Life of Crime

Enjoyable series, tautly directed and well written. The acting is fine and concept of three episodes at different times during a 20 year career shows how a once-corrupt police officer ambitiously advances through the ranks at a heartbreaking cost to her family.

The lead character, despite being fraught with emotions not conducive to good policing, is nevertheless rewarded in her determination to 'get her man.' Morality and ethics questions abound. How many other cases did this detective tamper with? We don't really know and this show doesn't seem bothered by the character's dubious ethical choices.

Sadly, this provocative series is resolved in the most pat, convenient, audience-pleasing manner, almost making a mockery of some of the previous hard but engrossing choices confronting not just the characters but the viewer, too.

My only complaint is that it felt rushed. It's too bad the story didn't get a chance to evolve. The characters jump 10 years per episode with no chance for character development.

I recommend watching the full three episodes at the same time.

I had to write this comment because of the two bad user comments that are in fact totally and utterly preposterous.

This is an excellent series: good story, superb casting and acting (especially Hayley Atwell!), exiting and in the whole an extremely entertaining BBC production.

The quality of the series is - as most of BBC's crime series - super: the three episodes in the three consecutive decades (198's0, 1990's, 2000's) are pictured remarkably good in the corresponding time image.

I'm not going to reveal much about the story - read the summary - but the series is well worth watching . . .if you like good crime stories no doubt you'll love this one!

Wish it had continued, enjoyed the series. It may have been slow to some but I get tired of fast-paced blow'em up.

Life of Crime charts the career progression of Denise Woods, we see the beginning of her career, and get three snapshots from it. In each of the three eras she is motivated by the crimes of one killer.

It's a very smart looking, well produced series, it looks great, it's well written, and very well acted. Hayley Atwell is excellent throughout, we see her go from naive rookie to hardened career driven Detective.

It's interesting, it deals with political and cultural issues, we see how badly Denise is treated at the beginning of her career, to someone that's giving the orders in present day.

Denise isn't always the most likeable of characters, at times she's deplorable, but that makes her human.

It's very good, 8/10.