User reviews

"The Final Act" is the splendid concluding episode of a (generally) gripping series. As in the very best crime dramas, the focus really isn't the plot or the "whodunnit?" but the character of the central players. And if Helen Mirren almost eclipses them, that's only a bonus for the viewer. The tension is generated not by the crime plot (which is serviceable but predictable) but from Mirren's gripping portrayal of the powerful and all-too-human Jane Tennyson who treads the tightrope of her final days in her career. She somehow manages to give us a woman who balances the angels and the devils in her character without once lapsing into the predictable or the incredible. And THAT's what keeps you leaning forward in your seat.

God, but she's good!

The original 'Prime Suspect', an unusually tough police procedural thriller, was a landmark in early 1990s television, immediately making other hits series like 'Inspector Morse' appear tired and out-of-date. Since then, the series has retained some quality through its relatively infrequent outings, but still, the writing has not always been as good as in the first episode and in some cases has lapsed into the melodramatic cliché of the standard crime show. Gradually, I lost interest (I think about the fifth time that the whole direction of central character Jayne Tennyson's life was on the line if she didn't solve some murder in the face of the scepticism of her colleagues). But the series has always featured great acting from the incomparable Helen Mirren in that role, and in this final part she has arguably never been finer, there is some longer-term narrative development from the earlier episodes and Mirren exploits the character's growing history as the basis for a harrowing, wholly three-dimensional performance that almost seems out of place in a crime drama. Behind her performance, there's a nicely executed but less extraordinary tale of murder that could have come from any other cop show.

What's amazing about Mirren is how she truly inhabits the parts she plays: having recently seen her in Channel Four's 'Elizabeth', one can say the two series constitute a masterclass of televisual acting, ancient and modern. The series may be done; but the prime of Helen Mirren is far from over.

It's retirement time for Jane Tennison, but she has one more case to solve in "Prime Suspect: The Final Act" starring Helen Mirren as Tennison. The question is, can Tennison stay in control long enough to find the murderer of a missing girl? You really wonder as she deals with what has become blatant alcoholism, the death of her father, and the consequences of her choices in life.

Only Helen Mirren could have created the fully fleshed out, human character of Jane Tennison. Mirren is one of the greatest actresses of our time, perhaps of any time. And like a lot of English actresses, and though she's capable of great glamor, Mirren is not afraid of harsh lights, aging, and a few lines on the face. Her Jane is worn out and looks it. In working her last case, Jane comes up against the tragedy of losing her father, her uneasy relationship with her sister and niece, her retirement, and the bottle. In her loneliness and remembrance of a life with possibilities, she bonds with young Penny (Laura Greenwood), a troubled friend of the murdered girl - though the girl's father becomes a suspect.

I admit I had a problem understanding a lot of the dialogue in this - the British go in for that natural sound replete with background noise, heavy accents, and no body mikes. Also, this was a particularly noisy episode as nearly all the dead girl's mother did was scream at the top of her lungs, and she wasn't alone. Nevertheless, Mirren's performance cut across any problems I may have had. As Penny, Laura Greenwood, who resembles the American actress Amber Tamblyn, gave a truly marvelous performance. Doubtless we'll be seeing her in more British imports to come.

As part of the Masterpiece Theatre presentation, Mirren gave an interview about the role of Jane, and how she had been counseled by a police woman never to cry except in private, never to fold her arms across her body, and to touch people (a display of power). She stated that she stopped doing "Prime Suspect" for a time lest she be too closely identified with the role of Jane and cease being Helen Mirren, actress. As if she could ever be anything else.

Without a doubt this is one of the best dramas made in recent years for British Television, Helen Mirren's performance was a tour De force. She has an amazing ability to show the deep emotions of such a complex character that has so many tragic flaws.

In this final episode we see that she has hit rock bottom, retirement is looming large and the serious illness that has left her father seriously ill is now combining with her last case to leave her feeling isolated and alone. The result of which leads Tennison to make some very fatal errors of judgement that could very well destroy a glittering career.

All the cast in this are excellent and add real depth and feel to what is an emotional and somewhat sombre film.

Stephen Tompkinson is again excellent showing why he is such a versatile actor, Special mention should go to Tom Bell who's last performance was measured and very compassionate, he will be sadly missed.

The ending of this series that was leaked to the media was not the one screened which only added to what was a truly excellent piece of film making. Prime Suspect may be no more but we can be thankful that such an intricate and stunning series as this has graced our screens.

In a remarkable performance Helen Mirren plays the alcoholic detective Jane Tennison with depth and understanding rare in television. Mirren once the vivacious girl who was opposite James Mason in Norman Lindsay's "Age of Consent" today is not frightened of getting down and dirty in her roles. She goes full bore warts and all. Supported by a strong cast of British character players we can overlook some minor plot weaknesses when the overall quality of this series is streets ahead of the usual crap cop shows on the box. If only most TV was this good. Not often do we see actors bare their souls like Mirren outside of the cinema screen. Others in the cast worthy of mention are Stephen Tompkinson as Sean Philips, and Gary Lewis as Tony Sturdy.

The first three 'Prime Suspect' series were absolutely brilliant. 'Prime Suspect IV' changed the format from two episodes compromising of one case for each of the previous three series to three different cases and actually did it very well.

After changing the formula with 'Prime Suspect IV' with three episodes and three separate cases, the fifth to seventh series returned to the original two episodes revolving around one case (to me the format that worked more, not that the change of format in 'Prime Suspect IV' didn't work well but with the complexities and rich development of the stories in the other series the having them as two parters was necessary and allowed more development of the stories and characters).

'Prime Suspect' bows out with 'The Final Act' and what a final act it is. 'Prime Suspect' deserved to go out with a bang, and it does, and it compares very favourably with the previous series.

Every single one of the previous 'Prime Suspect' series were incredibly well made. 'Prime Suspect VII: The Final Act' is not excepted. It is stylishly and cleverly filmed, with slick editing and atmospheric lighting, and there is a consistently wonderful atmosphere throughout. It is very gritty, dark and effectively claustrophobic. It is very hard to forget the music score too, plus mood-wise it's one of the more action and atmosphere-enhancing music scores of all the 'Prime Suspect' series along with 'The Last Witness'.

Once again the writing is of superb calibre, some of the best there is of any mystery/detective drama, being superbly constructed and intelligent, plus it is hard to not be impressed by the cunning subtlety of the conflicts.

Story-telling is very compelling and twisty, with an atmosphere that is gritty and harrowing but also intricate and honest. It is a complex story that keeps one guessing right up to the end while also being easy to follow. Plus the suspense of a lot of it is nerve-shredding. The deliberate pacing did not harm it at all, in fact it was executed incredibly well and was necessary considering the amount going on. There is an ever so slight lull in the middle pace-wise, but nowhere near enough to harm the story.

The final act in particular is nail-biting and heart-wrenching, the whole of 'The Final Act' is worth it for the chemistry between Tennison and Laura Greenwood's character and the climactic interrogation alone.

Jane Tennison continues to be an interesting character, the character and the depiction of the police force was very ahead of the time back in the 90s and holds much fascination now even if not so novel. There is the sense too that the character has evolved significantly, a feeling that one didn't get before.

Helen Mirren's performance is as ever of sheer magnificence and she gets particularly exceptional support from Tom Bell (last seen in 'Prime Suspect III') and Laura Greenwood. Having seen his one in a lifetime performance in 'Brassed Off', Stephen Tompkinson excels at playing conflicted, or actually more in this case borderline creepy, characters (although he's better known for other things that are the opposite of that) and he goes for it.

All in all, a more than satisfying send-off, couldn't be better. By the end my nails were sore from all the biting and there were tears running down my face, may sound hyperbolic but 'The Final Act' had that effect on me. 10/10 Bethany Cox

This is a way for Tennison, Mirren, Granada, and Prime Suspect to bow out gracefully. This is a classy production nearly four hours long and some have suggested the actual crime story is secondary to the personal portrait. Perhaps, perhaps not - but when you're ushering out an icon like this series you have to give time to that too.

Hats off to Tom Bell for his final appearance in the series. He was magnificent from day one, episode one, and he was exceptionally excellent here as well.

A word about the series as a whole: Dick Wolf didn't write it. This is no random shuffle, no one dimensional drama. It's thick and it's gutsy and everything is in three stark dimensions and ultimately it's not even crime drama either: it's very much social commentary. People don't work this hard and this long at something only to have a forty five minute L&O filler.

The first episode introduced the characters - and how they do it is something the hacks in Hollywood should bloody well study. 2 is about racism. 3 is about child molestation. 4 is about motherhood, corruption, and a return to 1. 5 is about gangs. 6 is about genocide. 7 is about... ?? Watch it and see.

Another word about the series: no sooner had the final part of The Final Act been shown than ITV came out with a beautiful boxed set. 10 DVDs all told with commentary and interviews on the last of them. Personally I find it a bit annoying after spending 70 quid to be reminded on each disc that I wouldn't steal a car so I wouldn't steal a DVD. But it's a beautiful set and a no-brainer as for purchase.

And Taylor's a lucky man, hitched as he is with a goddess.

Having just finished watching all 7 chapters on DVD I must say this is the best drama of any kind I have seen. Overall it was so good I will miss watching it ! I have seen a great deal of Dame Helen Mirren's work and have enjoyed and marveled at her versatility and choice of roles. In the Prime Suspect character of Jane Tennison she has out done herself in my humble opinion. The stories touch on so many realms of police drama and were excellent stories in themselves. What I enjoyed most was the complexity of the character of Jane Tennison throughout the entire series. She was brilliant yet flawed, focused yet distracted, driven yet not particularly ambitious. She had a job to do and she did it very well despite roadblocks put up at every turn within the department, society or political higher ups. Unlike many a series in the US, the Final Act was I thought a great finish to a great series. Yes I would love to know where retirement led her. It is hard to see Jane Tennison spending her final years relaxing on the beach somewhere. It did though answer questions from earlier on and showed what a great toll her drive and dedication took on her personal life. I know some have said the conclusion did not live up to the standards of some of the earlier chapters. I have to disagree. I thought the story line itself was good and a very fitting retirement for an extraordinary character who could only have been played by Helen Mirren. For anyone who watched the Soprano's for so long to see how they chose to end it they will understand why I thought Prime Suspect was excellent not just chapters 1-6 but 1-7 ! Too bad Hollywood can't come up with something as original and gritty as Prime Suspect and follow it through instead of just doing knock offs of other programs ! The closest we have come was the 5 seasons of The Wire and it was a job well done for American TV. No single character will ever touch Jane Tennison though ! Although without the outstanding cast, writers,producers and everyone else involved It wouldn't have been the same either. Congratulations to one and all for a job very well done !

Det. Supt. Jane Tennison (Helen Mirren) is weeks from retirement, worn-down, and alcoholic. 14 year old Sallie Sturdy goes missing. Principal's daughter Penny Philips is her best friend. Sallie's father is faced with suspicion and then her body is found. She was pregnant. Tennison's father is in the hospital "on the way out" with cancer and she is pushed to go to AA where she runs into Bill Otley.

This is a great final act for a great character played by a great actress. Tennison is beset with personal problems that are well earned. Bill Otley returns to tie up his relationship with her. It's a short reunion but a very powerful one due to their history. He's also given a terrific death. Another great relationship is Mirren with young Laura Greenwood who plays Penny. She is almost like a daughter that Tennison never had after her abortion. The final scene is an emotionally devastating conclusion to Tennison's career. Greenwood is incredible in the face of the legend next to her. The second part does have a slow spot in the middle and the last section does rush a little to the finish. However, the final interrogation cannot have ended the franchise any better.

Too many police dramas nowadays are becoming formulaic, predictable, tasteless and plain cheesy. Enter Jane Tennison. A multi-layered, practical, and ageing detective, she is the anti-cliché of the U.S CSI cop. She is superbly played with grace, depth and honesty by the great Helen Mirren.

Det. Supt. Jane Tennison is on the eve of her retirement when a tragic murder case of a young schoolgirl presents itself on her desk. It will be her most difficult case yet as she must juggle both physical and psychological weariness of work, compensation for these chasms in alcoholism, and the realisation of her dying love-lost father; with personal regrets and professional mistakes.

While the murder investigation forms the frame of the story, the most intriguing and compelling part involves observing Jane struggling with her professional judgments while juggling her personal demons. In fact Jane's moral dilemmas are the essence of the story and provide most of intricate and poignant moments of the show. Ultimately, they also end up greatly affecting the outcomes of the murder case.

Helen Mirren is achieving accolades left, right and center for her performances on the small and silver screen this season. I admit what got me most interested in seeking out this show was only from the great admiration of Mirren's work as Queen Elizabeth 1 & 2. I pleasantly charmed and beguiled by her guile and artlessness in Prime Suspect 7 and was actually quite entranced by her astute personality and I must admit fetching looks even at 61(!).

Never (ever!) seeing any of it's predecessors before was pleased to find a detective show that along with a masterful and bewitching lead was also finely and crisply directed. Not to mention it actually did keep me guessing towards the end. This was a refreshing change from the nauseating CSIs and shoot-out cop shows, blessed with Mirren's beauty and terrific portrayal.

Well it was to be expected that over the fours hours less adverts she would not go out in a blaze of glory and rather more time was spent on Jane Tennyson herself than the investigation. Not on a par with earlier in the series Helen Mirren was nevertheless superb and a new star in the making is Laura Greenwood. The storyline is only adequate and her squad was the smallest yet. Excellent performance also from Mr Tompkinson who continues to impress. But for me there was too much shouting and focus on the parents anguish. Yes it should be portrayed but I thought it excessive. So much so that towards the end the scenes seemed rushed. So I expected and hoped for more but it was good to watch all the same.

Keep wondering if I want to praise the series or criticize it. The prequel to Prime Suspect, another series, to me is far better.

I detest the Tennison character in this series.i can't fathom how The Met hasn't fired her after episode one, she seems like a loose cannon who makes awful mistakes, time and again.

Felt the same way watching Mirren portray QEII in The Queen-detestable and unlikeable character. In that sense Mirren is a genius, she can make you hate her characters Imagine having no close relationships when you are Tennison's age, and are retiring. You can easily see her drinking herself to death in a few months.

I rate this a five because of the poor role model she is for women in police service-many fine officers don't go down this path.

2007 Emmy Award Winner for Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries, and Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Prime Suspect 7: The Final Act is as dynamic, brilliantly written, directed, paced, and acted as the rest of the series that started in 1991. The Final Act is filled with the unexpected plot turns and introduces interesting complex characters. Prime Suspect 7 was dedicated to the memory of Tom Bell (Otley) who returned as Sergeant Bill Otley and who died two weeks before the episode was screened. As in all Prime Suspects, Helen Mirren owns the screen as Detective Superintendent Jane Tennison working on her last case before retirement. This time, Jane investigates the missing of a 14-year-old girl while struggling with her alcoholism and coping with her father's death from incurable cancer. She dedicated all her life, talent, energy, and heart to her work where she had proved to be the best but the price she paid is incredibly high. The Final Act introduces a young actress Laura Greenwood (born in 1991) as 14 years old Penny. The scenes she shares with Mirren are "nothing short of phenomenal," according to David Bianculli of the New York Daily News, and I hope that her following roles will be as impressive as her first work next to one of the greatest modern actresses.

9.5/10

Dame Helen Mirren ends perhaps her most famous role besides that of Queens. Jane Tennison DCI is one of the most original female characters that television has produced in recent years. She is almost unforgettable. When Dame Helen Mirren first started, few people knew who she was and now everybody knows in the world that she is one of the finest acting talents from Britain. I knew she was in 1986 when I saw her play a maid in a Titanic film. As Jane Tennison, Helen Mirren embodies the role with such complexity that it seems so easy and natural. Jane approaches retirement with one last case but you know that Jane has lived for this job. They have this marriage between them. In the final installment of this legendary series, Helen and Jane bow out gracefully in the end. Jane battles alcoholism, loneliness, and her father's pending death. She reunites and befriends AA member, Bill Otley, played by Tom Bell shortly before his death. I felt the parents of the missing girl were quite believable in their roles. Jane's pending retirement is beset by loss, wonder, and disappointment. In the end, she bounces back, makes a shattering discoveries about the case, and you wonder what would happen to Jane Tennison that you want more. Maybe she is lecturing on crime techniques at a university or other British police officers. One can only hope that this is not the last we see of Dame Helen Mirren as Jane Tennison.

This classic, groundbreaking and exciting series started in 1991. Periodically, new episodes appeared, always exciting with good crime stories. In the center, the ongoing, insisting and tough female investigator, Jane Tennison. Excellent played by Helen Mirren. The series really made Helen Mirren's talent clear to a whole world. In this final series, we get as always a very moving story, exciting and nervous. But to an even greater degree than before, we also see the personal challenges of the main role holder. She has a difficult life. But, in essence, it appears the price one has to pay to sacrifice for a tough and long career. Jane Tennison is a person who has lived her life through the job, and managed to get a career as a woman in a male-dominated profession. The resistance has been well documented, we have seen in many previous episodes. Here in the end, maybe we get what her the price she had paid by personal stresses. This makes this series so much more than pure crime. It is also an in-depth drama, with so many layers. This is a must-see for anyone who likes crime and outstanding role performance.

Jane Tennison is imperfect. She fits none of the moral imperatives that many of our media heroes seem to possess. What she does have is doggedness and skill at her craft. This is an incredible finale. One the eve of her retirement (she has no idea what to do next) she begins to drink heavily. She is also overwhelmed by the impending demise of her father, whom she idolizes. She starts work on her last case. A fourteen year old girl has disappeared. Soon it is realized that Sallie has more of a dark life than her parents imagined. She has started hooking up with some pretty serious characters at school. Her friend from across the street, a very pretty young girl, isn't totally truthful and Jane can't get a handle. Meanwhile, the drinking becomes over the top. She is having blackouts. She isn't remembering messages. She is also getting incredibly hostile and embittered. She and that neighbor girl begin to form a friendship. At one time, Jane almost gets them both killed, driving while drunk. Suspects are all over the place, including a young black man whom all the girls are crazy about.

I just binged the whole lot from series one to the end, and this brief review covers all of them. I found the early episodes more of a curiosity, showing the shocking chauvinism that was so common even as late as the early 1990s. The plots were a bit clunky, but Helen Mirren shone brilliantly right from the start, and it was remarkable how she held her character to the end.

My only criticism of was that it was hard to believe the alcohol dependency only really cut in on the final series.

Anyway, the whole show got more polished with much better writing and production later on.

And so good that the final series was just about the best of the lot. It never tailed off as with so many other extended dramas.

Highly recommended.

It was a decent conclusion to years of great TV drama...But I expected better based on what I saw in the last episode....It did stay the course in that it was hard hitting, tough, real, the hallmarks of the series...

Tom Bell as Bill Otley was the connection from Episode 1 to the present....He was simply brilliant....The script, although very good, introduced elements which were new to Jane's story....That really through me off....The sister and niece....They never were significant characters in any of the other episodes, unlike Bill Otley and Jane's father....So be it....All in all, I hate to see this series end....I'll probably start watching them again next year, beginning with the first episode....One a year...It will be like revisiting a dear, dear old friend.....well, friend, I don't know about calling Jane a friend......a dear, favorite book....that's more like it....In my dreams, she retires to the isle of Majorca (not Florida, please), and relaxes, unwinds, is friendly, until she sets up a small private eye agency....Don't I wish......