Thu 2 Feb 2023
A TV Episode Review: THE CHELSEA DETECTIVE “The Wages of Sin” (2022).
Posted by Steve under Reviews , TV mysteries[6] Comments
THE CHELSEA DETECTIVE.“The Wages of Sin.” Acorn TV original, 07 February 2022. (Series one, episode one). Adrian Scarborough (DI Max Arnold), Sonita Henry (DS Priya Shamsie). Writers: Peter Fincham, Glen Laker. Director: Richard Signy.
TV producers and other executives, if their TV detectives aren’t buddies from episodes one on, then the next best thing is that they’re mismatched in almost every way possible. It may actually be the best thing, if you stop and think about it.
DI Max Arnold is short, chunky-ish, and male. DS Priya Shamsie is tall, statuesque, and female. What they have in common, though, is a dedication to their jobs, and personal problems they’re working their way through. (TV producers and other executives like those too.)
In the first episode of a new British series, the victim is a middle-aged stone mason who dies in front of an oncoming trade in a tube station. Did he fall? Did he jump? Was he pushed? When CCTV tapes establish the latter, the two policeman have a case on their hands.
And as they gradually discover, the victim had been plagued with guilt, for what, not known, but spurred on by finding messages from the Bible written on his bathroom mirror when waking up in the morning.
The case is solved by plodding but indispensable police work – which in today’s world means not only person-to-person interrogation, but sitting at the computer, with one person standing and looking over the shoulder of the other who is typing furiously away at the keyboard.
I mentioned personal problems. Arnold is working his way through the death of his father as well as a messy divorce, and Shamsie has just returned from maternity leave, which leaves the baby at home with her father, who is not entirely happy about it. Perhaps we the viewer can hope these problems have been resolved by the time this first episode ends; it shouldn’t take a whole season!
You should not take this last comment the wrong way. If it helps to show that your two TV detectives have their human sides too, I’m all for it, and given the overall rather light touch, I think they succeeded. Recommended.
February 2nd, 2023 at 8:02 pm
At least this doesn’t sound like one of those love/hate at first sight tropes where they dance around their attraction/aggression for a few seasons before hooking up and blowing the whole reason you watched. Mismatched styles seems more reasonable.
February 2nd, 2023 at 8:46 pm
No, no sparks in that direction, and if there ever are, I’ll deserve all the hoots you all can call me.
The first season consisted of four single episodes of 90 minutes ir so. Each of these was broadcast later in two parts, for a total of eight 45 minute episodes. The series has been given a go-ahead for a second season, but for better or worse, DI Arnold will be given a new partner to pair up with.
February 2nd, 2023 at 10:20 pm
He is 5’4″. She is 5’8″. Just in case you were wondering.
February 3rd, 2023 at 8:54 am
No, there is no romance. He is still somewhat hung up on his ex. She is married with a baby (though having issues). Very good show but I am sorry to hear he will have a new partner next series.
February 3rd, 2023 at 9:58 am
Kind of non-sequitur, but the (suggestive but non-carnal) relationship of the Swedish autistic blonde bombshell detective and her Danish married middle aged male counterpart was a major reason why Bron/Broen was so effective in its early seasons. Once they replaced the male detective and let them start screwing it ruined some of the tension that made it great. Moonlighting also lost a lot once cybill shepherd and David Addison started getting it on.
February 3rd, 2023 at 11:07 am
MOONLIGHTING is the number one prime example of TV producers and other executives getting it perfectly wrong.