User Reviews

The final episode of the first series has to somewhat hedge its bets a little. Will the show be a success to continue further?

Sandra has an offer of promotion dangling in front of her. Brian, Gerry, and Jack who are all over 50 have to take a physical and psychological tests. I think Gerry cheated for his physical and Jack Halford might be suspect for his psychological test as he has been visiting a psychic, hoping to contact his late wife. The psychic though hears the voice of a young woman.

UCOS reopen the case of Caroline Stillman whose emaciated body was found in a shipping container, she had starved to death. Suspicions fell on a clairvoyant called Martin Lombard who seemed to know rather more than he should had. Twenty years after Stillman's death, Lombard is making money on the internet as a psychic.

UCOS resort to any means to get Lombard but they might end up getting egg on their faces.

A rather off kilter episode with an ending that some might find disappointing. The first series of New Tricks was a big hit but the show was rejigged a little as two main characters disappeared for the second series.

Jack visits a clairvoyant, with the hope of speaking to Mary, he hears from a voice from beyond, but it's not the one be was expecting.

Ita a very good end to the first series, if I'm honest, I wouldn't say it's as good as the two previous episodes, but that's just me being picky.

It does its job well, UCOS itself is under threat, and we get a case that's very personal to Jack, Sandra's right hand man.

Robert Bathurst is terrific, and clearly relishes the part, I thought Chris Coghill was equally as good, but once again it was the interplay between the regulars that made this so good.

Plenty of humorous touches throughout, and of course there's a serious side also. Loved Gerry's family moment, and was equally as impressed with Jack's personal torment.

A shame we lost Clarkey, he was a great balancer to the team, he added the youthful contrast that so often brought the rowdy team down to Earth.

Very good, 8/10.

Have always been a big fan of detective/mystery shows from a fairly young age, well since starting secondary school.

'Inspector Morse', 'A Touch of Frost', 'Midsomer Murders' (in its prime), 'Law and Order', 'Inspector George Gently', 'Criminal Minds', 'Murder She Wrote', you name them to name a few. 'New Tricks' has also been a favourite from the start (despite not being the same without the original cast in recent years). Although it can be corny at times (in an endearing sort of way) it has always been perfect for helping me relax in the evenings. Something that was needed during all the hard times endured in school.

Season 1 comes to an end with "Talking to the Dead". It is a solid, very good and almost great episode, but is not one of the season's best, "Painting on Loan" and particularly "Good Work Rewarded" fit that distinction more. What brings "Talking to the Dead" down is the rather unsatisfying ending that considering all that happens feels like a cheat.

Can't fault the rest of "Talking to the Dead" though. By this point, 'New Tricks' had fully hit its stride, now fully settled with the familiar mix of humour and serious mystery fully established.

Visually, "Talking to the Dead" looks lovely, with a brighter look but never garish and always slick and stylish, with a touch of grit seen in the pilot and the first episode. The music is a good fit and the theme song (sung with gusto by none other by Dennis Waterman himself) is one of the catchiest for any detective/mystery show and of any show in the past fifteen years or so.

Writing is intelligent, thought-provoking and classy, while also being very funny and high up in the entertainment value.

Story is compelling, with its fair share of surprising twists and skeletons in the closet conflict (especially with the season's most hateable suspect in Lombard), and lively, but never rushed, pacing.

A huge part of 'New Tricks' appeal is the chemistry between the four leads and their performances. The chemistry is so easy going and charming with a little tension.

One of the show's biggest delights is Alun Armstrong, achieves a perfect balance of funny comic timing and touching pathos which was maintained all the way up to his final episode. It is also lovely here to see his role in the team and skills appreciated more all the time. James Bolam's Jack is the quietest, most sensible (mostly) and most composed of the team, with a tragic personal life that Bolam portrays very touchingly without any overwrought-ness.

The only woman on the team, Amanda Redman more than holds her own in what is essentially the boss role of the four. Dennis Waterman is fun and is adding more and more all the time to the crime solving, even if some of his methods throughout the show are not one calls by the book.

Robert Bathurst enjoys himself as Lombard and it is sad saying goodbye to Nicholas Day (even if one doesn't miss his character) and Chiké Okonkwo. Robert Calf's Strickland was a more than worthy replacement though and it shows in that he is one of the show's longest-serving cast members.

Overall, very good but the ending frustrates. 8/10 Bethany Cox

The case itself is o.k. As far as an interesting investigation, the team figures it out in a straightforward way. What makes the episode is a very intense scene that I won't spoil. Character interactions and background in the episode are very funny, like most of season 1, a lot of time is spent on them and showing details of how the think, which makes for good entertainment.