How novel to watch a TV detective who doesn't have a drink problem

Telegraph

2 days ago

TV's most normal detective is back. By which I mean that Karen Pirie (ITV1) doesn't have a traumatic emotional back story, or a drink problem, or neurodiversity dialled up to 10. She's just a regular person who works hard at her job while wearing sensible clothes. This sounds quite boring, but thanks to Lauren Lyle, who plays her, and Val McDermid, who wrote the source material, Pirie is a character you enjoy watching.
The story is based on McDermid's novel A Darker Domain, although some elements have been changed by screenwriter Emer Kenny. We begin in 1984 – the scene is set with Simple Minds on the soundtrack and Arthur Scargill on the telly in the corner of the chip shop – and the abduction of a young mother with her two-year-old son. Her father is Sir Broderick Grant (played by James Cosmo), a Scottish oil baron. He receives a ransom demand, but Catriona is never heard from again.
Then, 40 years later, a man's body is discovered, preserved in peat. In his pocket is a key to Catriona's car, which she was forced to drive by her abductor and was later found burnt out. Time for Pirie to get cracking on the cold case investigation.
Usually, I find split timelines annoying, but this successfully switches between the 1980s and the present day without causing confusion. The drama also strikes just the right tone, treating the crime seriously but leavening it with shots of humour. Pirie can be funny, especially when assessing her own limitations – newly promoted to inspector and still in her 20s, she would much rather not be in a position of authority. Her sweet but uninformed colleague, DC Jason 'Mint' Murray (Chris Jenks) is also good for a laugh. Pirie describes Catriona as Scotland's John Paul Getty III. 'John Paul… as in, the Pope?' Mint asks.
There's no slack in episode one, with every scene moving the plot along and introducing us to characters who will prove to be significant. The personal stuff – Pirie is secretly dating a fellow detective – fits nicely into the picture rather than detracting from the main event. I wish it kept this up but, alas, three two-hour episodes drag it out when it could have been done more satisfyingly in half that time, and the quality drops off. There were also points in the middle where I had to keep reminding myself who the supporting characters were.
As for Pirie's sensible clothes, there is a certain quirkiness to the way she wears them: the collars of her Fred Perry turned up, her valuables safely stashed in a bum bag. But that's as singular as she gets.