Vexed: Episode 1.1

Vexed: Episode 1.1
BBC Two
15 August 2010
Crime Drama, Comedy
DVD
B

Regular cast:

• Roger Griffiths as Tony
• Ronny Jhutti as Naz Omar
• Rory Kinnear (son of Roy) as Dan Bishop
• Lucy Punch as DI Kate Bishop
• Toby Stephens as DI Jack Armstrong

This show really caught me off guard, from the first scene onward, but I think it's meant to.  Luckily, it's not just about shock value.  Although it is definitely a crime drama, with corpses used as props, it also feels like both a parody and an homage to romantic comedy, making it a rom-crama?  The blend of tones shouldn't work, but the writing, by creator Howard Overman, is funny and clever, like when Jack BSes an existential monologue to buy time with the killer.  The leads are likable if flawed and their good but approachable looks of course help.  The mystery has twists and red herrings, and it plays, uneasily, off the question of how much to trust a new person that you're dating.  So the episode sort of deconstructs itself.  I could see someone hating it, someone else loving it.  I'm going with a B because I enjoyed it but I'm not sure how well it holds together, if that makes sense.  I definitely want to watch the rest of the very short (three-episode) series and see how this plays out.  And I'm already curious about Series Two, seeing (on IMDB) that Punch and director Matt Lipsey would not return.