Charles Herold (cherold)
Vexed is, overall, an amusing, dumb comedy detective series. Both seasons have the same male star, Toby Stephens, as an idiot detective, but different female partners (Lucy Punch and Miranda Raison). These two partners represent two different approaches, the second of which is less interesting.Season one is about two terrible detectives. They don't take the job seriously. The male is a pig whose only real interest is sex, the female is marginally smarter, and they tend to just stumble on the solution to the crime.This worked very well, the episodes are very funny, and there's a lovely rudeness to the whole endeavor. Season 2 replaces the bad female detective with a good female detective, young and pretty and a forensics nerd with self-esteem issues. So now it's one pigish detective being lectured by one nice detective. It's not bad, but it's a more conventional approach and comes across as the producers playing it safe, with the detectives actually solving the crime through some level of competence and the male becoming just slightly more competent (though no more professional). Perhaps the producers just thought a younger, prettier actress would help the ratings?Anyway, season 2 is still generally enjoyable, with amusing dialogue and generally inane cases, just like the first season, but it lacks the edge of season 1, and the final episodes are quite weak. I would give season 1 an 8 rating and season 2 a 7, and since season 2 has twice as many episodes the show gets averaged out to a 7.I would highly recommend watching the three episodes of season 1. And I'd say go ahead and keep watching through season 2.
tvanrik
Loved Punch and Stephens! I got hooked on the first three episodes. But what a disappointment after that. EVERYTHING changed!!! Stephens' immature, nonchalant character was enduring and funny when he was paired with Punch and she was hilarious. His character is too mainstream and boring in the new episodes, once Punch left. New director? New writers? Whoever changed his character needs to be replaced!!! Why did you change his car? The first was cool and tied in perfectly with his immature character, this new "old" one that breaks down is a tired cliché. The writing from episode 4 onward is boring, tired, and cliché. You had me hooked, then you blew it. What a way to destroy a great show.
pensman
Come on, you have to love this show. In episode one it appears D.I. Jack Armstrong and his partner D.I. Kate Bishop are checking out apartment rentals until they step over dead and bloody body. Toby Stephens as Armstrong is cynical and laid back and out of step with his comments on everything. He is so non PC that you know this show would never make it on American TV. But he is a good cop with good instincts. He does go through two female partners, Lucy Punch in season one and Miranda Raison in season two. Their characterization are completely different but both work well with Armstrong. The stories are interesting and laced with humor. Think of the better episodes of Castle with darker humor. Roger Griffiths plays Tony who runs the bar where the two detectives go to drink and think. Took me a while to recognize Griffiths who also starred in Chef. A fun series. Hope they do a third.
