Despite some solid actors and guest performances, I agree with many others that the David Hayman character was just too dark, too 'in-your-face' and too misogynistic. This, coupled with his constant smoking and flare-ups make the rest of the detective squad look truly both competent yet lost in his orbit. Some of the crimes and scenarios are so graphic and needlessly violent that the characters and relationships fade in comparison, which is too bad. It feels like an endless struggle between the female leads and 'Mike Walker' and his need to dominate most scenes. Not many likeable characters and certainly enough unbelievable coincidences that a truck could drive through them. La Plante usually writes interesting strong female lead characters (Prime Suspect for instance), but here it's a bit less clear what the focus should be. I just found that each season be some less and less bearable and the constant darkness was just too much.
Review of Trial & Retribution
