Necrotongue

The first season had its flaws. I would find some in each episode if I wanted to look for them, but I don't feel like looking. It was produced in 1989, and the style corresponds to that, yet I loved the whole season.

Well thought-out finale of the first season. What the viewer has seen in individual episodes so far came together in one episode and I must admit that the creators of the series succeeded in doing so. Apparently, due to the influence of German collaborators, the rise of the Nazis to power did not manifest itself in any way, and KriPo appeared to be a normal police force (which it mostly was, but...).

If it weren't for both incredibly annoying announcers, I would rate it five stars again because the case is very interesting and the creators handled it to my satisfaction. But I really didn't understand why they incorporated those two disruptive elements into the plot.

The sixth episode has been one of my favorites for a long time. Its plot takes place in our country (even though back then it was actually in theirs), and despite all the humorous elements, I still felt that unpleasant, oppressive atmosphere that accompanied the investigation. Interestingly, apart from sheep, not a single corpse appeared in this episode.

It was beautifully visible here how important the right casting is. While Pavel Zedníček was unequivocally funny in the previous episode, I had no problem believing Hana Maciuchová as the English estate owner, and Petr Čepek seemed to have been born for characterless roles. Moreover, the story worked as a typical detective story, so there was no reason to lower the rating.

The story of the fourth episode was very good, I really liked its execution, unlike the previous episode, there was constant detective work here, so I was very satisfied, and yet I didn't add the fifth piece. Unlike the European episodes, I didn't like Czech actors in the roles of Americans. Well, I didn't like... When Steve first appeared on the screen, I couldn't help but laugh, and I kept laughing like that until the end. Pavel Zedníček in a stetson is just funny.

The episode describing bertillonage always seemed somewhat different to me. Even in the book, this passage didn't appeal to me too much, and the television adaptation didn't improve my impression either. However, I must honestly admit that the mistake is clearly on my side because I have always been obsessed with murders and here I didn't get what I wanted (instead of investigating, they were measuring). I also had the impression that the creators were pushing it too much into a humorous level.

The second episode was completely different in its approach compared to the first one, but what was lacking in pace and action, was perfectly compensated by Mr. Viktor Preiss and Ladislav Frej, who turned the whole trial into a show for the two performers. I had a great time.

A thirty-year-old matter, and I still look at it as good as when it aired on television premiere. Throughout the entire episode, the creators deserved a better four-star rating because it had a decent pace and action, and I actually liked the whole way Vidocq's story was processed. And the fifth piece goes to Boris Rösner, who surpassed all the French versions of François Vidocq and even outdid Vincent Cassel.

This could have been worth five stars... The theme was perfect. Finally a superpower-endowed creature whose anti-heroic acts I'd enjoy watching. Unfortunately, the authors kept the guy on too short a leash, limiting him to the territory of one small town or rather a cluster of houses and farms. The plot was too restrained, I hoped for more powerful action, but it turned out to be just a run-of-the-mill slasher horror film. Too bad, there was definitely more potential.