Distributor: Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
Episodes: 7
Duration: 57 min (per episode)
Strike: Season 1 & 2 (DVD) – Series Review
J.K. Rowling is one of those writers that arguably no one can deny having heard of. The writer gained immense popularity with the Harry Potter franchise, be it because of the original books, or the movies that followed soon after. Of course, a writer such as this might reel in the big bucks, but it’s also hard to send in manuscripts and have it judged properly, as many publishers would simply love to publish works by this renowned lady of fantasy. Under pseudonym, J. K. Rowling wanted to try something different, something more realistic, namely a story about a scruffy detective who was injured during his service in the military. This character was dubbed Cormoran Strike, and was brought to life under Rowling’s writer’s pseudonym Robert Galbraith. This DVD box actually covers the first two seasons of the series, with a third season currently being produced.
It’s hard to properly describe the story of Strike, as the seven episodes in this box will revolve around three different cases. For the most part you’ll slowly open up to Cormoran Strike (Tom Burke), a disabled private investigator, and his temporary assistant Robin Ellacott (Holliday Grainger). In two of the cases, Strike is approached himself to solve a possible murder, or a missing person’s report, while the latter will involve a personal grudge against the handicapped detective. As the story evolves, so will the two characters, their lives, their personalities and those around them. It’s easy to say that this series follows the format of an authentic BBC detective series.
Even though this box is comprised out of the first two seasons of the series, with only a total of seven episodes, the flow remains somewhat constant over the course of the episodes. We get treated to three different story arcs, with the first being the lengthiest, namely three episodes, the others each span two episodes. Each arc will handle one case, which will always involve murder and an intricate web of lies and deceit. Overall there’s a nice division between information, action and the actual clues that are given for you to trot along with the evolution of the case. It will be quite hard to know who actually did it, but some may be able to put two and two together.
This series is pretty much all about the acting performances of Tom Burke and Holliday Grainger, who have a certain natural chemistry on screen. Tom Burke plays the disgruntled detective quite well, and his character becomes likeable after a few scenes, simply because you can feel that even though he acts somewhat scruffy, he is a kindhearted man. Holliday plays Robin perfectly, as the character that is still finding her way in life, and discovers that she would love nothing more than become a detective herself and be able to help people.
The special features on the DVD box of the first two seasons of Strike are somewhat of a letdown. You’ll have around fifteen minutes of extra content to explore, all providing small insights on the three cases that are included in this physical edition. It would have been nice to have a bit more insight in the creative process, or why this transition occurred in the mind of Rowling after writing something successful like Harry Potter or at least something more tangible than we currently get.
Conclusion
Strike, also known as C.B. Strike in some parts of the world, is a great series that puts a modern twist on old school detective stories. The fact that the main characters also have their own issues to deal with, such as Strike’s disability, Robin’s love life, etc also add a certain likeability to the series, making the characters a lot more relatable. If you’re into classic detective stories, where the perpetrator isn’t known after five minutes, you’ll certainly love this series as a whole.
Strike: Season 1 & 2 (DVD) - Series Review,
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