Love mystery/detective dramas and series, and would see any news ones without hesitation whenever they aired, whether re-runs or brand new ones. Have been a big fan fan since 13, when getting into 'Inspector Morse', where my love of John Thaw started, and Agatha Christie.
With mystery/detective dramas and series there has been and still is see a wide range of styles and tones. 'Inspector Morse' and anything Agatha Christie are examples of the complex ones, the former effectively measured. 'A Touch of Frost' or the wonderful Scandinavian series like 'Wallander' and 'The Killing' are gritty examples, though 'A Touch of Frost' achieves a great balance of that and comedy. Then there are the lght-hearted ones like 'Murder She Wrote' and prime 'Midsomer Murders'. 'Taggart' is a big example of the gritty detective/mystery dramas, especially the Mark McManus years, less so later on with Burke in charge where the show started running out of ideas, lost its grit and began suffering from too short lengths and rushed pacing.
"A Few Bad Men" is not a bad 'Taggart' episode at all, quite good even and interesting in particularly one respect. Just that it is not one of the best 'Taggart' episodes, from this period and overall.
Will admit to not finding the killer's identity or motive that big a surprise, something that would have been solved with more suspects perhaps. Maybe there could have been more surprises in the story and more focus in it too, occasionally it feels a bit over-crowded.
Plus, to me, saying that the character of Renshaw is unpleasant is being polite. He certainly is but in rather too over-the-top and extreme a way.
Generally, the story in "A Few Bad Men" is absorbing and not convoluted, some nice twists and turns. The pace is less deliberate than the Mark McManus period, yet doesn't rush through events too much or underdevelop the mystery too much while never feeling dull.
The crime-solving and detective work are entertaining and intriguing, and the chemistry within the team lifts things even more. Have always loved the bond between Jardine and Jackie, though would have liked to have seen more of that, and the friendship and conflicts within the whole team are handled well. But "A Few Bad Men" is most interesting for being the first episode of Robbie Ross. A character that manages to be interesting with successful effort made to give him development and personality, even if he was never the most likeable or most professional member of the team. The script has grit and provokes though and the murders are suitably not for the faint hearted.
Visually, "A Few Bad Men" has style and atmosphere, the scenery not juxtaposing too much with the gritty tone. The music fits well and the theme song is one you hear once and it never leaves the head. The acting is never less than solid, John Michie makes a good impression and cannot find anything to fault James MacPherson and Blythe Duff.
Overall, good episode if not a great one. 7/10 Bethany Cox