Strike

[Hepzibar]

Liking it.
Casting excellent.

Just finished, really enjoyed it and liked how the 'who dunnit' was secondary to the story as it was so glaringly obvious. Can't wait until next week

I read the book and it was not glaringly obvious to me. Still can't get my head around hiring a detective when you've done the job....you might be very unlucky and hire a very good detective ( like Cormorant)
Very risky

Loved watching this. Strike reminded me of an old boyfriend in both looks and attitude towards fags and booze.

My hearing is getting dodgy though and for quite a while I thought the victim was called Luna Landing (and I am so pinching that as my Drag Queen name).

Enjoyable and undemanding viewing. The two main characters are well cast. London looks fab. But the plot is very ropy and unconvincing and the dialogue really wooden. Nicely produced though.

Feels very 'young adult' to me and defintely on the unchallenging, chewing-gum end of the TV crime/drama spectrum.

I liked the London street scenes but that's just nostalgia.

There was nothing to engage me intellectually although I was piqued when Robin/Batman had a pop at her boyfriend for calling the wars in Iraq/Afghanistand etc a pointless waste of time, sub-student level political references which are then left undiscussed and a bit virtue-signally - childish really.

Compared with others more accomplished TV crime like all the Scandi stuff, Shetland, Taggart, Silent Witness etc etc - it really was poor despite, I suspect, having some serious money chucked at it.

But that's the modern world I guess.

Companies give free stuff to Instagrammers with the most followers because they have the most followers, not because they're 'the best'.

The BBC adapts/produces JK R's books because her name alone will bring the most viewers not because she's 'the best'.

Bums on seats and money follows money and so on.

Won't give me any new insights into the human psyche but is it wrong to expect it to try?

Really enjoyed this programme and looking forward to the next episodes. DH is a private detective so we always enjoy watching this type of thing. It makes us laugh as they always portray private eyes as downtrodden loners who enjoy propping up the bar but I suppose it would be boring TV if they showed them living in suburbia with a mortgage, wife and kids.

It's definitely realistic where some of the sleazy characters he meets are concerned though. Love Tom Burke in this. Great casting.

Mrs whip, thats an interesting job to have! i guess that he has a laugh at how its portrayed though. Strike is a one off!
They do have other cases to deal with in the books, more normal surveillance work between them, but i suppose that will be left out in the next instalment.

Haven't read the books The80s but I suppose more run of the mill work would be too boring for the viewers. A lot of the work tends to be the crappy stuff that solicitors don't want to handle so they pay him instead. He's had his moments over the years and encountered quite a few celebrities along the way (naming no names) but it's all in a day's work for him. Really looking forward to the next episodes.

Must be an interesting job though. Seeing people how they really are!

No two days are ever the same. I've helped him out a few times on various things like surveillance. It can be exciting but it can also be very boring as well. I know TV likes to portray them as sleazy, underhand characters and there are some out there who are like that but he and others who I have met are just normal people trying to make a living. Also he never does anything illegal, always turns that type of work down.

@hollyisalovelyname
Lula's adopted brother wanted her genetic brother to be framed to stop him inheriting. He knew about the new will, but had been unable to find it when he went through Lula's flat , so he assumed the genetic brother was in possession of it.
As it stood, his mother had inherited, and she was dying, so he would get a pay out.

I read the book & Silkworm a while ago so only vague recollections of plot detail, but agree that Strike was less handsome, grumpier and maybe older in the books? Plus Robin wasn't portrayed as such a beauty. She is exceptionally pretty imho and no way 'everyday'. The book was quite a slow burner and I think they created that with the TV adaptation too.
Anyway, I think it was well done overall and am
Looking forward to Silkworm.

I remember at one point in the book strike looking up and thinking she was a beautiful girl. I think he distracted himself quickly.

Thank you ohyesiam

it seems to me to be British trying to be American, wooden and a weak story line, I got to half way through the first episode and turned it off. Should I persevere, does it improve? You all seem to think it's good, I feel like I didn't give it a chance.

No, it gets worse. I've given up.

I thought it was rather good - acting, characterisation, mood, setting, were all engaging (also enjoyed the fight scene - well choreographed). I quite like the feeling that the investigating isn't necessarily any more important than other elements of the story. For some reason, it reminded me slightly of the tv adaptation of Zen (Rufus Sewell) - to do with style, possibly.

Holliday Grainger is stunning. She looked amazing in that green dress. Redheads look great in green. Julianne Moore tends to wear that colour a lot.

It was the opening credits that remind you of Zen - probably the same company.

Zen was good, but then Rufus Sewell never puts a foot wrong in anything he is in, especially Parade's End and The Man In The High Castle.

Haven't read any of the books, but will be watching tonight.

Enjoyed it again, might re read the books.

That was intense! No idea who it was but I would be really annoyed if the used the same trick as the first series and for the client (Loreana) to be the murderer.

More name games from JK - all a bit tedious for me.

Very Midsummer Murders if you like that sort of thing but thinks it's better.

book 2 is a bit odd - i wasnt as keen on it as the first one -
Robin didnt do that silly driving across fields either - there was an accident on the motorway and she avoided it , much to his amazement!
The casting for Leonora was spot on, just how i imagined her to look and sound/

CeeBee I have no idea who it is either, but I feel really sorry for the wife and I hope it's not her!