Taggart (TV Series) The Caring Game (2008) User Reviews

Recycled Taggart!

[bethwilliam · 7/10 · 7 November 2008]

Kyra McMartin is found floating in her bath. She has been dead a week. The investigation leads quickly to Allan Pitt, a shady real estate agent. Meanwhile Robbie Ross is having personal problems. His ex wife wants to start over again in Canada with their teen-age son.

During the investigation Stuart discovers a neighbor with form for breaking and entering. He also has a record for violence. Matters become even more complicated when the victim's estranged sister is found to have a friendship with the neighbor.

Sandy McDade makes her third appearance with Taggart. This is one very good actress. Hopefully she will find a permanent spot in a continuing series somewhere. Several other actor are making their second and third appearances also.

Robbie Ross tries to woo his wife back and almost succeeds when she demands he quit his job and join the family in Canada. The case is solved when two charity muggers (chuggers) are discovered referring street kids to the shady real estate agent. This is a welcome return to vintage Taggart. John Mitchie puts in a veteran performance which gives the series hope.

Alex Norton's continuing role as Mr Angry still annoys me.

New ideas dead in the water

[TheLittleSongbird · 5/10 · 21 September 2021]

Have loved 'Taggart' (another show gotten into during my teenage years) for a long time, although the more deliberate and even grittier Taggart and Jardine periods to me are superior to Burke's. Although it was actually through watching the late afternoon reruns of the Burke period episodes (starting from "Compensation" right up to when the episodes became shorter, too short in my mind) at one point that got me hooked, the Taggart and Jardine episodes were actually seen a lot later.

The show was definitely running out of ideas at this point, well with many of the episodes post "A Death Foretold" ("Law" and especially "Genesis" being strong examples of this). There is a feel of that in "The Caring Game". By all means it is not one of the worst episodes of 'Taggart', it is not near as bad as something like "Genesis". There are however far better episodes of the show too, it's not even one of the best episodes of the Burke period, not like "Compensation", "A Death Foretold" and "Judgement Day".

Good things are definitely here. It is typically slick-looking and it is good that the photography doesn't try to do too much stylistically, though will agree that atmosphere-wise it does look a little on the too clean side which takes away a little from the grit. The theme song is still memorable and has an appealing nostalgic vibe, as well as well suited to the tone of the show. The acting from almost all is good, especially from John Michie.

Did again like the chemistry within the team. The episode does start off well and Ross' subplot was nicely done and not too dominant.

Sadly, the episode did lose its way quite quickly and became nothing much to rave about. After a good start, it too early loses momentum and becomes a stringing along of old tried and tested ideas done with nothing fresh to them. Not much tension or surprises here, even the identity of the murderer didn't floor me that much. The writing doesn't have enough grit and is pretty run of the mill.

Am going to agree regarding Burke, he has always left me mixed. He shines when there is development to him, like in "Judgement Day", but it took some time to warm to him (only started to around "Compensation") and he was hit and miss since. Here he is one-dimensional constantly angry and it felt overdone in writing and acting. The music overall would have been perfect in the 80s and early 90s but by this point it was sounding ten plus years out of date, on top of that the music is not always very well placed.

Overall, while not hating it by any stretch it didn't do an awful lot for me. 5/10.