Taggart (TV Series) Law (2006) User Reviews

Murder at The Fun Fayre.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 7/10 · 13 July 2023]

Teenage girl Shelley is strangled at a Fun Fayre during the small hours, Burke suspects the travelling community that runs The Fayre, Stuart is keen to keep the peace, and tries the softly softly approach.

I can see that this is another episode that isn't universally loved, I have to say, once again, I rather enjoyed it. I probably did watch this when it first went out, it didn't make an impact, but years on, comparing this with today's content, it holds up rather well.

I really liked that atmospheric opening, quite bleak scenes. Pacing wasn't bad, maybe a little dip in the middle, but it does end well.

It's a strong episode for Stuart, and Colin McCredie does a fine job, it's good to see him sticking to his guns, and standing up to his boss when he thinks he's in the wrong.

A smashing cast, watch out for David Bradley, Andrew Lee Potts and Ron Donachie, it's well acted, though I'd say it's Blythe Duff that steels the show.

7/10.

Taggart meets Romeo and Juliet

[bethwilliam · 5/10 · 7 July 2007]

A teenage girl wanders through a fare ground at 2am in the fog. You just know she is going to get murdered. The only question is - how? The next day her strangled body is found under a pile of rubbish.

This episode of Taggart starts badly, improves slightly and finishes with the most awful, cliché ridden ending possible.

The investigation leads the team to the local carnival where DCI Matt Burke takes an aggressive stance against the "gypsies." Stuart Fraser reacts by trying to understand and relate to the itinerant workers to win their trust.

A Romeo and Juliet romance lies at the heart of the inquiry which causes further problems for the police.

Taggart has definitely run its course. This episode is a rehash of previous stories proving the writers have now exhausted their imaginations.

At the fairground

[TheLittleSongbird · 4/10 · 23 March 2021]

Have loved 'Taggart' (another show gotten into during my teenage years) for a long time, although the more deliberate and even grittier Taggart and Jardine periods to me are superior to Burke's. Although it was actually through watching the late afternoon reruns of the Burke period episodes (starting from "Compensation" right up to when the episodes became shorter, too short in my mind) at one point that got me hooked, the Taggart and Jardine episodes were actually seen a lot later.

Do have to agree that 'Taggart' had run out of ideas by this episode. This was apparent too in "Dead Man Walking" but not near as badly. 'Taggart' was capable of such greatness, such as with most of the episodes from the Taggart and Jardine periods and with "Compensation", "A Death Foretold" and "Judgement Day" of the Burke period episodes. So it was very sad to see it run out of ideas around this point and that it was also capable of episodes as mediocre at best as "Law". It has its moments in a good way but there were some pretty awful things about "Law" as well.

"Law" is not a complete waste. It is made with a lot of grit and atmosphere, as well as a slick style, that fits the gritty tone of the show very well. The scenery once again is both beautiful and uncompromising. The main theme is still memorable and fits the show's gritty tone well.

Some of the middle act is intriguing and atmospheric. The regulars are all very good, Blythe Duff never disappoints and Alex Norton had really grown on me as Burke by this point. The team interaction never looks disconnected, with moments of amusing banter.

Most of the story however did not grab me. It took a long time for the episode to get properly interesting, with a very dull and bland (as well as derivative) first act. The case in general is agreed too much of a series of rehashed ideas past their sell by date, and suffers from a real lack of suspense or surprises and a very fatigued pace. Was not surprised by who the perpetrator was at all, in fact for me everything about the reveal was suspected early on.

Worse is the final quarter or so, where it starts to get silly and where interest was very quickly lost again. Lets not start on the ending, which is not only one of the oldest type of endings for a detective mystery show there is but it was also unbelievably ridiculous and forced. What should have been intense was instead laughable. The supporting characters are not particularly interesting and the supporting cast don't register that much. The script is mundane this time round and it lacks the grit and tautness seen with nearly all the previous episodes of 'Taggart'. The music also shows its age, liked it a lot for a long time for the show but in the mid/late Burke period episodes there is too much of an 80s sound to it and it doesn't fit.

In conclusion, disappointingly mediocre for 'Taggart'. 4/10