I liked Line of Duty enough to watch it all, but you're right it ain't The Wire. It seemed very artificial with the frozen body parts and staged murders to retain compromising information about police. And I found it hard to maintain my suspension of disbelief that there's a police force that has both a veteran anti-corruption unit running without interference for six seasons and a number of senior officers that work for drug dealers and gang lords. I agree that Keeley Hawes performance was a highlight of the show.
If you want to go backwards in time, I would say that parts of Prime Suspect were like The Wire before The Wire was ever written, but that show's focus on a strong female detective and misogyny within the department limited its ability to focus equally on social commentary. Seasons 2 and 3 were particularly excellent on anti-black racism and pedophilia, but season 1 is just a standard catch a serial killer plot and the later seasons are uneven.
I've become quite fond of the ridiculousness. In my rewatch I've arrived at the bit where Thandiwe Newton murders Jason Watkins and keeps all his bloodstained clothes in the boot of her car in the family garage (what happens when she needs to put her kids' PE bags in the boot?) and then nurses the suppurating wound that will reveal who she killed. Absolutely mad, got to admire it.
I have to admit that I didn't much like Prime Suspect on a rewatch although I remember really liking it when it was first transmitted. I found the overall tone a bit exhausting, like it was trying to teach viewers how to be Better People - there was a lot of telling rather than showing. (To be fair this was quite a prevalent tone in the '80s, which is probably why I didn't have any problem with it at the time.) Whereas I felt both The Wire and LoD never forget that they are entertainment first and social commentary second, and when they do the social commentary it's well woven into the plot and feels organic.
What a read. I love Line of Duty. It was so dark but also so silly (we still talk about Kate's undercover antics when she's sat in a car five metres away 'spying' practically wearing a trenchcoat). I've...never watched The Wire 😬
I know it’s annoying when people tell you to watch The Wire - in fact I think that’s why I didn’t watch it for 15 years - but it is jaw-droppingly good in parts.
Lots of food for thought here. I had never considered there being a parallel between these two shows and in truth I never watched enough of The Wire to be able to comment, although it’s been on my mental list of shows I need to go back and watch properly for some time.
I loved Line Of Duty but again, we came to it late and binge-watched during lockdown. My gut feeling is that it was more conspiracy theory and less social commentary than The Wire. I almost feel that for me, a binge-watch accentuated the thread of high-level corruption that became a sort of big reveal mystery as the series progressed and maybe I lost some of the nuance of the bigger picture.
Keeley Hawes is amazing in everything. (I agree her performance in It’s A Sin was just incredible.) Not sure I am as aware of the weight fluctuations of female actresses as you are, and I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about my own weight - unless my trousers stop fitting - but I do take your point that it probably makes a woman appear more vulnerable. More food for thought!
Yes, sorry, I was making some big generalisations! I guess maybe what I mean is, I seem to be drawn to other women who worry about weight in the same way that I do. But I suspect it is quite common, population-wide, among women.
No need to apologise. I’m sure you are right. I also think the fact that British women on TV don’t all conform to a stick thin “ideal” is really important.
This is making me want to watch LoD all over again 😊My favourite season is 4 because of Thandi Newton’s gammy arm - so much stress. But I agree that the most unforgettable role is Lindsay Denton. Unreadable, sincere, psychopathic and totally empathetic. A one-off. I haven’t seen The Wire but it’s on my list.
Yes, that's it isn't it - a psychopath-empath combo. Probably not found in real life, but Hawes pulls it off (that sounds like the title of a girls' comic, one that I would totally read). I do love the Thandi Newton plot line but it is the series in which LoD slips the surly bonds of sanity and rockets off into total lunacy. Not that I'm saying that's a bad thing, you understand.
Yes I get that. Now I think about it there’s a lot of that Lindsay Denton stuff I don’t think I fully got. I definitely need to watch it again. Also obsessed with her marriage to Matthew Macfadyen - not sure who I love more 😅
I liked Line of Duty enough to watch it all, but you're right it ain't The Wire. It seemed very artificial with the frozen body parts and staged murders to retain compromising information about police. And I found it hard to maintain my suspension of disbelief that there's a police force that has both a veteran anti-corruption unit running without interference for six seasons and a number of senior officers that work for drug dealers and gang lords. I agree that Keeley Hawes performance was a highlight of the show.
If you want to go backwards in time, I would say that parts of Prime Suspect were like The Wire before The Wire was ever written, but that show's focus on a strong female detective and misogyny within the department limited its ability to focus equally on social commentary. Seasons 2 and 3 were particularly excellent on anti-black racism and pedophilia, but season 1 is just a standard catch a serial killer plot and the later seasons are uneven.
I've become quite fond of the ridiculousness. In my rewatch I've arrived at the bit where Thandiwe Newton murders Jason Watkins and keeps all his bloodstained clothes in the boot of her car in the family garage (what happens when she needs to put her kids' PE bags in the boot?) and then nurses the suppurating wound that will reveal who she killed. Absolutely mad, got to admire it.
I have to admit that I didn't much like Prime Suspect on a rewatch although I remember really liking it when it was first transmitted. I found the overall tone a bit exhausting, like it was trying to teach viewers how to be Better People - there was a lot of telling rather than showing. (To be fair this was quite a prevalent tone in the '80s, which is probably why I didn't have any problem with it at the time.) Whereas I felt both The Wire and LoD never forget that they are entertainment first and social commentary second, and when they do the social commentary it's well woven into the plot and feels organic.
I already loved LoD (silliness and all) and Keeley Hawes; you have motivated me to give The Wire a try.
Do it! It honestly is genuinely good. Although there is one season that is less good than the others, but nobody agrees which one it is
What a read. I love Line of Duty. It was so dark but also so silly (we still talk about Kate's undercover antics when she's sat in a car five metres away 'spying' practically wearing a trenchcoat). I've...never watched The Wire 😬
I know it’s annoying when people tell you to watch The Wire - in fact I think that’s why I didn’t watch it for 15 years - but it is jaw-droppingly good in parts.
I think that peer pressure is probably partly why I've avoided it 🤪
Lots of food for thought here. I had never considered there being a parallel between these two shows and in truth I never watched enough of The Wire to be able to comment, although it’s been on my mental list of shows I need to go back and watch properly for some time.
I loved Line Of Duty but again, we came to it late and binge-watched during lockdown. My gut feeling is that it was more conspiracy theory and less social commentary than The Wire. I almost feel that for me, a binge-watch accentuated the thread of high-level corruption that became a sort of big reveal mystery as the series progressed and maybe I lost some of the nuance of the bigger picture.
Keeley Hawes is amazing in everything. (I agree her performance in It’s A Sin was just incredible.) Not sure I am as aware of the weight fluctuations of female actresses as you are, and I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about my own weight - unless my trousers stop fitting - but I do take your point that it probably makes a woman appear more vulnerable. More food for thought!
Yes, sorry, I was making some big generalisations! I guess maybe what I mean is, I seem to be drawn to other women who worry about weight in the same way that I do. But I suspect it is quite common, population-wide, among women.
No need to apologise. I’m sure you are right. I also think the fact that British women on TV don’t all conform to a stick thin “ideal” is really important.
This is making me want to watch LoD all over again 😊My favourite season is 4 because of Thandi Newton’s gammy arm - so much stress. But I agree that the most unforgettable role is Lindsay Denton. Unreadable, sincere, psychopathic and totally empathetic. A one-off. I haven’t seen The Wire but it’s on my list.
Yes, that's it isn't it - a psychopath-empath combo. Probably not found in real life, but Hawes pulls it off (that sounds like the title of a girls' comic, one that I would totally read). I do love the Thandi Newton plot line but it is the series in which LoD slips the surly bonds of sanity and rockets off into total lunacy. Not that I'm saying that's a bad thing, you understand.
Yes I get that. Now I think about it there’s a lot of that Lindsay Denton stuff I don’t think I fully got. I definitely need to watch it again. Also obsessed with her marriage to Matthew Macfadyen - not sure who I love more 😅