Nikki, Jack and Clarissa -- series 18 observations
I almost gave up on series 17 last year when Nikki, Jack and Clarissa had no real connection to one another as close 3-part team (the way Nikki once had with Leo and Harry.)
And last year's stories were okay, IMHO, but not great. So last year it was nothing interesting happening with the stars, and no story, too. Bah.
But this year, wow. Each story so far as been amazing--like feature film quality stuff.
Now I can see what the writers are doing? Have they decided to veer away from the inner lives of the main characters or anything about their teaming up and being friends, to just use them as background for the intense stories they are telling with superlative plots and guest stars?
That's the only thing I can come up with for why, for instance, in his third series, we know absolutely NOTHING and I mean NOTHING, about Jack? No girlfriend? No boyfriend? He's from Norn Irn and does cage fighting. Three series and that's it? Who is this guy? I'm still wanting to know.
He had no inner life in these past 3 series.
The closest we got to any kind of human behavior from Jack was last week when he was cruising around the office subtly trying to cock-block the dishy police inspector Luke Nelson who was spending time with Nikki on his own personal case from his childhood! haha Finally. Some human behavior from Jack.
As for Nikki, I guess they just decided to accept she's got relationship issues and just hint she dates sometimes (like leaving the origami bird with her mobile number on it for the jogger who seemed to turn up all the time when she was running).
And is Chamberlain's character anything but wallpaper?
Even Clarissa isn't given enough lines! More Clarissa please. At least in the last 2 series, she was always giving Jack some smart cracks, bringing him up to snuff.
I'd love to see a scene in which Jack and Nikki are working late (because let's face it they have no life, ha), and Clarissa says "Well, I'm out of here and you two are on your own. I have a date.." When she smiles and wheels out to meet her dishy date waiting in the lobby.
Oh well, this series is good.
But I do miss the camaraderie and closeness and personal stories of the 3-person team they wove into the stories when we had Leo, Harry and Nikki. Sigh.