KnotMissPriceless Why so much hype?

SpuffyWeb Sadly Over-hyped

Chirphymium It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

Rio Hayward All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

hfk Just an addition to the other glowing reviews: I watched this when it first aired, as I did all of the Prime Suspects, and enjoyed it very much, but wasn't as impressed as I'd hoped I would be. However, after watching the first 6 again on DVD, and then watching "Final Act" I have reconsidered: this is an excellent send0off, perfect in so many ways, and I'm not sure how I missed it the first go-round. Perhaps watching the others just before watching the "Final Act" made the difference? One thing that stood out this time that I'd not noticed before: the music. The music was perfectly done. I'm not sure how to describe it, ominous, tense, subtle, but it certainly worked well for the film.SPOILER FOLLOWS: The scene that reintroduced Ottley was masterfully done. I can remember the first time I watched it, I did a bit of a double take as soon as Jane walked through that door, thinking, "That looked a bit like Ottley" (I hadn't heard that he would be reintroduced). It seemed to me that the filmmakers managed to give the viewer the same sort of experience that Jane had: an almost subconscious reaction, followed by curiosity, then realization. Very clever.Ottley, and a few other choice characters/moments, provided a welcome bit of warmth to a film that is in many ways terribly cold and lonely. Jane's lifestyle at the opening of "Final Act", her almost complete loneliness and isolation, and her alcoholism, seemed to me to be the natural outcome of her personality from previous episodes. Ultimately, and thankfully, Jane is redeemed, and the viewer is left thinking that there is hope for her, despite her retirement from the job that defined her.I have rarely been so moved by any television program, let alone a finale. Kudos to the filmmakers/producers for avoiding the sort of tragedy the "Cracker" finale was subjected to.

gpeevers A 14 year old girl has gone missing in London with the presumption of foul play. The case attracts the attention of Superintendent Jane Tennison (Helen Mirren) who is nearing retirement and battling her personal demons. While several suspects are investigated Jane develops a personal connection with one of the girl's young friends.There is considerable time given to the character of Jane Tennison, most of which is insightful and well presented. Though it did seems at times that this episode might have taken things a little too far in these developments, despite the fact her character has always been obviously somewhat flawed.Both Robert Pugh (DS Alun Simms) and Frank Finlay (Arnold Tennison, Jane's father) return in their respective roles from Prime Suspect 6 providing a measure of continuity. There is also a somewhat surprising and welcome return by another character/performer not seen for several episodes. The cast overall as to be expected from the previous episodes in the series is first rate.The Final Act presents an interesting investigation of a devastating crime, which is certainly very tragic but not as compelling as it could have been. Thus while it provides a solid conclusion to this wonderful series it is not the strongest of episodes.

polar24 Too many police dramas nowadays are becoming formulaic, predictable, tasteless and plain cheesy. Enter Jane Tennison. A multi-layered, practical, and ageing detective, she is the anti-cliché of the U.S CSI cop. She is superbly played with grace, depth and honesty by the great Helen Mirren.Det. Supt. Jane Tennison is on the eve of her retirement when a tragic murder case of a young schoolgirl presents itself on her desk. It will be her most difficult case yet as she must juggle both physical and psychological weariness of work, compensation for these chasms in alcoholism, and the realisation of her dying love-lost father; with personal regrets and professional mistakes.While the murder investigation forms the frame of the story, the most intriguing and compelling part involves observing Jane struggling with her professional judgments while juggling her personal demons. In fact Jane's moral dilemmas are the essence of the story and provide most of intricate and poignant moments of the show. Ultimately, they also end up greatly affecting the outcomes of the murder case.Helen Mirren is achieving accolades left, right and center for her performances on the small and silver screen this season. I admit what got me most interested in seeking out this show was only from the great admiration of Mirren's work as Queen Elizabeth 1 & 2. I pleasantly charmed and beguiled by her guile and artlessness in Prime Suspect 7 and was actually quite entranced by her astute personality and I must admit fetching looks even at 61(!).Never (ever!) seeing any of it's predecessors before was pleased to find a detective show that along with a masterful and bewitching lead was also finely and crisply directed. Not to mention it actually did keep me guessing towards the end. This was a refreshing change from the nauseating CSIs and shoot-out cop shows, blessed with Mirren's beauty and terrific portrayal.

John Bale In a remarkable performance Helen Mirren plays the alcoholic detective Jane Tennison with depth and understanding rare in television. Mirren once the vivacious girl who was opposite James Mason in Norman Lindsay's "Age of Consent" today is not frightened of getting down and dirty in her roles. She goes full bore warts and all. Supported by a strong cast of British character players we can overlook some minor plot weaknesses when the overall quality of this series is streets ahead of the usual crap cop shows on the box. If only most TV was this good. Not often do we see actors bare their souls like Mirren outside of the cinema screen. Others in the cast worthy of mention are Stephen Tompkinson as Sean Philips, and Gary Lewis as Tony Sturdy.