Good Cop - DVD

Content: Young cop John Paul Sav Rocksavage (Warren Brown) is just trying to get his life back on track after breaking up with his girlfriend Cassie (Aisling Loftus). He already wants to change for the sake of their daughter Libby. But then something happens that threatens to throw him completely off track: Sav has to watch helplessly as his colleague and best friend Andy (Tom Hopper) is fatally injured by the brutal Noel Finch (Stephen Graham) and his henchmen. It's a gruesome crime that might actually go unpunished. But Sav just won't see that. And so he simply takes revenge for his friend into his own hands. While he plays the dedicated cop by day, he becomes a self-proclaimed avenger by night - and it doesn't just have bloody consequences for Finch and his men. Sav's psyche is not left unscathed either...

Good Cop is a gritty mini-series that atmospherically reminds a wee bit of Luther. Of course, this impression is also created by the fact that main character Warren Brown plays a policeman in both series and that both are about an investigator taking the law into his own hands. However, the topic of vigilante justice is brought to the fore much more clearly in Good Cop. What's particularly interesting here is that Sav doesn't mutate into a stone-cold avenger here, but that his actions - whether morally justified or just plain wrong - have consequences. And Sav finds it increasingly difficult to deal with those consequences. He seems to be losing control more and more, and so may be making mistakes that could put the investigator hot on his trail.

The biggest difference with Luther, though, is that Warren Brown is far less powerful and charismatic as the lead than Idris Elba. But that's exactly what's absolutely fitting here. Sav is supposed to be more of an unassuming cop who, due to an extreme experience, discovers his dark side and crosses boundaries that you wouldn't necessarily think he would. This is then also the reason why especially the first episode works extremely well, is really exciting and intense.

This quality, however, can not be maintained over the complete four episodes. Some twists seem a bit far-fetched and are not really comprehensible. This could have been saved if the makers had given the story a satisfying resolution. But since they seem to have left the door open for a possible second season, there are too many question marks left after the finale to fill in the many holes that have been torn open in the story. And since Warren Brown says there probably won't be a sequel, a rather bland aftertaste dominates the end.

But aside from that, Good Cop is a really good crime thriller that raises some interesting questions about morality and justice, and shows how guilt can slowly but surely destroy a person's psyche. While it's a shame that these promising approaches aren't followed up on, and parts of the story fizzle out. But what is told in these four episodes is exciting and involving enough to absolutely satisfy lovers of British thriller fare of the somewhat darker kind. If you're looking for well-acted, engagingly directed and atmospherically filmed TV entertainment, this four-parter is not to be missed, despite its unsatisfying ending. Worth watching!

Image + Sound: The dark atmosphere of the series has been well captured on DVD. The picture is clean overall and the sharpness is convincing even in the darker moments, even if there are minor quality deductions in the detail here. And the somewhat undercooked color scheme is absolutely spot on as well. For a TV production, there's as little to complain about as there is with the sound mix, even if the stereo mix doesn't come across as particularly lively and is primarily dominated by the powerful dialogue. The bottom line is that all this is enough for a satisfied: good!

Extras: As a bonus, the DVD has only a few program tips to offer.

Conclusion:Good Cop is suspenseful British thriller entertainment that gives off a similar gritty atmosphere as Luther, but still isn't quite in the same league. True, the story about an off-duty cop who becomes a self-proclaimed avenger is exciting and at times intensely told. But it lacks the final dramaturgical touch to offer more than just good, solid crime entertainment. Nevertheless: if you already liked Warren Brown in Luther and appreciate dark, ambiguous crime thrillers, you shouldn't miss this 4-part mini-series. Recommended

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp