‘CONVERSATIONS WITH THE DEAD’
Please feel free to comment on my review.
Okay, so the second episode of this series is a little better than the first episode. It’s still a challenge to get into the characters that are still being set-up, but at least there is a story to follow in this one.
‘Conversations With The Dead’ is once again by Chris Boucher, the series deviser, and is once again directed by Christopher Baker. These two contribute a lot to the series in its writing and its directing.
In this episode, Nathan Spring’s life gets turned upside down once his girlfriend, Gennie Nevinson as Lee Jones, is murdered. This happens when an unknown assailant breaks into his home on Earth.
It was interesting to see how Nathan reacts to his girlfriend’s death and takes it rather badly. And this is by the time we come to the second episode of ‘Star Cops’ itself. This didn’t happen in the first.
Beforehand, Nathan is getting accustomed to his new job as the commander of the Star Cops with David Theroux helping him. He’s not very happy about the vacuum-less space-walking that he has to do here.
I don’t blame him. But as the episode progresses, it seems that the Star Cops are going to get their own base of operations on Earth’s moon. Well, that should save a lot of vacuum-less space-walking.
Upon the news of his girlfriend’s death, Nathan returns home to conduct his own private investigation on who committed the murder. This is while the actual Earth police are investigating it.
This episode features the introduction of Trevor Cooper as Chief Inspector Colin Devis of the London Metropolitan Police. I was looking forward to seeing Trevor Cooper as I’ve seen him in ‘Doctor Who’.
Colin Devis is a bit of mean-mannered chief inspector and perhaps thick-headed. There’s tension and friction between him and Nathan Spring when they first meet as the murder is being investigated.
In fact, I’ve noticed there’s this attitude problem among many of the characters in the series. Does it reflect real-life in a police drama? Especially with the swearing and the blasphemy featured throughout?
Colin Devis also has Sian Webber as Sgt. Corman, who’s assisting him in the investigation of Lee Jones’ murder. She seems more efficient in crime-solving than Colin Devis is. Or is that really the case here?
Meanwhile, David Theroux is investigating a tragic accident which is happening in outer space at the same time Lee Jones’ murder is being investigated. A space freighter has gone out of control. 😐
The space freighter was meant to go to Mars but apparently, it got knocked off course and the two pilots on board are condemned to death. We don’t see who those two pilots are in the tale however.
The pilots happen to be Richard Ireson as Mike and Rosie Kerslake as Lara. I gather the two are lovers when they’re sent to be doomed in outer space. Richard Ireson also did ‘The Krotons’ in ‘Doctor Who’.
The episode also features Sean Scanlan as Fox and Alan Downer as Paton, who is a Frenchman. One of these two could be involved in the reprogramming of the space freighter to go off course in space.
There’s Carmen Gómez as Gina Succini in the episode. I thought I recognised her. Apparently Carmen Gómez guest starred as Anita in the ‘Doctor Who’ story ‘The Two Doctors’ with Colin Baker.
There are two standout action scenes in this episode. This includes the scene where Nathan gets attacked by a masked man on roller-stakes who tries to kill him at night before Sgt. Corman turns up.
There’s also a chase scene where Nathan, David and Corman are in a space shuttle chasing after a fugitive in another space shuttle. The twist revelation about what’s been going on here is quite disturbing.
Apparently, there’s an atmosphere of international espionage going on. Someone wanted Nathan Spring to do something to capture the criminal and for his career to be ruined. Nathan doesn’t adhere.
The episode ends with Nathan Spring at the graveside of his dead girlfriend, Lee Jones, before Colin Devis comes to join him. Apparently, Colin Devis’ job will be on the line and he wants a job from Nathan.
‘Conversations With The Dead’ is a better episode than the first one in the ‘Star Cops’ series. I’d like to think I’m getting into the ‘Star Cops’ series and I wonder what will occur next in the third episode.
‘Conversations With The Dead’ rating – 7/10
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The second story for a sci-fi series somehow being better may be common in most cases. Certainly with The Daleks for Doctor Who and The Railway Station for Sapphire & Steel. The more gradual the buildup might often earn more curiosity. And with the intrigue about where British sci-fi TV would go next after almost three decades of Doctor Who, coupled with how well America was doing with the new Star Treks, Quantum Leap, Babylon 5 and The X-Files to name just a few, perhaps Star Cops could work mostly as a refreshment. Having first seen Trevor Cooper as Takis in Revelation Of The Daleks and liking him for his good performance, seeing him in his own sci-fi series drew me in, as Paul Darrow and Jacqueline Pearce drew me into Blake’s 7 after seeing them on Doctor Who.
As for how accurately these characters reflected real cops, given the obvious challenges of the space age format or whatever Chris Boucher had in mind, it’s retrospectively worth thinking about with all the huge headway that shows like Law & Order, CSI and Rookie Blue are overwhelmingly popular for nowadays. It may depend on how we look at it, for which sci-fi is always most especially encouraging. I’ve learned to chiefly appreciate viable characters that we may care about. Particularly when they’re free enough to be themselves. Even when it comes to the potential for swearing. Thank you, Tim, for your review.
Hi scifimike,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this ‘Star Cops’ episode. It’s interesting to reflect on how I first saw the TV series when I revieiwed it back in 2019 compared to my current opinion of it today. When it comes to revisiting ‘Star Cops’ as a TV series before checking out the latest Big Finish audios, I’m sure I’ll have a greater appreciation of the TV episodes compared to how I first saw them, especially concerning how crime dramas are handled, particularly in outer space. 😀 It is great to see Trevor Cooper in something different other than ‘Doctor Who’, mind.
Many thanks and Best wishes,
Tim 🙂
I remember the first few times I saw actors who were in Doctor Who in other things. Including Peter Jeffrey (Count Grendel in The Androids Of Tara) as a misogynistic policeman in the Thriller episode: Come Out Come Out Wherever You Are. Of course Tom Baker as a villainous magician in a Sinbad movie (a performance that supposedly had convinced the producers that he’d be perfect for the 4th Doctor) is an especially unforgettable mention. He also played a villain in a Remington Steele episode and I recall rumors somewhere that he was considered as a replacement for Richard Harris as Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films.
British actors certainly have a way of getting around between British TV shows. So many of them must be very well acquainted. And nowadays with how many have been attracted to Big Finish audios, including Kate Winslet for her Dark Season revival, the crossings of actors between Doctor Who and other things may now be even more abundant.
Hi scifimike,
Speaking of Kate Winslet, I saw her recently in a re-release of the 1995 film ‘Sense and Sensibility’ at the cinema. It’s amazing to think that she started in ‘Dark Season’ by Russell T. Davies before going on to appear in ‘Sense and Sensibility’ and later in ‘Titanic’, making her a very well-known actress in movies. I’m looking forward to hearing Kate Winslet in the latest ‘Dark Season’ audios by Big Finish when I get a chance to.
Best wishes,
Tim 🙂
Kate Winslet is a most respectable actress. Titanic, The Reader and Mare Of Easttown have been some of her most memorable performances.
Hi scifimike,
Thanks for mentioning ‘The Reader’ and ‘Mare of Easttown’. I’ve not come across those before. ‘Titanic’ is available on Disney+ in the UK, so it’s there for me to revisit should I ever do a review on the movie at some point.
Last year, I saw ‘The Mountain Between Us’ on Disney+ with Kate Winslet and Idris Elba, which I’ve enjoyed. I’ve also enjoyed the 2020 film version of ‘Black Beauty’ featuring Kate Winslet on Disney+. I’ll be intrigued in how Kate turns out in the upcoming ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ film coming soon to cinemas in December this year.
Many thanks,
Tim 🙂
I think that it will always Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind where Kate Winslet, especially opposite Jim Carrey, was most brilliantly able to shine in the sci-fi cinema.