The challenges facing a young Garda sergeant in a remote Irish seaside community provide the basis for this superb British series, which is as much character study as police procedural. Owen McDonnell stars as Jack Driscoll, who returns to his hometown after a stint on the Dublin force. Not only must he work nearly solo—with only one officer under him—but he also has to contend with his predecessor dad (Ian McElhinney), who handled the job with a firm hand (sometimes crossing the boundaries of legal propriety) and taunts his son to measure up. The plots of the three feature-length 2007-08 episodes compiled here aren't particularly clever: “Natural Justice” focuses on an illegal immigrant who might have been murdered, “The Stolen Child” follows the search for a kidnapped youngster, and “The Drowning Man” deals with a drowned teen whose death might be linked to the drug trade. But the investigations lead to dark revelations, not only about certain villagers—including Jack's own family—but also concerning corruption at higher levels, and each case also features a romantic subplot. Single-Handed is a powerful, well-acted contemporary police drama, shot in beautiful locations. DVD extras include text interviews and production notes. Highly recommended. (F. Swietek)
Single-Handed: Set 1
Acorn, 3 discs, 278 min., not rated, DVD: $49.99 Volume 26, Issue 2
Single-Handed: Set 1
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