watched all of “prime suspect” on netflix and loved it. helen mirren is masterful all the way thru, from the beginning of the series in 1991 to its end in 2006. the first three series, written by lynda la plante, are incredible in their complexity and gritty realism. not only do they locate crime in a richly textured racial, socio-economic and political milieu but they investigate and expose sexism and corruption within the police force with a kind of unflinching sang-froid that is unthinkable in american television. such is the unvarnished, convoluted reality we are confronted with in the series, that even the successful conclusion of a case does not satisfy. it’s impossible to wrap things up neatly and unambiguously. mirren’s performance, as DCI jane tennison, is intelligent, precise, full of restrained intensity. the evolution of her character’s career, life and disposition is truly mesmerizing. the hard choices tennison had to make as a woman driven primarily by her work and society’s reaction to an aging woman in a position of authority continue to resonate strongly to this day.