Prime Suspect 4: The Scent of Darkness

Production Notes

In “The Scent of Darkness”, Tennison faces personal and professional conflicts as, for the first time in her career, she begins to doubt whether the pressure of her job and her obsessive relationship with it are worth jeopardizing another romance for. A series of murders take place bearing a chilling resemblance to those Tennison investigated in “Prime Suspect 1”. Are they copycat crimes? In their review, the Sunday Telegraph wrote, “Jane, superb as ever, demonstrates to her police team that her weaknesses do not include a need to be liked. Some fellow-feeling may be expected for DS Cromwell, another woman struggling in the teeth of the male culture, but she is brusquely told to expect ‘no special favours.” For her performance in “The Scent of Darkness”, Helen Mirren won a Primetiem Emmy Award as Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Special in 1996.

Review ★★★☆☆

Of all “Prime Suspect” series, and especially of the fourth season’s three episodes, “The Scent of Darkness” is the weakest for me, for which there are two reasons: The actor for George Marlow was replaced, which just didn’t work, and the solution of the crime was obvious from the first image of the episode (take it as a spoiler). I don’t know if the solution was first used on this “Prime Suspect”, but it has been used so often in book and episodic television ever since that it just didn’t feel any surprising. It would have been nice to see John Bowe return as George Marlow, or Zoe Wanamaker as his wife Moira, who’s been incredible in the first series. No idea why neither of them has returned. That being said, “The Scent of Darkness” is still an above average episodic thriller. But the power of two long episodes with enough time to develop an interesting story is missing throughout.

Awards and Nominations for Helen Mirren

★    Primetime Emmy Award – Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Special