DCI Banks Aftermath
Stephen Tompkinson, Lorraine Burroughs
BBC Home Entertainment 2013
90 minutes
The British most certainly know how to do great detective drama. DCI Banks is yet another in a long tradition of original, well-written and acted, and captivating mystery TV shows. Aftermath, originally aired as a two-part episode, is the first story in what is now a three season, seven story series. This first story introduces Banks and DS Annie Cabot who works in Professional Standards (Internal Affairs). Aftermath is an adaptation of the Peter Robinson DCI Banks book and series.
Aftermath begins with two cops responding to a domestic dispute. They find they are dealing with a man who has a dead girl on a slab in his basement. One cop ends up dead, the man is severely wounded, and the other cop is under suspicion. It seems the man, Marcus Payne, is responsible for the kidnapping and murder of four local girls. Banks is the lead investigator in those disappearances and is anxious to know where the fifth girl is.
Aftermath has some very interesting twists and turns involving Payne’s wife, the neighbor across the street who reported the disturbance, and the father of the still missing girl.
Most original is DCI Banks is assisted by an Internal Affairs detective. Her connection to his investigation is a bit tenuous but the story pretty much pulls it off.
Aftermath’s ending is quite a stunner. For both story lines.
Be warned that DCI Banks is an addictive series and BBC is a bit slow in releasing the DVDs in North America so your patience will be tested.
Other BBC mystery DVD series we like: