The first images of
Criminal History
(Apple Tv+, a weekly episode; this Wednesday, the fifth) are a small lesson in narrative.
They also serve as a preview of what the viewer will find in the following chapters.
We see a close-up of Daniel Hegarty (a sinister and impeccable Peter Capaldi, who seamlessly detaches himself from his more charismatic role as Doctor Who).
He is a police officer who earns extra money as a driver for VIP clients.
There is something murky in his eyes;
in the way he talks about it, more information than in many
flashbacks
so common in the genre.
In the background, London is seen at night and outdated.
The impeccable rhythm of this series then takes us to the phone call that triggers the case: an abused woman claims that her boyfriend has confessed to her that he committed a murder for which another man is serving a 24-year sentence in prison.
This alert is managed by a young and ambitious detective, June Lenker (a Cush Cumbo whom fans of
The Good Fight
will remember with great pleasure).
She is capable of pulling the string no matter how many problems it brings, no matter how much Inspector Hergarty, in charge of the case that convicted an innocent man, belittles her, sets traps, does everything possible so that she does not uncover the tricks and corruption of she.
The rest of the parallel stories (the life of the son of the false accused, for example, and how he tries to get ahead with a father in prison and in a hostile environment) are told in their proper measure and acquire all their meaning when integrated into the story. main plot.
Peter Capaldi in the first chapter of 'Criminal History'.apple tv
Halfway through the season of this miniseries, the story unfolds after the murder of a 9-year-old boy in a park.
Lenker enters the lion's den and incorporates the investigation team led, precisely, by Inspector Hergarty.
Here we see another side of the bad guy: that of a corrupt and fearsome police officer, but also a man willing to do whatever it takes to catch the murderers.
He gives chills, but by giving him edges, he becomes uncomfortable and exciting for the viewer.
“Despite appearances, Dan is one of the good guys,” a boss tells Lenker about this shadowy cop.
The final judgment on this phrase is left to the viewer.
That procedural measure measured to the millimeter, which the British know how to do so well, would be enough, but
Criminal History
knows how to go much further.
It is a story of women who fight to stay alive and denounce and put an end to those who kill them.
It is also a drama about sexist violence, so measured, so intense, so well written and performed that it gives you chills.
And about the power of the mafias in some big cities and the pain and incomprehension felt by the innocent people caught in the crossfire.
Tom Moutchi as the falsely accused Errol in 'Criminal History'.
The viewer should not expect a series of theses or heavy sociological analysis: the twists of the plot and the elements to generate interest are measured to the millimeter in an almost perfect puzzle, which knows how to accelerate in the last third without derailing.
She is tenacious, she is close to the truth, but all this crime stains those who investigate it, it affects their families, their way of seeing the world and inhabiting reality.
It fills their existence with darkness and drama, whether they are young police officers with a magnificent family or lonely and tainted individuals, already at the end of their police career.
It's the hardest thing to show in crime fiction and, once again, those responsible for
Criminal History
nail it.
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