Like Duran Duran being several different groups where the latter unloved group ran on for much longer than the original loved group ever did, there are similarities in Silent Witness.
Silent Witness is at least three different shows. The first 6 series were solely Sam Ryan and have a totally different feel to any of the later shows, then Leo & Harry join. Sam Ryan leaves in Series 8 . So we really have two seasons of a "holding pattern" until Nikki arrives at the end of series 8 with Nowhere Fast and Body 21.
That, for me is where Silent Witness really starts to kick off. Anything from Series 9 onwards is superb, not that I don't like The Amanda Ryan era, but it is a completely different show (More like Frost in my opinion) and it hasn't aged as well as the more modern stuff that came shortly after.
As well as characters changing the style of filming has completely changed since the arrival of Nikki, it is much pacier and "Thriller-ish", lots of blue light and darkness. Much more thought has gone into the style of the show.
If you have the time, do go back to the early shows, they are generally quite good, but nothing like say, The Meaning of Death or "Shadows" S13 E7/8 or "Bloodlines" S14 E7/8.
You won't lose much by watching out of order, here and there, but if you can find a way to watch them in the correct timeline it is a better experience, particularly in back-story and the relationships between Nikki, Harry and Leo.
For me the jury is still out on Jack, the new Harry, too far the complete opposite of Harry to sit easy in the set-up. But maybe that is what the producers wanted.
So IMHO if you are pushed for time, start at series 8 and move onwards from there and if you have the time do go back to the Sam Ryan years, they are better than average television, just a bit old-fashioned.
'tler
reply
share