THE FIXER 2.6

[SPOILERS] Blunt and brutal, The Fixer's finale wasn't the thrilling crescendo to this improved second year I was hoping for, but instead a slightly dull and ugly chore enlivened by three brisk action sequences and a notable death...

Indian hitman "Supari" (Ace Bhatti) has been hired to assassinate a 10-month-old baby and rightful heir to a family fortune, by a ruthless relative. John (Andrew Buchan), Calum (Jody Latham) and Rose (Tamzin Outhwaite) are again assigned by Lenny (Peter Mullan) to thwart the hit, resulting in a hitman-vs-hitman scenario as the gang try to protect the child from harm. Later, insincere pen-pusher Symmonds (Elliot Cowan) realizes he needs to up his game if he's to persuade Lenny to let him pull his strings, so assigns his own "fixer" to plant a bug at John and Calum's flat, hoping to use any audio evidence of wrongdoing as leverage for a takeover bid. Unfortunately, despite Symmonds' efforts to ensure the coast was clear, he didn't predict that Calum's wife Manuela (Elisa Terren) would find herself in the wrong place at the wrong time...

There was undoubtedly something compelling about a hitman targeting an innocent baby, but this story was mainly an excuse for three action sequences (surveillance at St. Pancreas train station, a mansion shootout, and an attack in an Indian clothing shop) where director Paul Whittington started to show some creativity. The story wasn't especially engaging, beyond the natural hope of the audience in wanting John to successfully protect an infant and eliminate its threat. Indeed, that story was sewn up by the 40-minute mark, leaving the final 20 to focus on Symmond's goon breaking into John's flat, discovering a frightened Manuela with a handgun trying to protect herself, and taking a sick pleasure in slitting her throat.

It was an act of murder that crushes Calum upon discovering her body (the pair had spent this series occasionally debating parenthood, in-between making a go of their sham marriage), but also horrifies Symmonds enough for Lenny to guilt-trip him into keeping away from his team in future. It all ended on a depressing note, with an impromptu burial in an unmarked grave for poor Manuela, and John marching off to avenge her death – despite the fact Lenny had promised Symmonds safety from any retribution.

There was enough bleakness and a half-decent shock death to keep this episode from stalling, but it felt like an hour of cheap tricks masking a lack of plot, devoid of any emotional investment in proceedings until Manuela's murder. The same could probably be said of other Fixer episodes; the stories and characters are rarely as creative or memorable as you'd like them to be, unfortunately.

The problems were just a lot more noticeable in this finale, and the broiling threat of Symmonds throughout the six episode didn't end anywhere interesting. I'd have liked him to successfully takeover Lenny's in some way, but that wasn't to be. If The Fixer does get another series (but there's no guarantee, as ratings slid from 4.22m to 2.82m), I hope series 3's premiere does something to revitalize the show's premise. As Symmonds himself said to Rose, "you can't run around like tabloid-sponsored vigilantes forever..."


6 October 2009
ITV1, 9pm

written by: James Dormer directed by: Paul Whittington starring: Andrew Buchan (John Mercer), Tamzin Outhwaite (Rose Chamberlain), Jody Latham (Calum McKenzie), Peter Mullan (Lenny Douglas), Elliot Cowan (Matthew Symmonds), Elisa Terren (Manuela), Paul Bhattacharjee (Chavan), Ace Bhatti (Supari), Anjali Jay (Madulika), Raji James (Vijay), Mark Flitton (Ashby), Sheena Bhattessa (Young Girl) & Adetomiwa Edun (Young Guy)

THE FIXER 2.5

[SPOILERS] I've never been convinced Andrew Buchan is the ideal actor to play The Fixer's lead -- John Mercer, an ex-soldier who murdered his aunt and uncle when he discovered they'd been abusing his insipid sister. The character's actions are largely sympathetic, but we're supposed to believe John has something dark lurking inside him that makes him an ideal hitman/vigilante for the government. Trouble is, in Buchan's hands, I've never really felt John's anywhere near as interesting as he could be -- he's too compassionate, too moral, too cuddly. He can brood and he can kill the occasional scumbag convincingly, but he's been missing a sense of raw danger that could overspill. Until now...

This penultimate episode wasn't a complete transformation of John's character, but it was the first time we saw his rage at the injustices of the world boil over into psychotic behaviour. The target this week was Sean O'Driscoll (David Schofield), a London criminal back from overseas to mastermind a gold bullion robbery, whose cover is a cage-fighting club he runs with his reptilian son Connor (Sam Spruell).

Lenny (Peter Mullan) wants John to find Sean (whose physical identity is a mystery thanks to regular cosmetic surgeries), by earning his son's trust to get close to him, and then eliminate him at close quarters. Rose (Tamzin Outhwaite) poses as a PR woman interested in working with Connor's beautiful trophy girlfriend Sadie (Gemma Price), with John playing her arrogant ex-military boyfriend who baits Connor by equating cage-fighters to "dancing bears." It's all part of a plan to get John into the inner circle of Connor's club, as he's slowly indoctrinated into the skuzzy world of cage-fighting, growing closer to meeting Sean O'Driscoll himself -- the tipping point coming when Calum (Jody Latham) poses as a gun-toting troublemaker John disarms, rewarded with free cage-fighting lessons and an offer to make some money as part of Sean's gang.

There were two tiny subplots to take the edge off the testosterone The Fixer was sweating profusely: first, Calum contemplated fatherhood when his wife Manuela (Elisa Terren) revealed her period is late, although it turned out to be false alarm and Calum was left clutching some baby clothes he'd bought in secret excitement; second, Lenny again had to fend off Symmonds (Elliot Cowan) -- who is still insisting that letting him control his unit is the best course of action for his covert operation -- but Lenny's refusal to accept the two-faced civil servant's help appears to have pushed Symmonds into sending his own hitman to destroy Lenny's operation (as a set-up for next week's finale.)

By far the standout moments of episode 5 were contained in its turbulent conclusion, with Connor murdering his girlfriend by throttling her against a chirping fruit machine, and John's being viciously assaulted by Sean's gang and thrown into a cage for a grudge match with Connor. It was here that we finally saw the animal that's supposed to lurk behind John's calm veneer, ready to explode to the surface when innocent people become collateral damage.

Fuelled by a rage that sweet Sadie had been needlessly murdered, John pounded Connor's face into the mat, speckling his own features with blood through an insane stare that so freaked-out Sean and his cronies that they beat a hasty retreat. A bare-chested John then ripped through the club, finally landing his hands on Sean and shooting him dead in seconds, before turning calmly to the unsettled gaze of Rose to request a napkin to daub away the blood from his kills. These were great edge-of-your-seat moments -- bolstered by that great reaction from Rose immediately after John's ruckus, if sadly let down by the fact the immediate denouement that found a Rose flirting with John back at the flat. I'd have preferred it of Rose continued to feel numbed and scared about how far John can go sometimes...

Overall, this penultimate episode was very good and had plenty to recommend it. The plot wasn't anything special or plausible at times (Rose was trusted because "she has a website"?), it was again quite clichéd in its characterizations and general set-up, but many scenes gave us the shot of adrenaline The Fixer doesn't always deliver (great directing of the brutal fights by Paul Whittington and choreography), and the plot did its job in keeping you gripped till the end. And I continue to delight in Mullan's croaky performance, which turns the tiniest scenes into little gems (like his café chat to a scumbag.) In fact, it's about time we had an episode that focused on Lenny exclusively -- it would be great if a flashback revealed he used to be a "fixer" like John, once upon a time...


29 September 2009
ITV1, 9pm

written by: Ben Richards directed by: Paul Whittington starring: Andrew Buchan (John Mercer), Tamzin Outhwaite (Rose Chamberlain), Jody Latham (Calum McKenzie), Peter Mullan (Lenny Douglas), Elliot Cowan (Matthew Symmonds), Elisa Terren (Manuela), David Schofield (Sean O'Driscoll), Sam Spruell (Connor O'Driscoll), Sadie Pickering (Gemma Price), David Legeno (Marty), Rupert Farley (Woody) & Mark Flitton (Ashby)

THE FIXER 2.4

[SPOILERS] It's great to see the spotlight focus on Rose (Tamzin Outhwaite) for The Fixer's fourth episode, even if her primary skill continues to be getting men into bed. Outhwaite's an attractive woman and I don't have a problem with the idea she uses her beauty to influence villains, but it's a frustrating that fluttering her eyelashes at scumbags is so often this ex-cop's only demonstrable talent. Episode 4 found creator Ben Richards joined by Rachel Kidd in the writing, but Kidd's female perspective wasn't the shot of tough estrogen I was hoping for. Still, this episode was much better than I expected, if a little uneven at times...

This week, Rose finds herself being stalked by Richard Millar (David Harewood), a former teacher who allegedly raped and murdered some of his students. Rose was the investigating officer at the time, but her covert mission to get closer to Millar by romancing him was deemed "entrapment" by the courts, the case collapsed, and Rose was abruptly cashiered from the police force. Millar fled to Malayasia with huge financial compensation, but now he's back and ready to rekindle his romance with Rose, whom he still believes loves him. It's an uncomfortable situation, but it afford Rose a second chance to outwit Millar and put some ghosts to rest by forcing him to reveal where he hid his victim's bodies...

Rose's plan to finally solve the mystery hat ruined her life is backed by Lenny (Peter Mullan), who just hates the fact a child-killer got away on a technicality, and the operation brings out an overprotective streak in Mercer (Andrew Buchan). Matters are complicated when Paula (Charlene McKenna), a teenage chambermaid at Millar's hotel, goes missing, and Mercer finds himself framed for rape and sent to jail after falling for a honey-trap set by government bureaucrat Symmonds (Elliot Cowan) in an effort to strong-arm Lenny into letting him pull his strings...

While I never bought into the idea Millar would risk getting back together with Rose after such a fluky escape from judicial process, this episode somehow managed to make it fly. It helped that Harewood made for a charming bad guy (banishing fresh memories of his performance as Tuck in Robin Hood), and while the uncertainty over Millar's guilt was never truly in doubt, there were occasions where I thought The Fixer might pull a twist and reveal Millar was innocent all along. But they didn't, sadly -- although it did leave us with a suitably numb feeling in the climax, as Rose opts to shoot Millar dead rather than risk him escaping justice again, even if it means she'll probably never find closure in the murdered students case.

Mercer being framed for rape felt a little tacked-on, but it was a development that passed quickly (perhaps too quickly?), and I liked how Symmonds was revealed as the man behind the trap. Cowan's quickly become a fascinating bastard for Lenny to grapple with, and someone with the connections and power to bend Lenny to his will, it seems. I'm sure we're heading for a finale that involves putting an end to Symmonds' machinations in two weeks, but a part of me hopes they keep him around and we're treated to a third series where Symmonds is in control of Lenny's gang.

Overall, the storyline was sometimes a little predictable (who didn't think Paula would become Millar's next victim the moment she appeared?), it suffered from a few clichés and you had to suspend your disbelief in a few places, but Outhwaite and Harewood both gave strong performances and the storyline was robust enough to keep you engaged until the raw climax.


22 September 2009
ITV1, 9pm

written by: Rachel Kidd & Ben Richards directed by: Sarah O'Gorman starring: Andrew Buchan (John Mercer), Tamzin Outhwaite (Rose Chamberlain), Jody Latham (Calum McKenzie), Peter Mullan (Lenny Douglas), Elliot Cowan (Matthew Symmonds), David Harewood (Richard Millar), Patricia Potter (Hanna), Charlene McKenna (Paula), Geoffrey Whitehead (Bob Winters), Nathalie Armin (DS Rowe) & Ingrid Oliver (Sadie)

THE FIXER 2.3

[SPOILERS] Considering the success of the two-part story that concluded last week, it's disappointing to see The Fixer revert to its episodic format so soon. This episode was reasonably entertaining, but it did itself no favours with its hackneyed action, some illogical decision-making, and a storyline poised to become very interesting but never making good on the promise...

Symmonds (Elliot Cowan) has become Lenny's (Peter Mullan) superior, following the death of his predecessor, and coerces him into accepting an assignment to find justice for three soldiers killed in Afghanistan. The young men were officially killed by a roadside IED, but were actually murdered by Arabs after stumbling upon an operation to import heroine from the Middle East poppy fields to England. The drug lord controlling the importing from his London base is ex-SAS soldier Gideon Stone (Daniel Caltagirone), who thus becomes the target for John (Andrew Buchan) and Calum (Jody Latham).

At times, it felt like this episode was about to get quite complex, particularly when Lenny started to realize Symmonds has been double-dealing with Stone and manipulating his unit into doing his dirty work, but it ultimately boiled down to a rather simplistic mano-et-mano grudge-match between ex-soldiers John and Gideon -- two sides of the same coin, in many ways.

An early gunfight between the pair, scrambling around shipping containers stacked at a dockyard, ended with John being shot three times in the arm. Unable to go to the hospital (because doctors report gunshot wounds and Lenny's team "don't exist"*), John is taken home to convalesce, with a 50/50 chance of surviving one bullet lodged in his shoulder. This means the emasculated John is pushed into the background mid-episode, forced to coordinate the ongoing operation with Calum and Rose (Tamzin Outhwaite) via phone.

The Fixer still fails to sink its teeth in half the time, so watching most episodes is like being toyed with. There are moments that spark, plots that show promise, but it never quite comes together. So you take what you can from each episode and move on: so, guest-star Daniel Caltagirone was pretty good as this week's villain (in fact, I'd be happier if he was paying the lead in this series, as he has that flinty edge missing in Buchan), I'm enjoying the uncertainty over Symmond's motives as Lenny's "boss"; it was nice to see Calum and Rose do something without John around to rescue them (however brief); and the script by Spooks' Christian Spurrier was at least nimble and easy to follow.

But none of that excuses some noticeable slips in quality and plausibility: why didn't trained killer Gideon shoot to kill when he was yards away from John, instead of just wounding him? Honour amongst soldiers, I guess, but it felt ridiculous. Likewise, John and Gideon's game of hide-and-seek around the shipping containers bent the laws of physics, with Gideon able to disappear and reappear vast distances. Also, why didn't Calum take John straight to hospital after he was shot, if he was unaware that wasn't the done thing? And why didn't Gideon recognize Calum at his garden gate? He'd seen him plain as day back at the dockyard earlier, so must have known it was an attempt to distract him from the intruder in his house.

Overall, this was a let-down coming hot-on-the-heels of last week's huge improvement, but it filled an hour quite nicely and its many nitpicks didn't overwhelm proceedings. I just want The Fixer to achieve its full potential, but it regularly comes up short.


15 September 2009
ITV1, 9pm

written by: Christian Spurrier directed by: Sarah O'Gormon starring: Andrew Buchan (John Mercer), Tamzin Outhwaite (Rose Chamberlain), Jody Latham (Calum McKenzie), Peter Mullan (Lenny Douglas), Elliot Cowan (Matthew Symmonds), Daniel Caltagirone (Gideon Stone), Saskia Butler (Talia Jade Stone), Lewis Alsamari (Hakan Celil), Daniel Betts (Dr Phillip Palmer) & Elisa Terren (Manuela)

* The exact nature of Lenny's outfit is difficult to pin down. His team "don't exist", so a trip of a hospital would leave them exposed to the authorities when they questioned a gunshot wound, yet Lenny can easily slip people undercover into prisons and is regularly seen at crime scenes full of police.

THE FIXER 2.2

[SPOILERS] Colour me impressed! After last week's competent but unexceptional start to series 2, the concluding part of The Fixer's first storyline was its best episode yet. Intelligent, tense, involving and briskly-paced, it even countered some of my long-standing concerns about the series -- ensuring every character had something memorable and relevant to do. If this quality continues, we're in for a treat over the remaining four weeks. If things actually improve, well, ITV may have found its long-overdue response to the BBC's Spooks...

The relationships between the characters are still quite barbed, but there were occasional signs of defrosting. I particularly liked the moment when a cutting remark John (Andrew Buchan) made about Lenny's (Peter Mullan) dying friend elicited a flutter of emotion across the severe Scot's lips. Mullan's clearly the standout performance every week; doing so much with so very little.

John and Calum (Jody Latham) can best be described as hesitant friends, who occasionally fall into a father/son dynamic (see John making Calum a boiled egg with bread "soldiers"), and their growing friendship is evidenced when they go undercover as inmates in a prison. They're there to assassinate Leo Westbrook (Mark Benton), the masterminding behind the Sapphire cartel who's smuggling eastern European kids into mainland Britain. John and Calum have personality clashes here and there, but there was a nice moment when John interrupted his "mouthy" cellmate being beaten up by Leo's accomplice Gabor Antonov (Peter Sullivan) and called Gabor's goons off.

It was also great to see Rose (Tamzin Outhwaite) given something exciting to play, as she was relieved from babysitting eye witness Savanna (Nicholas Burley) to blackmail paedophile Mr. Hyde (Rob Jarvis) into introducing her to Clinton McSmith (Johann Myers), posing as an infertile woman looking for a child. Rose intended to plant a weapon inside Clinton's barber shop to frame him for murder, but soon found herself forced into giving Clinton oral sex, before the lowlife was pumped full of lead by a Bulgarian hitman (Jason Croot) sent by Leo because he'd outlived his usefulness. This attack prompted Rose to retrieve the handgun she'd planted in an upstairs toilet cistern and blast the assassin from the other side of a bathroom door.

It was a great sequence in an episode that had a few more up its sleeve, not least John's eventual deal with Garbo to give him five minutes alone with Leo, allowing him to inject the rotund villain with a hypodermic needle, suffocate him to death, and pin the blame on a simple case of accidental choking. The scene was set to the eye-rolling cliché of classical music, which still worked petty well. Indeed, The Fixer's often guilty of embracing clichés (Leo listens to Bach and paints military figurines in his cell), or of letting its characters speak hokey dialogue ("sometimes I think I need to kill people. It's the thing that makes me feel alive"), but it just about gets away with it. Just.

This episode also introduced some new elements to the show, and strengthened its mythology. We met Matthew Symmonds (Elliot Cowan, last seen smoldering as Mr. Darcy in Lost In Austen), who is painted as a pen-pushing rival for Lenny's position, eager to takeover Lenny's team and use them for his own ends. I also found it interesting to hear John's thoughts about where his loyalties lie, as he clearly acknowledges Lenny has brainwashed him into becoming a killer (psychologically giving him a "family" too), but he seems okay with that -- just so long as the criminals being targeted for elimination are chosen for the right reasons. Lenny may be a manipulative bastard, but he's in this to ensure scum are taken off the streets, not to play office politics.

Overall, this was a great conclusion and proof that The Fixer works best with more narrative breathing room. I still don't think Andrew Buchan's a particularly effective lead, because he looks too soft and lacks the edge I'd have liked to see in the character, but even he felt more comfortable to watch here. I'm actually excited to see the next episode now, which I wouldn't have thought possible this time last week.


8 September 2009
ITV1, 9pm

written by: Ben Richards directed by: Sam Miller starring: Andrew Buchan (John Mercer), Tamzin Outhwaite (Rose Chamberlain), Jody Latham (Calum McKenzie), Peter Mullan (Lenny Douglas), Phil Davis (Roger Bowland), Elisa Terren (Manuela), Elliot Cowan (Matthew Symmonds), Mark Benton (Leo Westbrook), Johann Myers (Clinton McSmith), Nicholas Burley (Savanna Ford), Jamie Glover (Jamie), Rob Jarvis (Hyde), Peter Sullivan (Gabor Antonov) & Jason Croot (Ivano Popov)

THE FIXER 2.1

[SPOILERS] The premise remains one of British TV's juiciest: a former soldier imprisoned for avenging his sister's rape is given early release and manipulated into becoming a state-sanctioned hitman, tasked with assassinating a breed of professional criminal the police can't touch. So why isn't The Fixer quite as thrilling, suspenseful, violent, and action-packed as it should be?

Like a lot of British TV shows with an exciting idea at its core, it's let down by drab execution (no pun intended) and an assortment of creative decisions that inhibit the vigilante thriller I'm primed and ready for. Frustratingly, The Fixer continues to be a series I rather hope gets sold to America, where the likes of HBO or Showtime could do the premise justice.

In this premiere of the delayed second series, "the fixer" John Mercer (Andrew Buchan) is told by his handler Lenny (Peter Mullan) to investigate a drug-dealer called Clinton McSmith (Johann Myers), whose barbershop den is just the tip of a business iceberg involving child trafficking -- a lucrative network masterminded by Clinton's mentor, incarcerated convict Leo Westbrook (Mark Benton). A teenage girl called Savanna (Nichola Burley) holds the key to jailing Clinton if she testifies against him in court, so Rose (Tamzin Outhwaite) rescues her from an acid attack designed to scare (or scar?) her into keeping quiet, and takes her to a safehouse. Meanwhile, Savanna's boyfriend B (Ashley Chin) tries to sever his own ties to Clinton to be with his girl.

The story wasn't too bad, and became quite involving in the second half, even if I wasn't sure why CID couldn't have handled this situation far better, as there were quite a few instances where a 999 call would surely have been a wiser move than sending in John with his irritating sidekick Callum (Jody Latham). General problems from last year are still evident, such as the fact Rose's character was again surplus to requirement and just stayed at home playing mum with Savanna for the whole hour. I was hoping to see improvements to the show with this episode, or at least a sense of refinement to the formula, but it was business as usual with no significant changes. Personally, I don't find Rose or Callum's presence at all plausible or compelling, and while I know a lot of people like how the gang are far from bosom buddies, a bit of comeraderie wouldn't go amiss. They're a tough bunch to like, even when trying to rescue a kid from a life of sexual slavery.

Far better is the always excellent Peter Mullan as the trio's grim Scottish boss, whose voice gives the nation's subwoofers a good rumble everytime he's on-screen. I can tolerate Andrew Buchan now, too, although I still find him a bit soft and pretty to be a persuasive hitman type. No matter how much he clenches his jaw and slaps a magazine into a gun, I keep wishing they'd cast someone with a bit of edge and tangible screen presence. The Fixer needs a conflicted, tormented bruiser with a soft centre in the lead (a smallscreen Jason Statham type, say), but instead we have an actor who would make a good romantic squeeze in a Bridget Jones movie.

But these are problems it's hardly worth mentioning, as a radical recasting session isn't on the cards so deep into the show's life. Overall, The Fixer is positioned to be a timely slice of gritty fantasy, as it's essentially about normal people trying to fix "broken Britain" in ways paperwork and "due process" can't. We all harbour a secret desire to take matters into our own hands and start knocking some skulls together, and it's a fantasy that made characters in the likes of Death Wish so popular. I just wish The Fixer found some vitality and energy to successfully put the nation's unspoken fantasy up on the screen, instead of producing these murkily shot, extended episodes of a fairly generic crime drama.


1 September 2009
ITV1, 9pm

written by: Ben Richards directed by: Sam Miller starring: Andrew Buchan (John Mercer), Tamzin Outhwaite (Rose Chamberlain), Jody Latham (Calum McKenzie), Peter Mullan (Lenny Douglas), Phil Davis (Roger Bowland), Mark Benton (Leo Westbrook), Johann Myers (Clinton McSmith), Nichola Burley (Savanna Ford), Ashley Chin (B), Jamie Glover (Jamie), Rob Jarvis (Hyde), Elisa Terren (Manuela) & Elliot Cowan (Matthew Symmonds)

The Fixer: ITV'll fix it?

Do you remember The Fixer? The ITV1 drama starring Andrew Buchan as a prisoner released to become a state-sponsored hitman? The first series debuted to 6.3 million viewers and remained fairly strong in the ratings, so it's a little strange another series has taken so long to reach us. Well, it's back next Tuesday (1 Sep @9pm), 16 months after the last run finished, so it'll be interesting to see if and how they've improved it.

Y'see, there was a far better show spinning around my imagination after hearing the premise last year (Dexter meets The A-Team in the world of Eastern Promises?), but The Fixer didn't get close to that. A big problem for me was how the characters all hated each other (even if they softened over the course of the 8 episodes), and how Tamzin Outhwaite's character felt utterly pointless. Hopefully, series 2 won't be as depressing and the gang will respect and even like each other, so we can get behind them when they covertly assassinate gangsters for Queen & Country.

Did you watch the first series? Are you glad it's back? Are you hoping it's made some changes? Or did you like it as it was?

ITV fixes it for The Fixer

ITV have recommissioned The Fixer for a second series, following decent ratings for its 6-week run earlier this year. And, let's face it, ITV are in desperate need of dramas that people under 50 care about -- so it's not much of a surprise.

The Fixer's juicy concept (of a government-sanctioned hitman) wasn't as exciting in practice, although I liked the performances and the plots kept me entertained. If they make some sweeping changes and improvements for next year, it could become something special.

The first thing I'd do is make it more a team effort, as Rose and Calum were rarely integral to Mercer's missions, and the antagonism and distrust between every character (while designed to be dramatic) began to irritate around episode 4. There can be an element of distrust and secrets, but I really wanted to see Lenny's crew clean up London's streets without all the aggravation and in-fighting.

Dysfunctional teams can only be stomached for so long, before you want to see them work as a professional, cohesive unit. It should be The A-Team meets Death Wish, with a dash of Charlie's Angels. Well, sort of.

THE FIXER 1.6

Writer: Ben Richards
Director: Hettie Macdonald

Cast: Andrew Buchan (John Mercer), Jody Latham (Calum McKenzie), Peter Mullan (Lenny Douglas), Tamzin Outhwaite (Rose Chamberlain), Liz White (Jess), Aleksander Mikic (Georgie), John Castle (Richard Blakeney), Elisa Terren (Manuela), Oliver Bower (Robert) & Tyler Anthony (Abigail)

Mercer is tasked with killing a jury-fixer, but his target makes him an offer that would improve his life; but at a traitorous cost...

The Fixer's finale revolves around a conflict of loyalties for hitman Mercer (Andrew Buchan), who gets a chance to end his Faustian pact with handler Lenny (Peter Mullan), by defecting to the criminal side with infamous jury-fixer Richard Blakeney (John Castle; excellent). Is it better the devil you know, or the devil you don't?

After last week's episode, Lenny is seemingly co-operating with Mercer; keeping him in the loop and fully briefed about his tasks. The working life of a hitman is still gloomy and dangerous, but the social life Mercer's created with Calum (Jody Latham) and Rose (Tamzin Outhwaite) appears to be genuine, as the pressured threesome enjoy a night's get-together. But of course, this moment of relative calm and normality can't last...

After Lenny gives Mercer his next target – Blakeney's right-hand man Georgie (Aleksander Mikic) – Mercer is shocked to find psychopath Georgie is already been softened by Rose, on femme fatale duties. An argument boils up with Lenny, for not explaining the situation and reverting to his old ways, but Lenny stands firm against Mercer's onslaught.

This scene also reveals the background to Rose, who lost her job as a policewoman after sleeping with a serial rapist while undercover, before the tabloids exposed the operation and her career was tarnished. While it's nice to get some background on Rose, surely this could have been shown -- in flashback, or in an episode centred around Rose?

The turning point comes when Georgie is killed by an unseen assailant, and drops his golden cigarette lighter to the ground. Mercer is the obvious suspect, but pleads his innocence, while Lenny is worried Georgie's death will make Blakeney thirsty for revenge. Maybe I missed something here, but wasn't Mercer tasked with killing Georgie to begin with? I didn't understand why it was suddenly a bad thing for Mercer (or whomever) to have killed him. I'm sure I did miss something, as that error would just be too glaring!

But anyway, Lenny's furious enough to cut the power to Mercer's flat (which particularly bothers Wii Boxing fanatic Calum, I'd say) and Mercer starts severing his links with Lenny, Rose and Calum -- whom he gives the ventriloquist doll stuffed with cash. Lenny's hold over Mercer has always been built around threatening his sister Jess (Liz White), so he visits her and explains the real circumstances of his early release from jail and life as a hitman. Jess actually doesn't look that surprised by her brother's story; which is either because she's always been aware of John's dark side, or Liz White just can't act. Make your choice.

Mercer threatens Lenny with retaliation if he touches his sister, but Jess is refusing to move house and get to safety, instead appealing to her brother to "fix this". Well, he is "the fixer", but Jess really doesn't seem to understand the gravity of the situation!

Later, Mercer gets an unexpected phone call from Blakeney, who arranges a meeting with him in a church. Once there, Blakeney offers Mercer a job, performing hitman duties for the unlawful. The bonus with working for Blakeney include less work (only a few hits a year), guaranteed safety for his family, and the promise of no secrets. Blakeney also reveals that Lenny and Rose are married, which pricks Mercer's ears. And if Mercer agrees to join forces with Blakeney, his first target will be Lenny.

Knowing Mercer has met with manipulative Blakeney, Lenny insists that Blakeney can't be trusted and is just making empty promises. He also alludes to the fact he's actually divorced from Rose (or maybe just separated, it's not very clear) and asks Mercer to assassinate Blakeney as his next job. Later that night, Mercer calls Lenny and says he's come to a decision, before calling Blakeney and stating the same.

Blakeney and Lenny meet outside, on opposite sides of an outdoor restaurant's table. Mercer is atop a building close by, with both men believing he's working for them. Lenny claims Blakeney made a fatal mistake in revealing his relationship with Rose, as it gave Mercer pause for thought. Blakeney is certain Mercer's defected, and leaves the table expecting Lenny to be shot dead any second. But it's Blakeney who falls to the floor, shot by Mercer's rifle as he reloads and trains his sights on Lenny – who looks straight back at him with cold eyes. Mercer loses his nerve, realizing how killing Lenny will send the "unit" (his new "family") into disarray, and lowers his weapon...

The episode ends with Calum's wedding to Manuela (Elisa Terren), a sudden development that awkwardly formed the basis of a subplot, and crushed the more interesting possibilities of a love-triangle between Calum, Manuela and Mercer -- the seeds of which were sewn last week! Whatever. Mercer is stoic at the reception party, and Rose finds him sat alone in his bedroom, pondering recent events and his life. She's particularly stunned when Mercer reveals he's holding Georgie's lighter, proving he was the one who kick-started the dangerous situation between Blakeney and Lenny. The series ends with Rose and Mercer dancing to "La Bamba", the same upbeat music used to end the first episode.

Episode 6 was entertaining because of its emphasis on the show's inner workings, and the conflict for Mercer was fun to see play out. However, The Fixer's broader problems with its set-up and some unconvincing developments worked against the story. The writers still can't decide if Calum is a necessary part of Lenny's unit, or a simpleton thrown into the mix for comic relief. Likewise, Rose is vaguely employed as "honey trap" for criminals every so often, which is already overplayed and boring. Is sleeping with men all she learned from years as a police officer?

When I first heard about The Fixer, I imagined a more organized "team" element to the show – but that hasn't appeared. Beyond picking a few locks (Calum) and sleeping with villains for intel (Rose), what value do those characters add for Lenny and Mercer? There was a hint last week that Calum is essentially a pet for Mercer, to stop him going insane like his predecessor Finch, but that's a disservice for Calum's character. I want him to be instrumental in things; the streetwise Robin to Mercer's Batman.

Basically; I love The Fixer's premise, but it hasn't been implemented well. I hope the show returns for a second season (it's still the only ITV drama that has kept me watching in years), but the writers need to rethink the character dynamics. I want to see three skilled people cleaning up London's streets (Death Wish style) under the lizard eye of Lenny. There can be antagonism and distrust within the group, but Mercer's personal turmoil was becoming laborious, and I've never understood why Lenny keeps so many secrets! It never helps the situation.

The biggest waste of time has been Jess' bland character, whose pudding-faced innocence has been tedious from the start. White doesn't convince me as a victim of family (sexual?) abuse, her scenes with Andrew Buchan lack any spark, and her role on the show (as the face of normality and trust) hasn’t been very interesting.

So yes, while the individual plots have been involving (ignoring last week), and some of the performance are excellent (Latham and Mullan, but I warmed to Buchan), I don't think the writing is doing justice with the high-concept idea. There have been flashes of the slick-and-gritty vibe I'm after, but frustrations with the Mercer/Calum/Rose triumvirate drags everything down, character development has been spotty (Calum's wedding was particularly mishandled) and the relentlessly depressing atmosphere was becoming a drag.

Hopefully The Fixer can be fixed and will return with a stronger, leaner, fresher dynamic.


14 April 2008
ITV1, 9.00 pm

THE FIXER 1.5

Writer: Ben Richards
Director: Hettie Macdonald

Cast: Andrew Buchan (John Mercer), Jody Latham (Calum McKenzie), Tamzin Outhwaite (Rose Chamberlain), Peter Mullan (Lenny Douglas), Liz White (Jess), Paterson Joseph (Patrick Finch), Oliver Bower (Robert), Tyler Anthony (Abigail), Jack Shepherd (Hugh Berry), Adam Parkinson (Owen Berry), Poppy Miller (Caitlin Berry), Elisa Terren (Manuela) & Martin Brody (Trevor Bowyer)

Lenny tasks Mercer with eliminating his own predecessor, who has gone rogue...

Is it really the penultimate episode? Already? Oh well, at least short runs guarantee quality, but episode 5 is definitely the weakest instalment so far, despite being paradoxically blessed with the juiciest premise! The main storyline flails erratically, but there are a few interesting developments in the subplots – just not enough to rescue everything from mediocrity...

Like I said, the premise is exciting; as Lenny (Peter Mullan) comes to suspect that Patrick Finch (Paterson Joseph), a hitman who was "Mercer's prototype", has become a dangerous vigilante. Having allowed him to live after he messed-up an operation in Liverpool (where he killed innocent people), Finch has become an unhinged, oddball loner. So it's up to Mercer (Andrew Buchan) to eliminate his predecessor before he goes completely off the rails...

Adding to the story is Lenny's contact Hugh Berry (Jack Shepherd), a high-ranking court official who helps with the legal ramifications of Lenny's operation. His grandson Owen (Adam Parkinson) was left disabled after a sickening attack on his daughter Caitlin (Poppy Miller), and Berry's relationship with his family has disintegrated ever since. The only way he can envisage getting back to normal is by punishing the man responsible – and for that, he needs Lenny's help. But, as Lenny won't give it to him, Berry is forced to track down old-hand Finch...

Away from the Finch situation, Mercer's once-abused sister Jess (Liz White) is battling depression, meaning Mercer and Calum (Jody Latham) have to collect her kids from school. It was a bit strange to see chirpy Jess suddenly bed-ridden, as her character hasn't been written with much clarity regarding her mental state. I'm still not sure if the abuse she suffered was physical or sexual, and White's performance isn't very compelling. She can look innocent, endearing, or glum, but I don't buy her as a victim of family abuse.

Still, it was interesting to see Mercer hanging around with Calum more, and allowing the tearaway to accompany him in family matters. I like how they've grown closer throughout the series, but a later scene – with Calum's Brazilian girlfriend Manuela (Elisa Terren) baby-sitting Jess' kids – didn't strike me as credible. Mercer has been careful to keep his work and family life separate, so seeing characters from both "worlds" crossover now struck me as odd.

I can understand Mercer beginning to trust and like Calum, but he hardly knows Manuela! This episode was determined to progress things (no matter how forced it came across), so Mercer and Manuela also find themselves in a clinch back at the flat. Mercer decides not to sleep with her, feeling guilty about stealing Calum's girlfriend, but there's clearly chemistry between them.

It's the little moments in episode 5 that stick out, as the bulk of the story didn't grab me. Patterson Joseph is a strong comic actor (see Peep Show), but he often descends into silliness in straight roles (see Jekyll). As Finch, Joseph's patented bug-eyed stares and creepy grins work well to portray a crazed killer, but it's still a "gritty pantomime" performance. He's fun to watch, but the idea of someone like Finch (The Monster to Lenny's Frankenstein) isn't done justice here – although it was nice to see Mercer's relative naivety exposed by Finch's years of experience.

The associated plot with Berry was also bland, despite a good performance from Jack Shepherd. A scene between Berry and his disabled grandson (who he's abandoned in pursuit of bloody revenge) was effective, despite being mechanically done. Rose (Tamzin Outhwaite) continues to be the "feminine side" of Lenny in many ways, popping up to help push people down the right path. Her role on the show remains listless, but The Fixer is still finding its feet...

Overall, episode 5 was undemanding and passed the hour, but it didn't capitalize on its exciting idea. The direction from Hettie MacDonald (who helmed Doctor Who's excellent Blink) wasn't up to snuff (action sequences were particularly poor), and it all came across as filler. If it wasn't for the stimulating idea of a Manuela/Mercer/Calum love-triangle, and the sight of Lenny playing Wii Boxing(!), this would have been a total washout.


7 April 2008
ITV1, 9.00 pm

THE FIXER 1.4

Writer: Neil Cross
Director: John Strickland

Cast: Andrew Buchan (John Mercer), Jody Latham (Calum McKenzie), Saskia Reeves (Andrea Greene), Ciaran McMenamin (Scott Glover), Sebastian Abineri (George Rickard), Peter Mullan (Lenny Douglas), Barnaby Kay (Danny Spader), Francesca Fowler (Marie Greene), Tamzin Outhwaite (Rose Chamberlain), Liz White (Jess) & Sarah Ball (Patsy)

Lenny wants Mercer to eliminate a man who murdered a young woman, but escaped conviction...

Amusingly scheduled against BBC1's Crimewatch last night, The Fixer's unique brand of justice is proving to be an enjoyable cocktail of grit, grins and grimaces. I'm still not very interested in John Mercer's (Andrew Buchan) relationship with sister Jess (Liz White) at the moment, and the presence of Rose (Tamzin Outhwaite) is mostly extraneous, but the plots are compelling and sparks fly whenever Buchan, Jody Latham and Peter Mullan lock horns...

Episode 4 concerns grieving mother Andrea (Saskia Reeves), whose daughter Marie (Francesca Fowler) was allegedly killed by a criminal called Scott Glover (Ciaran McMenamin), who walked free from court because of an inept prosecution. Lenny (Mullan) tasks Mercer with eliminating Glover, but while Mercer waits in a toilet cubicle to carry out the deed, he overhears Glover and a reporter called Danny Spader (Barnaby Kay), who apparently has incriminating surveillance footage of Glover and Marie. After a scuffle in the loos, Danny accidentally discovers Mercer's hiding place and flees the scene – but not before taking a photo of Mercer on his camera-phone.

As Danny tries to uncover the identity of the toilet hitman for his upcoming expose on the Glover case, Mercer relocates Irishman Glover in a hotel room, but decides to spare his life when Glover persuades him he might be innocent – and just a pawn in a more elaborate plot. Mercer goes against Lenny's wishes by keeping Glover alive, tying him to a chair and blindfolding him in an abandoned building, while he tries to uncover the truth himself.

After confiding in Rose, who manages to trace Danny's address, Mercer and Calum arrive to find the journo has been shot in the head. It transpires that Lenny is actually acting on behalf of a cop called George Rickard (Sebastian Abineri), who used Marie as a bait to reel in her villainous boyfriend, a dangerous man called Dave Paling, who was acquainted with Glover (a known police informant). Paling grew paranoid and suspicious of his girlfriend Marie and -- wrongfully suspecting she was being unfaithful – had her raped and had accomplice Glover kill her; a deed he claims he was forced to do to maintain his cover as an informant.

Once Mercer realizes killing Glover is really about preventing the truth getting out and muddying the reputation of the police, he's upset to hear that Marie's mother Andrea has attempted suicide – so kills Glover, and goes to Andrea's hospital bedside to tell her the awful truth. Off the record.

It's another rock solid instalment (even if it relies on a common plot-device these days -- of putting the most likely suspect in the frame immediately, trying to convince you they might be innocent for most of the episode, before admitting your first impressions were right.) But I like the way The Fixer keeps its plot motoring along (with some punchy climaxes for the ad breaks), and the lack of "red tape" in a crime drama is very refreshing. The morals of the show are in a grey area, and tension is nicely built between Buchan, Mullan, Outhwaite and Latham.

This episode was especially notable for its thematic link with mothers, as Calum mused over his own estranged mother in a subplot --revealing to Mercer that he knows she works in a pub. At the end of the episode, Calum arrives in a pub and talks to middle-aged barmaid Patsy (Sarah Ball), who I thought was one of many pub workers Calum speaks to (in a desperate pub-to-pub search to find his mum), but was I right in thinking she actually was his mother, but just didn't know? He mentioned his "friend Calum" and where they grew up, but it didn't seem to inspire much recognition from her. Maybe the exact circumstances of Calum leaving home have yet to be revealed – and will give us a reason for why she wouldn't recognize him. If Patsy was his mother. It was all rather ambivalent.

It was also fun to see Mercer teaching Calum how to cook and get domesticated around the house, as the show benefits from a sense of growing friendship. Teams that don't trust or like each other are certainly complex and unpredictable beasts, but also difficult to care about. Am I alone in wishing Lenny and Mercer would reach a more easygoing alliance, too? I know drama is conflict, but dysfunctional teams are also a bit distancing. A balance would be nice.

Overall, I really liked this episode. The plot was simple to follow, but not empty-headed, and it sustained its hour very well. But, perhaps more importantly for The Fixer as a whole, the characters are beginning to connect better. Liz White even came to life as Mercer's milquetoast sister Jess, despite it looking like she'd had a sudden personality transplant. Where has Jess' emotions about her brother killing the family who raped her been hiding till now? She was so unassuming just last week! Mind you, a later scene finds Jess embracing Mercer and becoming the forgiving little sister again.

Oh, and I hope the writers can settle on a proper role for Tamzin Outhwaite's character (who spends most of this episode naked in a towel -- for no particular reason). Rose has a police background, so shouldn't she be employing some of that training and inside knowledge to help Mercer's missions?


31 March 2008
ITV1, 9.00 pm

THE FIXER 1.3

Writer: Ben Richards

Director: John Strickland

Cast: Andrew Buchan (John Mercer), Tamzin Outhwaite (Rose Chamberlain), Liz White (Jess), Jody Latham (Calum McKenzie), Peter Mullan (Lenny Douglas), Simon Kassianides (Saban Zira), Pedja Bjelac (Tarek Sokoli), Badria Timimi (Adelina Sokoli), Oliver Paxton (Uli Sokoli), Philip Wright (Paul), Elisa Terren (Manuela), Ian Burfield (Stevie Kent), Naida Babic (Iliriana) & David Graham (Albanian Man)

A notorious Albanian gangster arrives in London, but Lenny has plans to ensure his swift return to his native land, with his tail between his legs...

"I want people to say ‘there goes Tarek Sokoli, the
man who came to nothing in London'..."

-- Lenny Douglas (Peter Mullan)

So far, so good. The Fixer is doing an admirabl job of refusing to take easy options with its storytelling, and I've yet to be bored by an episode. This week, Lenny (Peter Mullan) instructs his "unit" to scare away an Albanian crimelord called Tarek Sokoli (Pedja Bjelac), who has arrived in London to take his drug-running and prostitution racketeering to an international level..

Mercer (Andrew Buchan) and Calum (Jody Latham) initially try to embarass Sokoli by freeing the women he's forced into prostitution -- by providing one gir, Iliriana (Naida Babic), with stolen passports and contacts. Unfortunately, Iliriana uses some of their money to buy drugs and her escape plan is discovered, leading to her murder. Mercer is particularly angry, as he objects to "collateral damage", especially when handler Lenny treats such unfortunate deaths as par for the course.

Another death occurs after Mercer warns a local heroin importer to stop doing business with the Sokoli's -- with Sokoli's right-hand man Saban Zira (Simon Kassianides) executing the dealer soon after. Killing Sokoli would have been far simpler than trying to discredit him. Rose (Tamzin Outhwaite) tries next, by threatening the life of Sokoli's son after meeting his wife Adelina (Badria Timimi) at a playground. Unfortunately, Sokoli discovers Rose's identity thanks to a contact who knows ex-policewoman Rose's new "profession", and Rose is kidnapped from her home by Sokoli's men.

Of course, Mercer comes to her rescue by single-handedly walking into the building Rose was taken to, down to the basement where she's being held a knife-point, and firing a single bullet into Zira's head, after a simple diversion. It's the first time Mercer has actually lived up to his reputation on the show, and Buchan in general seems to be settling into the conflicted killer role much better now. He glowers and broods more than anything, and his somewhat cherubic face doesn't really strike fear into me, but he at least brings a smooth efficiency to bear with the action stuff.

The character relationships also get a nice polish, as Mercer and Rose grow closer throughout this episode, culminating in Rose's damsel-in-distress moment to solidfy things. Of course, they both admit to a mutual attraction by the end, but Mercer can't yet trust her -- as she's too far in Lenny's pocket. Buchan and Outhwaite work well together, and their chemistry should hopefully sustain this love-on-hold relationship the show has manufactured. It's not so much "will they/won't they" as "they want to/but won't".

Mercer's relationship with wideboy Calum is also defrosting, as his world-weary sniping at Calum's reckless nature and cavalier attitude seemed more affectionate this week. And Calum's not a bad lad -- he's actually quite funny and endearing behind his cheeky persona. It was also nice to see his sensitive handling of prostitute Iliriana; a meeting he exaggerated into a hoary tale of sexual conquest to Mercer and Rose to maintain his reputation.

Peter Mullan has less to do this week, but it was great to see Liz White get a few decent scenes as Mercer's sister Jess. White certainly seemed more at ease, and Jess wasn't such as aloof and drippy as in previous episodes. It'll certainly be dramatic when she learns what her brother is doing these days -- as the price he's paying for killing the aunt and uncle who abused her as a kid has been very steep! White has an emotional openness about her, but I really hope she rises to the challenge when something more complex heads her way.

Overall, episode 3 was another commendable slice of drama from Kudos/ITV. Sure, it's little more than a gritty, British version of Charlie's Angels (name-checked by Calum) at its core, but it's managing to deliver stories that aren't too predictable and balance black-hearted drama with light banter and dark humour. Buchan is improving steadily, Latham's a regular highlight, Mullan is excellent in these small doses, and Outhwaite is making the most of a role that's gradually beginning to gel.

After just a few weeks, this Monday night drama is already a regular fix.


24 March 2008
ITV1, 9.00 pm

THE FIXER 1.2

Writer: Ben Richards
Director: Alrick Riley

Cast: Andrew Buchan (John Mercer), Peter Mullan (Lenny Douglas), Tamzin Outhwaite (Rose Chamberlain), Jody Latham (Calum McKenzie), Liz White (Jess), Steve Nicolson (Carl Cassidy), Robbie Gee (Elviss Gilroy), Tyler Anthony (Abigail), Sian Brooke (Melrose Cassidy) & Elisa Terren (Manuela)

Mercer has to manipulate events behind Lenny's back, after Callum accidentally kills a racist murderer they're supposed to be keeping an eye on...

I was worried The Fixer would turn into an "assassination of the week"-style show (and it still might), but episode 2 manages to keep things interesting and takes a different tack. It helps that the exposition is over with, and a few annoying aspects of last week's show are polished over -- resulting in a gloomy, portentous crime thriller...

The story revolves around racist killer Jude Cassidy – heir to his family's crime dynasty following the death of patriarch Stuart Cassidy. Unfortunately, a black man called Elviss Gilroy (Robbie Gee) wants vengeance on Jude for killing his nephew in a racially-motivated attack, and has joined forces with Carl Cassidy (Steve Nicolson) – who wants Jude dead so he can assume control of the Cassidy clan himself.

Mercer's handler Lenny (Peter Mullan) would prefer "manageable" Jude take charge of the family, so orders hitman John Mercer (Andrew Buchan) and cheery dimwit Callum (Jody Latham) to protect Jude in their flat. However, Callum is later forced to kill Jude by beating him over the head with an iron, after being provoked by the snide racist – who delighted in tearing up Callum's only photograph of his dead mother.

Fearing that Lenny will kill Callum for his gross negligence, Mercer helps dispose of Jude's body and goes behind Lenny's back to orchestrate a believable cover story for Jude's disappearance. But his plan means roping in sympathetic Rose (Tamzin Outhwaite) and provide vengeful Elviss with a reason to betray Carl Cassidy...

Ben Richards' script has enough twists and turns to keep you on your toes, and the general storyline is inventive at times. I was particularly surprised by how early Jude was dispatched, and how his death fuelled the rest of the story – spinning it off into territory I wasn't expecting. The storyline was simple enough to avoid confusing you, but still snaked around enough to prevent boredom.

In fact, one consequence of The Fixer's format I'm particularly grateful about is the lack of procedural scenes. With all the characters either criminals or good guys who work "above the law", we’re spared all those crime scene investigations, police interviews and court room scenes that clog up the schedules. I have nothing against such shows, but it's just nice to have something that avoids their clichés, but still plays in the same sandpit.

Jody Latham was too jack-the-lad irritating last week, so it was nice to see Callum given more depth and sensitivity here. The tense photo-tearing scene between Callum and Jude was the standout moment of the episode, and Latham showed more complexity in his performance than before. But I still can't see why anyone would want, or need, Callum on a team like Lenny's.

Andrew Buchan's performance as Mercer kept the same general air of sternness, but episode 2 allowed him more opportunities to shine– cleverly manipulating Lenny, Elviss and Carl to help Callum. Buchan doesn't have enough presence to get me excited about seeing Mercer in action every week, but there's definitely potential there. I'm more confident about his casting than I was last week, anyway.

Tamzin Outhwaite's doing what she can with a very thin role, but it's already noticeable how uneasily Rose is slipped into stories. I like the sense that she's a kind of "gangster's moll" to Lenny's character, but Rose can't spend every episode chatting up criminals at bars, can she? The undercurrent of a thorny romance with Mercer is an obvious development, but it could work well.

It's no surprise that Peter Mullan is anything less than excellent as Lenny. The show's blurring of "good" and "bad" is best exemplified with his character -- who has a thug try and beat the truth out of Callum over Jude's disappearance, clearly has Rose under his thumb, and unsettles the atmosphere whenever he's around. Plus, I'm sensing that Lenny's only simmering as a character, so I can't wait to see him explode to life properly.

The rest of the cast were good, particularly Steve Nicolson as slave-trading career criminal Carl and Robbie Gee as a man with an understandable score to settle with Jude. I'm still not keen on Mercer's sister Jess (Liz White), mainly because there's not much chemistry between Buchan and White, and I'm not convinced by White as a victim of prolonged family abuse. She does airy, wide-eyed innocence well, but that's about as far as it goes. And is Liz White condemned to be the dreary side-action for dynamic leading men, following on from her pale support of John Simm in Life On Mars?

Overall, episode 2 (why no titles?) was more involving than last week's opener. It nicely subverted expectations a few times, and made me reconsider my suspicion that The Fixer will just become monotonous and uncomfortable. I was engaged by the story at all times, pleased to see Callum's character made more palatable, and basically find it a refreshing change for British TV -- and particularly for a primetime ITV drama.


17 March 2008
ITV1, 9.00 pm

THE FIXER 1.1

Writers: Ben Richards & Neil Cross
Director: Alrick Riley

Cast: Andrew Buchan (John Mercer), Peter Mullan (Lenny Douglas), Tamzin Outhwaite (Rose Chamberlain), Jody Latham (Calum McKenzie), Craig Storrod (Steve), Tony West (Minder), Oliver Bower (Robert), Tyler Anthony (Abigail), Liz White (Jess), Elisa Terren (Manuela), Tom Beard (Ian Risdale), Kim Medcalf (Caroline Risdale) & Amelda Brown (Mercer's Aunt)

A man is released from prison to lead a team of hitman who operate above the law to clean the streets...

ITV haven't had a drama series worth bothering with (if you're under 50, anyway) since the heyday of Jimmy McGovern's Cracker in the 90s. The Fixer hopes to change all that. It's a gritty crime thriller from the writers of Spooks and produced by Kudos -- the company behind BBC hits Hustle, Spooks and Life On Mars...

Andrew Buchan (Party Animals) plays dour John Mercer, an ex-Special Forces soldier who was thrown in jail for killing his aunt and uncle, after he discovered they had abused his sister Jess (Life On Mars' Liz White) when he was separated from her as a kid.

Mercer is granted early release by shadowy Scotsman Lenny Douglas (Peter Mullan), along with cheeky wide-boy Calum McKenzie (Shameless' Jody Latham), to help Lenny "disorganize crime" by eliminating criminals the law can't touch. It's state-sanctioned vigilantism, essentially.

Rose Chamberlain (EastEnders' Tamzin Outhwaite) is thrown into the mix as a "femme fatale", using her charms to get Mercer into bed when he threatens to go back to jail, before revealing she's an ex-cop also recruited by Douglas. And the trio are soon involved in their first "hit" together...

It's an arresting premise for a TV series; a kind of British Untouchables (itself name-checked), and surfing a trend for vigilante tales – with Death Sentence, Outlaws, The Brave One and Dexter all tapping into the idea of people taking the law into their own hands. The Fixer's unique selling point is in its state-sanctioned team element, although this triumvirate failed to impress me...

Buchan is appropriately hard-faced, but not exactly menacing. He definitely improves as the hour rolls along and kept my interest, but Mercer wasn't the magnetic, dangerous-looking character I think he should have been. Mercer is also written as an intelligent man (he's shown reading a book on the "Human Genome" during a stakeout), but it just came across as awkward insertions.

Outhwaite is engaging as the love-interest, but that might just be because she's the only injection of oestrogen in a show choking on testosterone. Latham gives a memorable, enthusiastic performance as mischievous Calum – but he's irritating as comic relief much of the time. The only truly note-perfect performance belongs to the excellent Peter Mullan as unsettling boss Lenny.

Taken individually, there's potential in every character, but they're implausible as a skilled team of assassins. Mercer's inclusion makes perfect sense (he's professionally trained, a good guy at heart, capable of killing), but why partner him with Calum – a jack-the-lad cellmate he hates? And how did petty thief Calum even make the grade for Lenny's team anyway? What does he actually offer, beyond the ability to make bacon sarnies? Rose at least has police training that should prove useful, but her relationship with Mercer was made unfortunately prickly after bedding him.

It's hardly a dream team, is it? But, drama is born out of conflict, so writers Ben Richards and Neil Cross ensure nobody likes each other much. I'm sure they'll eventually reach an understanding, but TV audiences rarely enjoy watching hate-filled "teams", so hopefully they'll bond before viewers turn on them. Mercer already softened slightly toward irritating Calum by the end, when the smart-mouthed kid was silenced by vomiting after assisting in the death of a bad guy.

This first episode did a great job of establishing the premise, tone, character relationships and Mercer's tragic background, although the actual storyline (involving two hits; in a toilet and on a beach) weren't particularly compelling. However, first episodes have a lot to contend with, so I'm not too concerned. I'm sure subsequent storylines will feature villains whose crimes we actually get to witness, and become quite eager to see them dispatched by Mercer's crew.

The Fixer is certainly a more enticing proposition than any ITV drama in recent memory, if only because of its morally-questionable premise and potential for slick, exciting and violent action. If the cast develop an engaging rapport, and the writers avoid falling into "assassination-of-the-week" territory, ITV may have found a drama that's actually worth a damn. An impressive 6.2 million people tuned in last night, but let's see how many come back for another fix...


10 March 2008
ITV1, 9.00 pm

Can The Fixer fix ITV drama?

ITV should be commended for trying to revamp their drama output in 2008, as part of a new initiative by Chairman Michael Grade. But it hasn't been very successful, has it?

The returning Primeval was a modest improvement, Moving Wallpaper performed well enough to earn a second series (but its sibling Echo Beach's fate is up in the air), The Palace is a limp attempt at a "royal Dynasty", Trial & Retribution hasn't really performed well, Inspector Morse spin-off Lewis is boring Sunday night detective fare, and last night's Rock Rivals (a reality TV show parody) got off to a very shaky start.

The only highlight on ITVs drama schedule is US import Dexter, about a forensics expert who moonlights as a vigilante serial-killer. And, rather ironically, ITV's latest drama The Fixer covers similar morally-ambiguous ground...

In The Fixer, ex-Special Forces soldier John Mercer (Party Animal's Andrew Buchan) is released from prison only 5 years into a double-life sentence for killing his aunt and uncle -- after discovering they abused his sister Jess (Life On Mars' Liz White). He discovers that retired-cop Lenny Douglas (Trainspotting's Peter Mullan) has manipulated his release, so he can lead a covert team of hitmen -- briefed to kill "untouchable killers" and "disorganize crime".

Mercer is blackmailed into accepting this new role and meets his team, which include petty thief Calum McKenzie (Shameless' Jody Latham) and disgraced ex-cop Rose Chamberlain (EastEnders' Tamzin Outhwaite).

Sounds pretty good, eh? The series is created/written by Ben Richards (Spooks/No Angels) and Neil Cross (Spooks), and is directed by Alrick Riley (Spooks/Hustle).

Laurie Mackie, ITVs Director Of Drama, commissioned the show, commenting:

"The Fixer is crime drama like you've never seen it before. With Mercer and his team operating at the very edges of the law, this is a thriller which will ask our audiences tough questions about justice and what happens when the long arm of the law isn't quite long enough. The series is shot through with wit and warmth and Ben has created a group of characters the audience will grow to love."

The Fixer definitely sounds like a step in the right direction for ITV; a high-concept, gritty-sounding drama that makes you want to tune in based purely on the premise. It may turn out to be a brilliant idea, badly executed -- but we'll see. A very early report at The Stage sounds positive, so my expectations have risen.

The Fixer -- Monday 10 March, ITV1, 9.00 pm

Update: Episode 1 reviewed here.