apple+'s new drama "Criminal Record" attempts to look at the police situation from another angle.
The status of the tough old detective is threatened by new forces. The context and rules are all different today. Peter Capaldi's trustworthy handsome face looks very suspicious here. He plays the role of DCI Daniel Hegarty, a leading police officer in East London, who can reach the sky and reach any dark corner of London. Peer evaluation: "He is a good policeman."
What challenged him was DS June Ranka (played by Cush Jumbo), a mixed-race female detective. Because of a police call, she suspected Hegardi and his "old man". "The Boys" mistakenly put a black man in prison more than a decade ago, allowing the real killer to go free.
"Crime Record" poster
When did Lanka start to have doubts about Hegardi? It was the first time we met, and when we talked about old cases with him, the other party said: "Oh, that's the 'poor man's Simpson'" (the case in the play was the same as the Simpson case, in which a black man killed his white partner). Or was it the warning from the boss: "This guy is not to be trifled with", but after meeting him, he was found to be an old white man with a lot of airs?
This is a suspense drama, and of course there is a case to be made. New cases, old cases, and side cases are intertwined. The plot is not simple and the pace is not slow. Dressed in a smartly tailored jacket and eating a mixed green salad, June Ranka is a new generation of police officers, tough, aggressive and unwilling to give in. Daniel Hegarty is like a ghost from the past. There have been too many such characters in novels, movies and TV dramas - charming middle-aged white male detectives, cunning and ruthless; even if they are sad, the bloodshed and dark injustice they have seen in their careers will not break them. .
In "True Detective", Hegarty is Matthew McConaughey's character. But "Crime" is not "True Detective." What it wants to tell is a story about the confrontation between old and new forces.
The old man was determined to protect his right to speak and his way of looking at the world, making mistakes again and again. The new one is impatient to eradicate the old one, even if it is paranoid and radical, and will not hesitate to harm itself or others.
"Crime Record" stills
Fortunately, it did not simply change its identity, such as letting the dark-skinned Lanka become the heroine and take over the glory of solving crimes that was once the Hegardians. Nor did it completely discredit the “old boys”. Hegarty remains a good cop recognized by his peers. In the special system of the police, the definition of "good police" remains unchanged - catching criminals and protecting fellow criminals. Hegarty relied on these two points to rise to a high position and win a reputation.
But times have indeed changed. In today's British crime dramas, a young female detective who eats organic food is incompatible with an older male detective who eats junk food. Young people want equality and tolerance, and they can't stand the roughness and gray areas of the elderly in handling cases. The old people think that the young people are too idealistic, follow strict rules and regulations, and are only trapped in a cocoon.
Stills from "Crime Record"
Lanka identified Hegardi as a traitor and suspected that he was a criminal police officer. She is determined to seek justice for the "wronged" men in prison. The obsession was so deep that Lanka and almost everyone around him fell out. A black female colleague who was once a good friend also thinks that she pushes others too hard, only thinks about herself when doing things, and does not care about others by any means. During the battle between
and Hegardi, Lanka's paranoid side gradually emerged. She has a white husband who is a psychiatrist, gentle and family-oriented, and always supports her work. This cannot prevent the relationship between the two from becoming increasingly tense. The difference in skin color has become a thorn in the couple's relationship, which is always painful. Lanka always suspected that any of her husband's opinions and unintentional words came from the subconscious superiority of white people. But in the eyes of the audience, Lanka's paranoia has reached an unbearable level. Her mother's paranoia was like a time bomb, hidden in Lanka's blood. Exploded under heavy pressure, it became difficult for her to communicate with anyone and she was only addicted to playing the role of "savior".
Oh, now "crazy woman" is also a taboo term. Regardless of the facts, associating women with madness is a mistake. Lanka was furious because of this. It just so happens that her mother really suffers from mental illness.She exploded again when her husband said "mental illness has nothing to do with skin color."
Racism and madness are Lanka's personal history. It was already so heavy, but she still felt that it was not enough, and decided to carry other people's parts on her shoulders as well, and investigate the case with such a heavy burden.
Hegarty, a high-ranking official, has completely different circumstances and experiences from hers, but like her, he not only shoulders the heavy responsibility of history but is also determined to fight for it to the end. He used the power of the system to attack Lanka at every turn, trying to force her to stop investigating. But although he holds a high position, he is not the builder of the system. Hegarty also needs to play by the rules of the game. This character is more complex and intriguing than Lanka.
Until the last episode, the screenwriter made up his mind not to reveal his full profile. The question always remains: As a police officer, where is Hegarty's bottom line? Where is the line between a police officer and someone who is corrupt? To what extent is he willing to protect his old subordinates? How can he maintain both loyalty and discipline?
"Crime Record" stills
Lanka and Hegarty are surrounded by social reality. The proliferation of gangs dominated by people of color in London has made it difficult for the police force, which is dominated by white people, to keep pace with the times, actively respond to the social trend of equal rights, and work without racial prejudice. Or is it discrimination that causes the gang problem? When
comes on the scene, Ranka is the good guy and Hegardi is the bad guy. Later, the audience will naturally ask: Would the situation be better if all the people with power in the police force were Lankans? Will she also do something unjust with prejudice and revenge?
Today, when black female characters like Lanka must be completely correct, a British drama that leaves room for such thinking is considered bold. On the other hand, in the American TV series "True Detective: Night Country" next door, the Indian female detective also uses the historical burden of racial discrimination as the criterion for investigating, which is blinding and boring.
Lanka is luckier than her, because she has a rival like Hegardi. The two exchanged blows and hurt each other, giving both the old and new forces a chance to explain themselves and avoid falling into the abominable black and white routine. Having the courage to look at problems from a different perspective is always progress.
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