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- ITV Network
- Sep 25, 2022
- ITV Network
- Sep 25, 2022
- ITV Network
- Sep 25, 2022
- ITV Network
- Sep 25, 2022
Season Episodes
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Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 7 Critic Reviews
78
100% Positive
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
0% Mixed
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 7 Critic Reviews
78
100% Positive
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
0% Mixed
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Karen Pirie is a pretty straightforward entry in the genre of British/Scottish police mysteries. But the first season presents a solid, twisty case and the title character is refreshingly young and not grizzled. Those two factors make the show an engaging watch.
I liked Karen Pirie, a creation of Val McDermid. It felt modern and fresh (well, as fresh as yet another cop show can be), which is how Lauren Lyle played the lead character, a sarky, baby-faced detective in a man’s world, underestimated by her peers.
It’s quite smart, but the best thing might be to just ignore all of that stuff anyway and concentrate on McDermid’s tightly plotted story.
This Tartan Noir drama lifts itself above the usual run of these cold case thrillers because the story is told in a refreshingly cohesive way – there are relatively few annoyingly random flashbacks and bewilderingly disjointed series. There’s a discipline about the scripting that is curiously absent from too many others of the kind.
Despite appearing to retread old ground of the murder of a young woman who was on her way home, Karen Pirie, with its distinctly female-driven lens, feels relevant and self-aware, with an understanding of the effects of trauma that is not always catered for by this kind of show.
With all three episodes under my belt, I can confirm that the twists and turns continue to ratchet up the suspense before the whole thing is satisfyingly resolved.
Karen's search for answers leads to one of the most dramatic climaxes I've seen since Broadchurch. [24 Oct - 6 Nov 2022, p.7]
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 9 User Ratings
5.9
56% Positive
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
22% Mixed
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
22% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 9 User Ratings
5.9
56% Positive
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
22% Mixed
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
22% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
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