The First Season

Vincent is a British television series that has aired in the United States on BBC America. The show's first season was produced in 2005 and its second in 2006. Each season had four episodes. It is about a former police officer turned private investigator who is very passionate about his work. He is a hard-headed detective who gets too emotionally involved in the cases.

Vincent Gallagher (Ray Winstone) is a former detective who runs a private investigation agency. He and his small team of expert investigators look into whatever matter their client asks them to do. Since they are private investigators, they are not constrained by the law as the police. On more than one occasion, Vincent and his gang bend and break the law (and sometimes morality) to get the job done. They are hired to spy on suspected cheating spouses, unravel the truth about complex murder investigations, and more.

In general, the cases that Vincent's team deals with are not complex investigations. The focus is not so much on the cases or the bad guys, but rather the emotion of the characters -- specifically Vincent. Vincent is a complex character; like fellow investigator Eddie Fitzgerald from Cracker, he is brilliant when it comes to case work, but his personal life is in turmoil. His personal life and how connected he becomes to his cases are what gives the show life.

For example, the first episode deals with Vincent taking the wrong stance on a case. He is hired by a man named Gary to look into his wife's after-hours behavior. Gary suspects his wife is seeing another man. When Vincent catches her red handed, he goes against the advice of his fellow investigator Beth (Suranne Jones) and sides with Gary. In the aftermath, Gary goes crazy and nearly beats his wife to death. This case hit close to home for Vincent, because he was in the midst of a similar situation. His wife Cathy recently left him for another man. While Vincent was hoping to help Gary's find justice in his broken relationship (consequently find some peace of mind for himself), all hell broke lose when Gary beat his wife. The situation puts Vincent into a bad spot, believing his poor actions were at the root of Gary's actions.

The other episodes have similar developments of strong emotions connecting Vincent and his team to one case or another. As previously mentioned, this aspect is what drives the show. In the case of Vincent, he is a really strong and multi-faceted character. Actor Ray Winstone really does his role justice; he gives Vincent a hard personality with a very convincing demeanor as a detective who cares about his cases and feels like a real detective.

Overall, Vincent is an appealing crime drama that excels in presenting a likeable, flawed detective and focuses on his dedication and strong emotions on the job. The cases themselves are nothing to get excited about; in fact, they can be outright bland. Still, Vincent is a compelling character and multi-faceted character. You will want to see him and his team of private investigators bends the law to get the job done.

The DVD

Video:
The video in this release is given in an anamorphic 1.78:1 ratio widescreen color format. The picture quality is quite good. It suffers from a slight grain, but detail remains to be sharp and clear. However, there are moments when the picture suffers compression artifacts and hints of edge enhancement. This is most noticeable during the darker scenes. Overall it is a great looking picture.

Audio:
The audio is given in 2.0 Dolby digital stereo sound. In general, the sound quality is good and it provides an audible and clean track. The dialogue is usually a little flat while music and sound effects come off rich and vibrant.

Extras:
There are no extras included with this DVD release.

Final Thoughts:
Vincent is a crime drama that focuses on the emotional development of its characters, with little emphasis on the cases that they investigate. The leading character is sensational and actor Ray Winstone gives a great performance. He alone gives the show a sense of worth. In the end, Vincent is an entertaining drama that will peek your interest with its characters.