Hamish Macbeth: The Big Freeze

Hamish Macbeth: The Big Freeze
BBC
9 April 1995
Crime Drama
DVD
B-

In this episode written by Dominic Minghella (his first of three), we meet Alex's father, Maj. Roddy Maclean (David Ashton, who would be in all the remaining episodes).  We also learn more about Hamish's conflicted relationship with Alex, why they're drawn together but it can't work.  This is a good point to note how "clean" this show feels compared to crime dramas of the '10s, hardly any violence, very discreet "sex."  (And if there's swearing, I probably wouldn't spot it through the accents.)

This is the first of sixteen episodes for Brian Alexander, Mona Bruce, Morag Hood, Anne Kristen, Campbell Morrison as respectively Jubel McBean, Edie, Doloris Balfour, Miss Deirdre Meikeljohn, and Harry Balfour.  Jake D'Arcy would be back as Scott but then become Sawney Weir.  Johnny Irving and Alan Tall would return once as the Old Crofter and the Young Crofter.  This is the only Hamish episode directed by Patrick Lau, but he would go on to Dalziel and Pascoe a decade later.