George Gently - The Incorruptible 5 - DVD

Film: George Gently didn't have to wait long for a sequel after the release of season 4. Just under a month later, season 5 hit the stores. And this one really packs a punch. The three new cases are not only extremely exciting, but also affect them personally. Blind Hate, for example, deals with a particularly tragic case of racism. Since the police are not particularly trusted by the colored population, John Bacchus (Lee Ingebly) has to go undercover - and in the process he falls in love with the witness Carol (Lenora Crichlow, known from the series Being Human). And Gently himself comes under suspicion of being corrupt in Mortal Enemies, though this is only the beginning of a perfidious revenge plot against the cop. The finale of this episode, and by extension the season, is hard to beat for suspense.

Some great guest stars like Eamonn Walker (Chicago Fire, Oz - Hell Behind Bars), Helen Baxendale (Friends, Anonymous), Mark Gatiss (Sherlock) or Lewis - Oxford crime star Kevin Whatley also ensure that these three episodes are not only dramaturgically, but also acting really worth seeing crime fare. Also, the relationship between Gently and his young partner Bacchus becomes more and more interesting and it seems that the events from Mortal Enemies will shuffle the cards all over again.

The series can also convince in other areas once again. The camerawork, for instance, creates a sometimes very oppressive, extremely gripping atmosphere, and the sets ensure that the late 1960s are believably brought to life here. It's also nice that despite many very dramatic and gloomy moments, there is always time for something to lighten up. For example, when Bacchus prepares for his undercover mission by practicing dancing in his office and is, of course, surprised by Gently, this is a pleasantly humorous sequence in an episode that is still rather upsetting due to the unfortunately still very current racism debate.

Overall, season 5 can also maintain the high level of the previous seasons. Lovers of first-class British crime fare will get their money's worth thanks to the charismatic lead actor and the good scripts. And the last act of mortal enemies George Gently fans should not miss in any case. Therefore, also for this fifth box is again quite clear: Absolutely worth seeing!

And this is what the three new cases are about:

DVD1: BLIND HATE

The murder of young Dolores, a coloured woman found with her skull bashed in on a waste ground, confronts Inspector George Gently and Sergeant John Bacchus with their own prejudices and xenophobia in a British society in 1968 that is dominated by fear and segregation. Of course, Sergeant Bacchus immediately assumes that the young woman must be a prostitute. But it soon transpires that she lived with her brother Joseph and her father Ambrose Kenny, a bus driver, and worked in a laundry. Unlike his son, who immediately thinks of a racially motivated murder, Ambrose, who came to Britain from Trinidad-Tobago and served in the Royal Airforce as a bomber pilot in World War II, is completely convinced of his daughter's innocence. Dolores has been a regular at the Northern Soul dance with her best friend Carol on Saturday nights, so Inspector Gently sends Sergeant Bacchus on his first undercover assignment. Bacchus is fascinated by the feverish, energetic and boisterous atmosphere there: The teenagers dance all night to black music, soul that isn't played anywhere else, and trade records. He forms delicate bonds with Carol in order to find out more about her friendship with Dolores and a possible motive for the crime. In the process, the lines between official police business and private interest become increasingly blurred, which Gently observes with concern. The fact that the organizer of the party, fishmonger Gary Watts is the eldest son of the city's well-known criminal right-wing populist Bernie Watts, makes the investigation explosive. For John comes to the aid of DJ Charlie that night, who is being beaten up by Gary and a horde of strangers, and learns from him that he was Dolore's firm friend and Gary is his brother. The autopsy report reveals that the young woman was three months pregnant. And Carol confides in John that the married Gary was stalking Dolores. Did Dolores fall victim to a feud between the Watts brothers? Against the backdrop of the heated atmosphere of the British government's controversial Race Relations Act, Gently and Bacchus try to shed light on the matter. (Text: ZDF)

DVD2: DISAPPEARING

Married couple Stephen and Frances Groves report their baby Faith missing. Both heartbroken over the loss, Stephen also blames himself greatly. Inspector Gently and Sergeant Bacchus immediately initiate a full-scale search, as the perpetrator apparently entered the family home in broad daylight at an unguarded moment. There is no ransom demand. As Gently wonders about the Groves not being such young parents anymore, it becomes clear that Faith has been adopted. Their path therefore leads Gently and Bacchus to the home of the resolute and strict Esther Dunwoody, who allows single young mothers who have become pregnant unintentionally to give birth there and give their children up for adoption. Faiths' birth mother Susan Faulkner came to the home for the birth of her twins, but left in a fly-by-night action with her son Thomas after her daughter was adopted. Gently and Bacchus find out where the 17-year-old is hiding and question her. But Susan doesn't know the Groves, nor has she said anything to her children's birth father about the pregnancy. She deeply regrets giving Faith away, but she doesn't know about her right to reverse the adoption within a certain period of time. This prompts Gently and Bacchus to take another close look behind the facades of the Dunwoody maternity home. Has its director been making unscrupulous deals with desperate people under the guise of care? At the same time, a newspaper article falls into Bacchus's hands: Stephen Groves became famous six years ago for stopping a robbery at the bank where he worked. Groves had affairs after that, and his marriage to Frances was in crisis. What's more, he didn't want to adopt Faith. Gently senses that Frances seems to be hiding something, too. Is baby Faith still alive? In his investigation, Inspector Gently comes across a well-kept secret that has led to immeasurable suffering as the starting point for a chain of fateful decisions right up to the present day. (Text: ZDF)

DVD 3: TODFEINDE

The highly criminal career criminal Melvyn Rattigan was sentenced to 30 years in prison thanks to Inspector George Gently. The latter is therefore all the more stunned at the news that Rattigan is appealing, claiming that he had a corrupt business relationship with Gently, who therefore tampered with evidence against him and was guilty of bribery in office. As quickly as the noose tightens around the Inspector's neck, Sergeant Bacchus becomes the focus of shady cops from London's Metropolitan Police: they claim Gently is suspected of murdering a missing colleague who had infiltrated the illegal slot machine scene in Newcastle. Bacchus - torn between his loyalty to Gently and the increasingly puzzling "evidence" of his guilt that's popping up from all over - desperately seeks a way to shed light on the case. Before long, he begins to doubt the true motives of Sergeants Lawson and Stratham. After an attempt on his life, George Gently suddenly has only two allies on his side: Rattigan's lawyer Gitta Bronson, who represented him at trial but interprets his suspicions of Gently as a perfidious revenge plot, as well as his old colleague from the Met, Don McGhee, to whom he turns to ask for a gun for self-defense. Gently, who was forced to leave London for the north for his ideals and his fight against corruption within the Metropolitan Police, suddenly becomes a victim of his convictions. Although on the run, Gently attempts to restore his reputation and take on the ruthless enemy within his own ranks. (Text: ZDF)

Picture + Sound: There are no differences here compared to the fourth season: the DVD's picture is very clean, the overall sharpness is on a good level and, in contrast to previous seasons, hardly shows any loss of quality even in the darker moments. The color scheme is very cohesive and captures the 60s atmosphere of the series very well. The audio is in a powerful stereo mix that allows the dialogue and music to sound very central from the speakers. Minor sound effects and atmospheric ambient noises have been well matched to create a TV-appropriate soundscape. Good!

Extras: As a bonus, there is an entertaining look behind the scenes (approx. 13:33 min.), in which not only the two main actors, but also some employees of the team (including make-up) have their say. This short documentary, which is well worth watching, is available in original English without subtitles.

Conclusion: The fifth season of George Gently - The Incorruptible offers three more first-class detective stories, with the season finale scoring points for a truly dramatic final act that will make the wait for Season 6 unbearable for fans. Extremely rousing and exciting cases, which are great acted (among others by the top-class guest star Eamonn Walker) and atmospherically tightly staged. No question: especially the season finale belongs to the highlights of the series so far, which is why this box is absolutely recommendable for fans and all lovers of first-class British crime fare - especially since there is also a tiny bit of bonus material this time!

Source: Sebastian Betzold / Summaries: ZDF