Episode #2.3

The theme of Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson's great gothic horror novella 'Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde' runs right through this episode. The idea of a duality of human nature is explored, and that one person can exhibit two mutually contradictory sets of characteristics.

And so with Annika, we see a brilliant detective, but one whose work can often be error-strewn, even down to something as basic as spilling an ice-cream on her jacket in the opening scene.

There is also the big issue going on in her private life (which is surely yet to deliver one or two surprise twists and turns) where what seems like an error from long ago is now troubling her mind, and interfering with her focus on work.

This is a refreshing change from the standard detective who gets everything right all along, even though her/his boss is constantly giving stupid directions which are totally counter-productive.

Annika does make errors, but also for a change she has a boss, DCI Diane Oban, who is actually intelligent and supportive, even lending her own jacket to replace the ice-cream-stained one when Annika has to go in front of the TV cameras to give a media statement.

Unfortunately the plot this time is wafer-thin, and all the non-police characters are hopeless cardboard cut-outs. Otherwise I would score it higher than 7/10. This is not helped by a 45 minute run-time, and trying to fit all Annika's personal stuff within that, really left not a lot of space for the actual homicide investigation.

Annika and her team investigate the suspicious death of a millionaire and unpopular businessman, who is found floating in an indoor tank. Michael is left trying to come to terms with Annika's bombshell.

This felt a bit more like it, I think this was the best of the trio of opening episodes so far, the best story, and Annika somehow feeling more like the character established in the first series, she's very awkward, she's struggling to deal with her emotions, and she's back cracking jokes when she's uncomfortable.

It's enjoyable, I think in comparison with the first series, it's morphed somewhat into Sunday teatime viewing, which is far from a bad thing in my book, I'd now put it along the same lines as Mallorca Files and Father Brown.

I feel sure that the daughter is going to end up in a perilous situation somewhere along the way.

8/10.