The reason why Acorn TV‘s “cozy mysteries” work so well is that the main characters — you know, the ones solving the murders — are more than just cops spewing clever lines. We get enough glimpses into their lives and psyches to make a real connection to that particular show’s found family. One of the best shows to do that, The Chelsea Detective, is back for Season 4.
Opening Shot: Scenes of London from the Thames. On the river, we see a mostly-glass event space sitting on a pier in London’s swanky Chelsea neighborhood.
The Gist: Fashion magnate Claire Curtis (Saira Jackson) is hosting an auction at the Aether, the aforementioned glass event space on the Thames. During the soiree, one of her house staff, Lucas Sullivan (Charlie Coombes), asks Claire if they can talk after things wrap up, just as Claire’s personal assistant, Cate Chalk-Harris (Plum Griffiths), arrives at the venue in a bit of distress. We then see Lucas making a video about how he’s getting close to some damning info on Claire’s business; he’s whacked on the head and falls into the river.
DI Max Arnold (Adrian Scarborough), his partner, DS Layla Walsh (Vanessa Emme) are called to the riverfront, where a body has washed up. Medical examiner Ashley Wilton (Sophie Stone) thinks it’s been in the water for a few hours. An ID card for the staffing agency Lucas works for leads them to the owner of the agency, Joanna Picard (Rosie Cavaliero), who tells the detectives that he came with impeccable credentials. However, DC Jess Lombard (Lucy Phelps) and DC Connor Pollock (Peter Bankolé) help dig up info that points to the fact that Lucas was not who he said he was; in fact, Layla finds that he’s a young journalist named Billy Paige.
As far as everyone’s personal lives are concerned, Layla is working late every night to avoid going home to her new flat, where she moved after breaking up with her significant other. Max’s aunt Olivia (Frances Barber) gets mugged on her birthday. Max runs into Roz Chambers (Alexandra Gilbreath) and they gently rekindle their previous attraction, though Max wants to make sure he avoids any mention of his ex-wife Astrid (Anamaria Marinca), who moved back to Germany to be with her sick mother.
What Shows Will It Remind You Of? Created by Peter Fincham, The Chelsea Detective has the same easygoing lightly-dramatic vibe of other Acorn cozy mystery shows like The Madame Blanc Mysteries.
Our Take: The Chelsea Detective has always been a reliably quirky mystery series that takes its time to give fans glimpses into the lives of the detectives, but it’s sometimes at the sacrifice of a mystery that viewers can solve along with the Max, Layla,d and their colleagues. The fourth season premiere gives viewers the treat of a mystery that has logic and doesn’t take undocumented leaps, along with those small moments that show how Max and company try to have a life while being so focused on closing out cases.
We liked the symbolism of Max trying to fix his broken bicycle when we first see him on his houseboat this season. That was one of the quirkier things about Max, who in his middle-aged schlubbiness felt more like a British version of Lt. Columbo than what we usually see in mystery series from across the pond. He has good taste in music and wine, and his institutional knowledge about lots of things made him make a connection between Bailey’s last video and a piano faintly playing at the Aether. That may seem like a leap on another show, but because we know what we know about Max, it makes sense.
Anyway, with Astrid out of the country, things are changing for Max, albeit slowly; his careful reunion with Roz bares this out. But we also get a look at Layla’s new circumstances, and Max’s entire team discussing the Metro Police’s initiative to have their officers strike a better work-life balance (though Max thinks it’s a way to help his bosses pay overtime).
Like with many of Acorn’s more successful mystery series, the back and forth between the main characters that occurs while they’re solving the murder of the week cements the connection to the viewers. There’s just enough there to make these crime-solvers the found family they’re meant to be, even if they don’t socialize much outside the squad room. Throw in some quirky outsiders like Max’s aunt Olivia and some decent mysteries, and you have the formula that has made Chelsea one of Acorn’s most successful shows.
Performance Worth Watching: We enjoyed watching Saira Jackson as Claire Curtis, because she gets a few scenes where she gets to have some teary speeches and her character has some backstory, which we almost never see with the show’s guest characters.
Sex And Skin: None.
Parting Shot: Max calls Roz and apologizes for being out of pocket since their hiking date; he admits that “I’m not good at this.” He tends to take things apart, like his bike. Roz suggests that at a certain point, “you have to accept that it’s time for a new bike.”
Sleeper Star: Vanessa Emme is fun to watch as DS Layla Walsh, mainly because she can respect Max and bust his chops at the same time. Plus, Emme can rock a sleeveless jumpsuit with the best of them.
Most Pilot-y Line: In an interrogation scene with Cate Chalk-Harris, we see Cate, then Max and Layla, in the reflection of the tablet that’s recording the interview. We’re not sure if that choice was inspired or annoying.
Our Call: STREAM IT. We were already fans of The Chelsea Detective because the show does such a good job at showing how its main characters are more than just hardened cops. But the first mystery of the fourth season was tightly-plotted, as well, which is something this show has been inconsistent with in past seasons.
Joel Keller (@joelkeller) writes about food, entertainment, parenting and tech, but he doesn’t kid himself: he’s a TV junkie. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Slate, Salon, RollingStone.com, VanityFair.com, Fast Company and elsewhere.