New Tricks

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          I am now done with yet another series.  Not done in the sense that I’m simply waiting for more DVDs to be released, but done because the entire series has finished.  New Tricks ended after twelve seasons.  With the completion of the last DVD, I have seen, to my knowledge, every episode ever made.  Since the last time I wrote about this series a lot has happened.  Let me catch you up.

        The Unsolved Crime and Open Case Squad started with four members: retired police officers Jack Halford (James Bolam), Gerry Standing (Dennis Waterman), and Brian Lane (Alun Armstrong); as well as current police officer Detective Superintendent Sandra Pullman (Amanda Redman).  For many years this was the team.  Then Jack found out he was terminally ill and moved to France.  Steve McAndrew (Denis Lawson) came from Scotland and took his place.  About a year later, Brian was fired for giving a victim’s mother a secret recording of a man confessing to the death of her son.  He recommended Danny Griffin (Nicholas Lyndhurst) as his replacement.  Shortly after Danny joined the team, Sandra was offered a job that was too good to refuse.  With her position vacant, in came Detective Chief Inspector Sasha Miller (Tamzin Outhwaite), again the only active police officer.  For about a year, this was how the team stayed.  Then Gerry’s past caught up with him.  He was forced to fake his death in order to protect his family, leaving a spot open for Ted Case (Larry Lamb).  Ted was the last person to join the UCOS team.  When the series ended, Sasha, Danny, Steve, and Ted were the ones standing.

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       While all this changing of team members was going on, cases were being solved and personal things were occurring in each person’s life.  Even Deputy Assistant Commissioner Robert Strickland (Anthony Calf) had his personal life worked into the plotlines.  He also had a distinct role change as the series moved on.  At the start he was just the boss, but through the years, Strickland became a friend to the UCOS team.  This different relationship definitely changed the dynamics of the show as they all knew there was someone higher up who believed in what they were doing.  That does not mean that UCOS could simply run Strickland over, though.  Despite the friendlier and more personal terms, Strickland knew when he needed to draw the line and be a boss.  He also, however, knew when it was more important to be a friend.  This interesting balance Strickland did so well is why I believe his career ended up being so successful.

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       Every season of New Tricks I enjoyed, but I have to say that my favorite season was Season 11.  The chemistry between Gerry, Steve, Danny, and Sasha was so great.  When Strickland was thrown in, it was even better.  Also, there were so many clever lines in each and every episode.  I don’t know how many episodes I laughed practically all the way through because the lines were so good.  The character who probably had the most great lines was Danny.  Everything he said was done with a dry tone and a straight face.  A man full of knowledge and experience, it was always fascinating to hear what would come out of Danny’s mouth. 

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                Steve’s funny lines were more on the sarcastic side.  He would mumble his comments under his breath and you just knew he was trying to not roll his eyes at whatever was going on.  Something else that was good about Steve was that he somehow always knew when his presence was needed.  A rough but good-hearted man, I don’t know how many times he came on the scene just as Gerry was getting into the thick of things.  With Steve there for support, Gerry always managed to get out of his messes okay.

                Gerry remained his very rough cantankerous self all the time he was on the series.  With a good heart underneath (he loved his wives and daughters and would never let any harm come to them despite all his complaining to the contrary), Gerry was the most direct of anyone about what he had to say.  If something was on his mind, Gerry would say it.  It did not matter that most of what he said would be proved untrue in the end, everyone knew what Gerry was thinking.  When he was not saying anything, that was when the time came for concern.

               Sasha had some good lines, but mostly she was the evening force amongst the three men.  A strong, confident women, Sasha did not have any problems being direct with those she worked with or those she was interviewing.  She was sure to acknowledge the strengths of her team members, but she would not let them sit in their comfort zones.  If a member of the team needed shaking up, Sasha would not hesitate to send that person on a task that was not usually their forte.  She was also a good and compassionate listener if something was going on in the men’s lives.  Sasha knew even better than Strickland when it was time to be a boss, and when it was time to be a friend. 

              Even though I am sad that New Tricks has ended, I believe it was ended on a good note. Everyone happily moved onto different things while UCOS remained standing for a whole new team to come in. Most of the personal issues were resolved, and everyone’s life seemed to move in positive directions. For a show that centered itself around the anguish caused by leaving cases unsolved for years, I think it was great to have such happiness in the end.