Public Enemies

This three-part BBC-aired 2012 drama focuses on parole and punishment in contemporary England. Probation officer Paula Radnor (Anna Friel) finds herself at the center of a public storm after one of the parolees under her supervision commits murder. Suspended for three months, Paula returns to duty with the assignment of supervising Eddie Mottram (Daniel Mays), a 28-year-old man who spent a decade in jail for killing his girlfriend. Eddie's readjustment to the free world is anything but smooth, while Paula is under the extra pressure of ensuring that she is not responsible for another hostile ex-con going on a homicidal rampage. For the first two episodes, Tony Marchant's trenchant screenplay offers a sense of emotional depth that's often lacking in crime dramas, although the third chapter feels somewhat rushed. Benefiting from the wonderfully combustible interaction between Friel and Mays, as well as the crisply intelligent direction of Dearbhla Walsh, this invigorating and provocative study of guilt and innocence is recommended. (P. Hall)