REVIEW: Watching ‘The Commander’ in 2018
The Commander is a solid British TV show that follows Clare Blake (Amanda Burton), head of the Murder Review Team for Scotland Yard. She encounters many obstacles in the field and in the office, and it’s interesting to watch her struggles and triumphs through a 2018 lens. The recent headlines about the #MeToo movement and gender discrimination in the workforce have placed past TV shows and movies in a different spotlight and perspective.
The TV series, which is now available on DVD from Acorn, is broken up into 17 episodes that feel like self-contained films. There are five years of content here, which allows the viewer the chance to watch as Blake evolves on the job and develops working relationships with staff, allies and enemies.
The first two-part episode (series 1) is called “Entrapment” and stars a pre-Downton Abbey Hugh Bonneville as James Lampton, a convicted murder who has served his time and been released on good behavior. His first project on the outside is to publish a nonfiction book about rehabilitation. He employs the help of Blake, who was the arresting officer on the case, to write the foreword to the book. She agrees, thinking the book will only circulate in the prisons, but it turns out Lampton has higher aspirations for the bestseller’s list and media interviews. This puts Blake is a difficult PR position.
Will her foreword seem like an approval of Lampton and his past murder?
Burton is an exquisitely talented actress who provides the show with a strong central character. Blake is a good person at heart, but she finds herself caught in the middle of several scandals and inquiring questions from the media and colleagues. She also faces unfortunate discrimination because she’s a strong female figure in a position of authority.
Whether it’s James and his discussions of the book, or the tough questions she has to ask her fellow staff members, the challenges are trying for the commander, but she perseveres and serves as a model for younger female officers.
Other guest stars on the show include James D’Arcy, Saskia Reeves, David Patrick O’Hara and Matt Day, among others. The full cast is a real who’s who of British television.
Some of the earlt episodes of The Commander feel too melodramatic, and it takes time for Blake’s adventures to prove engaging. But for those viewers who stick with the show, there are plenty of payoffs and fine character development. That’s in large part because of Burton’s portrayal, who is shepherded along by creator and writer Lynda La Plante (Prime Suspect).
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
The Commander: The Complete Collection is now available on DVD from Acorn TV. Click here for more information.
