Customer Reviews

Kavanagh Q.C. - Diplomatic Baggage

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Kavanagh Q.C. gets better as it goes along and as you watch John Thaw in this series, you feel again the regret that he'll be in no more series or movies. He invests the role of Kavanagh with authority, compassion, humor and not a little acerbity, a very nice mix. In this set, there is more of the dark side of the law, politics and life than in some of the earlier episodes, and somewhat less of his personal family life ( which pleases me) but all are very well done. The one involving the daughter of an ambassador is particularly engrossing and chilling, giving as it does a view into the very machiavellian British civil service and intelligence communities. In all, 3 excellent additions to an outstanding series.

As fans of John Thaw in Inspector Morse and other roles, we were not surprised to find this Kavanagh QC series to be another superb example of the quality expected in the work in which he stars. I think that this is the best part and series. I only wish he were still alive to continue making characters come to life. One complaint however, is the quality of the disc production, i.e: the sound and lighting that we have found on some of the disks in this series. We have been unable to watch a couple of the episodes because the jerking and interuptions of sound and photography were such as to make understanding impossible. There is no excuse for such quality.

(4.5 stars) James Kavanagh, Queen's Counsel, always acts on principle, refusing to let legalese, half-truths, and shady maneuvering get in the way of saving the innocent and convicting the guilty. Though he is played by John Thaw, who also played the role of Inspector Morse, and resembles him in his dedication to duty and commitment to learning the truth, he is more a part of society than Morse was. Married with children and a beautiful wife, Kavanagh is a far more relaxed character, enjoying his homelife (most of the time) and seeing his job as just one facet of his real life.

This collection contains three episodes from the end of the third season (1997). In "Diplomatic Baggage," the daughter of a man designated to become the British ambassador to Austria has been arrested for the murder of a hostile journalist. Kavanagh's defense is compromised by the British Foreign Office, which inserts itself into the case to prevent unsavory gossip from affecting the potential ambassador's appointment. In "The Ties that Bind," Kavanagh accepts a case without the usual fee, a case in which the sixteen-year-old son of a penniless alcoholic was tortured to death. A witness saw the abduction of the boy by the son of a sleazy businessman with connections to organized crime, but there was never a conviction. In this case, Scotland Yard interferes with the defense.

"In God We Trust" brings Kavanagh to Florida to help Julia Piper, now married to an American attorney, in the appeal of a young man convicted of killing four members of a family he readily admits to having robbed. Florida's governor is running for re-election, and the man's former defense attorney, now with the attorney general's office, is more interested in the campaign than in the appeal. The depiction of Florida's politics and racism reflects unsavory attitudes more consistent with the 1960s than the 1990s.

Kavanagh's cases here are all complicated by the interference of outside agencies, and the conclusions of these cases, which some may regard as a bit disappointing, if not cynical, will not please all viewers. In each of the three episodes, questions remain at the end of the story, and the reader must decide on his/her own to what degree justice is served. As always, the acting is superb, the narrative moves along smartly, the issues are intriguing, and the continuing cast of characters with their individual issues adds depth and sometimes humor to life as we see it in chambers. Overall, a fine addition to the Kavanagh collection. n Mary Whipple

Kavanagh QC, Set 1
Kavanagh Q.C. - True Commitment

It was ok overall. Not as memorable as the first two seasons of Kavanangh. I'm a huge fan of the genre so this won't stop me from further purchases.

The title In God We Trust shows shocking ignorance and bias against the southern United States. Perhaps there are some individuals in 2005 that fit the picture drawn by this program but it is gross distortion to portray an entire community in this fashion. I am surprised John Thaw participated in it. He should have known better than to tarnish his memory.

Doh! This is the son of the house having a bit to add. I agree with Dad that the portrayal of the local officials in this episode was horrible--they got their accents well but such bigotry just isn't tolerated. I liked the performance of the regulars. I disliked the treatment of Thaw's character by some of the locals there in Florida--very disrespectful of the man I thought.

Guess you can tell that Dad and I have a good opinion of Mr. Thaw. =) Nothing in this product has affected this opinion.

P.S. I noticed the audio quality sometimes wasn't as good as in Inspector Morse. Specifically it seems to want to go some thx setting from regular old stereo and flutters between the two.