers of Friday street station in Manchester Great Britain are on DVD again in No Offence, Series 3 from Acorn Media. We join the squad as they track down the nefarious and stupid and still try and have lives outside of policing.

While the cast of the entire ensemble for this excellent show are a joy to watch on screen, the performances of the leads; Joanne Scanlon as Detective Inspector Vivienne Deering, Elaine Cassidy, DC/DS Dinah Kowalska, Will Mellor, DC Spike Tanner and Paul Ritter, pathologist Randolph Miller’s stand out in particular. Not only have we watched these characters go through a lot together, we’ve also seen them evolve and become even more interesting over the course of three seasons of the show.

No Offence Series 3 follows the squad’s attempts to track down the folk behind a failed assassination attempt at a mayoralty debate. For those who don’t know Manchester is probably one of the more racially diverse cities in the UK if not Europe. It’s also traditionally working class, and has never really recovered from Margret Thatcher’s destruction of the UK’s manufacturing base. 

This means there’s high unemployment. The resentment and anger accompanying the conditions created by that make it the ideal recruiting ground for extremist groups of all kinds. In this case it’s the British First types who are the problem.

Surprisingly it’s not the Islamic candidate for mayor who was the target of the assassin’s bullet. It’s the white Caroline McCoy (Lisa McGrillis), who also happens to be a friend of DI Deering’s family. In fact it was Deering who pushed McCoy out of the bullet’s path.

Over the course of the six episodes on this two disc set of No Offence Series 3 we watch as the team negotiate their way through a variety of twists and turns as they follow the leads down a dark and nasty path. As has been the case with this show in previous episodes the scripts are incredible. The intricacies of the plot keeps viewers on their toes, but never become too confusing or convoluted.

However, what really makes this show work is the interplay between the characters. From the top down they are as rough and tumble as the streets they patrol. It’s not often you have the chance to watch such a top notch ensemble of actors working together in such harmony and it really is a pleasure.

In case you didn’t notice I’ve mentioned very little about the specifics of the plot, because to do so would give away a very important spoiler. Be assured; No Offence Series 3 is every bit as good and exciting as the previous two seasons. However, be warned, it is even more emotionally trying than before.

No Offence Series 3 is a great and wonderful police procedural. Like Manchester itself, its somewhat grimy and gritty, but there’s a heart underneath, and its strong. Watch this show and revel in its greatness.

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.

Check Also

TV Interview: Voice Actor Ian James Corlett of ‘Dragon Ball,’ ‘Beast Wars’ – & ‘Family Guy’?

"See if there's a way that you're not just one of the crowd."