A Touch of Frost (TV Series) Near Death Experience (2005) User Reviews

Gripping from start to finish!

[jamiecostelo58 · 9/10 · 5 December 2006]

A probable serial killer is on the loose, and Jack Frost has to work against time to catch the culprit, which also sees him reunited with D.S. 'Razor' Sharpe. He also has to work, albeit reluctantly, with a glamorous behavioural profiler.

A wonderfully acted drama, with a thrilling conclusion to the case, showcases all the actors' ability, which never fails for a second, while Jack's cornering of the suspect certainly explains the title to the episode.

A Touch of Frost continues to provide terrific and thrilling drama that always convinces the viewer, and Near Death Experience simply carries that trait on. Great!

Frost, the Catholic Church, and a Serial Killer

[Hitchcoc · 9/10 · 1 October 2015]

Sometimes this series crossed over into a kind of gallows humor. Poor George Tooren is nearly killed in a fall. He has been taunted by Frost to work to get a serial "jumper" off a ledge. George takes and unnecessary risk and almost dies. Frost has some guilt, but carries it around silently. Meanwhile, a woman is brutally stabbed and murdered and her daughter barely escapes with her life. This all leads to a priest who came on the scene and discovered the body, a former lover, a sister who doesn't tell the truth. There is also work with an attractive female profiler and the reappearance of "Razor" Sharpe. Of course, Frost gets into a tussle with this woman, who makes pronouncements about the case. He, of course, falls back on the "old fashioned" kind of police work. The problem is that once a profile accurately predicts more murders, action must be taken. And, again, the characters don't exactly come forth with the best details of their actions. Once the priest gets into the act, Mullett insists on handling things with kid gloves. This is an excellent episode of a fine series.

Kept guessing till the end

[safenoe · 9/10 · 22 September 2020]

Sara Stewart plays Martine Phillips, a criminal profiler, who turns out to be a bit of a man eater to advance her career and sales of her books. D.S. Sharpe (Philip Jackson) is absolutely besotted with Sara, and imagines a life together. Anyway, a serial killer is on the loose, but Toolan is unfortunately sidelined due to a major fall when Frost attempted to prevent a suicide. When I saw that scene, I immediately thought of the Lethal Weapon scene.

NAIL BITTING HOLD ONTO YOUR SEAT DRAMA EPISODE

[theduchessofcambridge · 10/10 · 25 July 2020]

A creepy and addictive drama episode. When a woman gets murdered but something she goes to reach for in the few seconds of her death leads frost closer to the murderer. Another death strikes A day later frost knows there's not much time left. In the end frost sets a trap to lure the sneaky and conniving killer to his fate.

One of the standouts of the later episodes

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 6 July 2017]

As has been said by me numerous times already, 'A Touch of Frost' is a personal favourite of mine, and one of my favourite shows from the detective/mystery genre. Do have a preference perhaps for the earlier-mid-show episodes over the later ones, but none of the episodes are less than watchable and none do anything to embarrass the show.

So much appeals about 'A Touch of Frost'. Love the mix of comedy (mostly through Frost's snide comments and quips) and dark grit, the tension between rebellious Jack Frost and by-the-book Mullet which has led to some humorous moments, how he interacts with the rest of the staff, the deft mix of one or two cases and Frost's personal life, how Frost solves the cases, the production values, music and of course David Jason in one of his best roles.

There may have been people initially sceptical about whether the show would work, and with Jason (a mainly comedic actor) in a departure from usual in the lead role. Scepticism very quickly evaporated, the first six seasons were top notch with a few not-quite-outstanding-but-still-very-good episodes but most of them being near-perfect to masterpiece. Was not sure initially as to whether the Seasons 7-9 two parters would work, having seen two parters not quite work with 'Lewis' for example, but all three worked brilliantly.

Most of Season 10 was of a very high standard, "Held in Trust" was my personal favourite of the episodes but Jim Sturgess' performance in "Close Encounters" is one of the show's best supporting turns. Was a little let down however by "Hidden Truth", which was still decent and much better than a lot of weaker episodes from other shows but considering the high quality of Seasons 1-9 decent didn't seem quite enough. "Another Life" and "Dancing in the Dark" were very good episodes for Season 11, though neither high points.

"Near Death Experience" was always one of my favourite 'A Touch of Frost' episodes from the later seasons. It was when it first aired and it still is. Also perhaps one of my favourite episodes of 'A Touch of Frost' full-stop.

As ever, the production values as always are incredibly well done. It matches the dark, gritty tone of the episode beautifully with atmospheric lighting and the stylish way it's shot. The music is haunting without being over-bearing, the theme tune still iconic.

Script is very taut and one of the best written episodes of the later seasons, with a few very amusing quips from Frost, and is thought-provoking. "Near Death Experience's" story is easily one of the most suspenseful and creepiest, with the murders being some of the show's most brutal. One really roots for Toolan in a nail-biting and sad opening to the episode, and the ending is a shocker.

Frost is a remarkably well-established character, and one cannot help love his amusing interaction with the rest of the officers, his personal life and his chemistry with Bruce Alexander's stern and by-the-book Mullet, who constantly despairs of Frost's unconventional approach.

Can't fault Jason as Frost, he is simply brilliant in the role as always with not one foot put wrong. All the supporting cast are on point, particularly Bruce Alexander, Phillip Jackson and Danny Webb.

In summary, a standout later season episode and of the show in general. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Frost and the Mindhunter

[grantss · 9/10 · 13 August 2022]

Another intriguing, riveting episode of Frost. The episode adds in a bit of modern policing through the introduction of a consulting forensic psychologist, of the Mindhunting profiler type. Helps too that she's very beautiful.

Frost is also reunited with DS Sharpe. This seems to be standard practice for the producers now, rotate in some of his old partners on a regular basis. No issue with that at all, especially if they were great the first time round (and I can't think of any sidekicks who've been detrimental to the show).

Frost too old or not?

[gary-64659 · 9/10 · 18 August 2022]

This is a good episode, as almost always. In this one, though, it's a bit of a stretch that Frost has no clue about psychological profiling -- 2005 was not the Dark Ages. As almost always, too, Frost captures the villain single-handed. But in this one you can readily notice a glimpse of the face of a younger, fitter man as Frost's stand-in running after the masked avenger. Then, in close-up, the all-puffed-out David Jason doesn't think twice about taking on this fully-primed relatively athletic man with a knife and overcomes him.