Do have to agree that 'Taggart' was nowhere near as good when Jardine made his last appearance in "Death Trap" (won't say how in case there are people who haven't yet seen the episode) and once Burke took over. Though am not going to be as harsh. The show was at its best in the whole Taggart era and the early Jardine era, when Burke was in charge the freshness was generally lost and the show held out longer than it should have done.
"The Friday Event" does little to change my mind on this and if, like me, you watched 'Taggart' from the very beginning it is hard to not be disappointed. Certainly when making a comparison and it is not much better when judging it on its own. Or at least that's in my opinion, saying that in case there are people who don't agree (though it seems to me the relative general consensus among 'Taggart' fans) and due to always trying to be subjective watching and reviewing anything.
It's not all bad. The grit and moodiness of the photography that one always associates with 'Taggart' is still here, and considering the kind/type of show it is it is more than appropriate. As is the suitably bleak Glasgow setting. The music is also suitably moody and have never had any trouble remembering the main theme.
Some of the first part of "The Friday Event" is intriguing and it does set things up well. The acting from three quarters of the team seemed fine to me, Blythe Duff was one of the main reasons as to why 'Taggart' was still stuck with post-Jardine and don't feel anything different here.
Burke still doesn't work, have nothing against strict bosses but do so against bullies in the workplace and one is amazed that nobody has quit already the way Burke behaves. Alex Norton shouts a lot of his lines and it gets tiring. The supporting cast are not bad but none are particularly memorable.
Found the script in serious need of a tighten up and bite and the pace likewise. "The Friday Event's" story lacks suspense and one can really tell that the show was starting to run out of ideas because there is a tired feel for most of the length. The denoument was not a surprise and found it rushed as well.
Overall, not a bust but didn't do an awful lot for me sadly. 5/10