Thanks for the memories!

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

Just watched the two-part first episode, Aftermath. I simply can't believe anyone, anywhere would think this show bore any resemblance to reality. Banks is a ferret faced mess skittering around like a 15 year old with the keys to a Ferrari, yet is supposed to be a seasoned, ranking detective? The plot was laughable in its assumptions, every scene involved suspending disbelief in one form or another. People just do not react or behave as depicted here.Worst of all, you're asked to accept something that could never happen in the first place, then have the whole plot built on top of that. Maybe I should try to jump to another season. This was a cringe-fest.

I kept watching, thinking that at some point the producers might chuck the least interesting part of the series, the "soap opera" aspect. Because, wow, talk about two people with absolutely NO chemistry and no exposition to let us think they might form any level of interest.And poor Banksy. His two states were glaring at the suspect, looking like a brain aneurysm was about to burst, and weeping. Some related medical condition has to throw the guy into either early retirement or, perhaps, death.Without revealing a spoiler, the series finale actually could have given me hope that the show could be saved. There would have been about a 50% story improvement just be moving Morton into the second position and retaining the other characters. But then I realized that I was so tired of Mr. Weepy that there could be only one other solution...In the same way that Inspector Morse spun off the superior Inspector Lewis, some brilliant producer should spin off DCI Morton. All her boring personal crap is behind her. I'd love for Jack Dean to return as DC Ken Blackstone on her team and maybe they could get Lorraine Burroughs to reprise DC Winsome Jackman. These were two of the best secondary characters in the series. Perhaps Helen could even take over Alan's position in Leeds when he is forced to retire due to uncontrollable fits of weeping. It could work.

I've started watching this from the second season onwards. The main characters seem to care too much and their expressions are what you expect from actors, not from real detectives. I have just viewed the first season, where it is obvious the characters still need to grow in their role.However, the actors get better in their role as the seasons progress. I feel that the story is worth watching the series regardless of the acting.I like how the characters seem to become less flat while the series progress. I am not sure how I feel about the relationship developments between the characters. I'm sure it's complicated... If you want to watch 'real' detectives, go and see Rizzoli and Isles. If you like detective stories, you are good to go with DCI Banks.

First Season (2010's "Aftermath": Scenery-chewing by Tompkinson that you rarely see emanating from an English actor. So hysterical that I couldn't believe he could achieve such a high rank in an English police department (or any U.S. police department for that matter). A rookie cop exhibiting such a lack of control would never have his contract renewed much less become a DCI. "Aftermath" also had ill conceived story problems, such as having a chief murder suspect's lawyer, during an interrogation, ask for a client conference only to have the off-the- wall Banks disregard the request and continue badgering the suspect. One might ask, "Couldn't an over zealous policeman do this during a questioning of a suspect?" Of course, but then, like Chekhov's rule about the rifle introduced in the first act having to go off in the second or third act, the policeman's blunder about a suspect's rights would have to lead to a mistrial when the defendant's lawyer has the confession thrown out. The good news however is that as the series progressed over the next few years virtually all of my objections above were remedied by better, more logical mysteries plus the becalming of Tompkinson's performances.