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Ghost Canyon

'Murphy's Law: Series Three'
(James Nesbitt, et al / 2-Disc DVD / NR / (2005) 2010 / Acorn Media)

Overview: Taking on the biggest challenge of his career, undercover cop Tommy Murphy (James Nesbitt, Cold Feet, Match Point) poses as a hit man to bring down a London crime boss and cop killer. He goes deeper underground than ever, faking an assassination, putting his life at risk, and sabotaging a complex, costly police operation in pursuit of a bigger prize.

DVD Verdict: 'Murphy's Law: Series Three,' at just six episodes, is as addicting to keep watching as any Stephen King book on the market today! You simply cannot end one episode and hope to turn the TV off - you have to just watch the next ... and the next ... until all six have been watched in one long ass sitting!

Which is what I did last night ... and loved every single second of my night-in viewing! Due to Nesbitt's own wishes/thoughts, 'Murphy's Law' went from episodic to serialized in its storytelling from season 3 onwards and that has paid off greatly. The first episode (complete with brand new opening titles), 'THE GOODBYE LOOK, throws us quickly into the mix, showing us Murphy (deep undercover) as gun dealer. Meaning to only sell guns to someone, he sniffs a bigger story behind it - the possible capture of local crime boss, Dave Callard (Mark Womack). And so, along with old pal, DS Paul Allison (Owen Teale), Murphy gets inside his organization and prepares to take on a hit for Callard.

In episode two, 'DISORGANISED CRIME,' Murphy is burying himself deeper and deeper undercover, this time doing a side venture for Callard - by reboring and reactivating three Kalashnikov AK-47's for the McGeechan brothers in deep, deep Yorkshire! But it turns out Ellie (Georgia Mackenzie) wife of the original episode one hit is the sister of these brothers! It's a small world and soon a shipment of drugs is brought to the fore as the reasoning.

In episode three (the most emotional of the six), 'STRONGBOX,' still after Callard, Murphy's attention now turns to help out an undercover female cop, Jill who is trying to bring down a counterfeit Euros scam. But, done initially in flashback style, we quickly find out that Jill wasn't safe near Murphy as he finds her dead in her flat. And, as Murphy gets hotter on the trail of this counterfeit gang, and Jill's killer (although who they are is completely, 100% obvious from the moment they are presented in the episode, sorry!), he even manages to lose a digit along the way!

In episode four, 'EXTRA MILE,' a new player is brought into the Callard mix in Sir George Garvey, played brilliantly (as ever) by Larry (the) Lamb. The dodgy Euros have now been linked to Callard, but they want more and so Murphy's investigation goes even deeper. But, as we clearly witness, Murphy is worn out, dog tired, making bad female choices, and with his new long moustache and soul patch, is looking meaner and meaner as the minutes tick by! Taking a quieter approach to the situation, Murphy takes on a 'babysitting' job for Callard.

Episode five, 'BOY'S NIGHT OUT' is the only episode that falls short of the others for action. For it starts to finally put things together for the team, straightens the edges of their case and such. And whilst Murphy is supposed to be getting closer to Callard for one final one million pound heroin capture, simultaneously he must testify in court (hidden) for a completely different racial murder case. Not all goes according to plan come the end of the episode, but as Murphy himself correctly points out, "You can't beat a nice cup of tea"!

The final episode, 'HARD BOILED EGGS AND NUTS' (a quaint Laurel & Hardy quip from a sketch where Stan pays Ollie a visit in County Hospital because his leg is broken and in traction, bearing a thoughtful gift of hard-boiled eggs and nuts. Whereupon Ollie remarks, "Hard-boiled eggs and nuts. Why hard-boiled eggs and nuts? He couldn't afford chocolate?" It's actually made more in-house jokey as the actor in the bed that Murphy goes to visit is actually named Ollie in real life!) follows on from the drug deal imploding, people dying, and Murphy is left hiding in Caz Miller's (Michael Fassbender) late mothers' house - all dressed in her heavy fabric, knit-wear night gowns!

Anyway, with Murphy truly at the end of his rag, the explosively suspenseful ending brings everything to a semi-neat conclusion - inclusive of a major cast members death and the face-to-face battle between good and evil: Murphy vs. Callard. And just to think, there are two more seasons of this show still to hit DVD over here in the US for us lucky folks! [RT] This is a Full Screen Presentation (1.66:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs and comes with the Special Features of:

James Nesbitt Biography

www.AcornMedia.com





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