In the Public Interest

As has been said by me numerous times already, 'A Touch of Frost' is a personal favourite of mine, and one of my favourite shows from the detective/mystery genre. Do have a preference perhaps for the earlier-mid-show episodes over the later ones, but none of the episodes are less than watchable and none do anything to embarrass the show.

So much appeals about 'A Touch of Frost'. Love the mix of comedy (mostly through Frost's snide comments and quips) and dark grit, the tension between rebellious Jack Frost and by-the-book Mullet which has led to some humorous moments, how he interacts with the rest of the staff, the deft mix of one or two cases and Frost's personal life, how Frost solves the cases, the production values, music and of course David Jason in one of his best roles.

There may have been people initially sceptical about whether the show would work, and with Jason (a mainly comedic actor) in a departure from usual in the lead role. Scepticism very quickly evaporated, the first six seasons were top notch with a few not-quite-outstanding-but-still-very-good episodes but most of them being near-perfect to masterpiece. Was not sure initially as to whether the Seasons 7-9 two parters would work, having seen two parters not quite work with 'Lewis' for example, but all three worked brilliantly.

Most of Season 10 was of a very high standard, "Held in Trust" was my personal favourite of the episodes but Jim Sturgess' performance in "Close Encounters" is one of the show's best supporting turns. Was a little let down however by "Hidden Truth", which was still decent and much better than a lot of weaker episodes from other shows but considering the high quality of Seasons 1-9 decent didn't seem quite enough. "Another Life" and "Dancing in the Dark" were very good episodes for Season 11, though neither high points. "Near Death Experience" was one of my favourite latter season episodes, while the next episode "Endangered Species", while a long way from bad (pretty decent still) is one of my least favourites of the series.

"Mind Games" was a great return for 'A Touch of Frost' after a two year absence, while "Dead End" while still decent was a disappointment and one of my least favourite episodes overall. As far as Season 14 episodes go, "In the Public Interest" is not as good as "Mind Games" but is superior to "Dead End".

The climax is a more graphic one to usual and is a tense one, but while the explanations/final solutions are straightforwardly done and easy to follow the one here was on the convoluted side. On occasions the pace lags as well.

However, the production values still look great. It matches the dark, gritty tone of the episode beautifully with atmospheric lighting and the stylish way it's shot. The music is haunting without being over-bearing, the theme tune still iconic.

Good deal of the script is taut and thought-provoking, while both Frost and Toolan have some amusing lines. The story is absorbing, with a good deal of tension and suspense, as well as being one of the more graphic episodes, not just the ending but the houseboat murder is one of the show's most brutal doesn't anybody else think.

Frost is remarkably well established as a character, with his faults but also good qualities. Even with a more conflicted side, he is closer to the old Frost than the unnecessarily rude and acrimonious character seen in "Endangered Species". The supporting characters are well drawn.

Can't fault Jason as Frost, he is simply brilliant in the role as always with not one foot put wrong. All the supporting cast are on point with not a weak link.

Overall, very good though not one of my favourite 'Frost' episodes. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Not the best episode of Frost. Two different cases, both very intriguing initially. The conclusion to one is a damp squib, ending with an out-of-the-blue twist.

The other has a more interesting conclusion but has a rather obvious giveaway early on. I kept thinking "We're in for a Crying Game moment". And we were, sort of.

There are two incidents. The first involves a discovery of three bodies in a shallow grave. They are wrapped in shrouds and buried in a triangular configuration. The investigation leads to an investigation of possible Satanic rites. An anthropologist gets involved and focuses her attention on Mullett. The second involves a high level real estate developer and his partner, a beautiful woman with an incredibly harsh edge. The man is attracted to women and it seems that bad things happen to them once the partner discovers them. One beautiful young woman who works at a health club is bludgeoned and her houseboat burned. Each case has an interesting conclusion. Frost gets in so deep that he begins to be the victim of the person he is attempting to convict. It's a shame, but there is only one more episode left in this series.