Everything everyone is saying about this one is true. One thing to add: it's a lot for a single sitting. It runs almost four hours. People couldn't have had an option when it was transmitted on telly - they had to wait for the subsequent episodes - but when you rent or purchase it now you can't be forced into that option - and you'll find it nigh on impossible to break things off at the hour or two hour mark - it's just too good as everyone says.Perhaps the best news is that Lynda La Plante is back. Episode two wasn't bad - but it wasn't La Plante's writing and it didn't have her magical hand on it. This one does. It's as if she took all the stuff she found out worked in the first episode, concentrated it, and flung it back. Everything is deeper, grittier, gorier.There are seven huge episodes in this opus, all told twenty two hours of viewing. So to single out any one episode and say it's 'best' is going to be difficult, but taking only the first three it's not hard to see which excel more than others, and this one has to rank right at the very top.

The 3rd of the series is very honest and full of emotional reaction to the life of all most everyone in the series. But was very confused and at least wanted the "bad guy" to get pinched for the murder! Thought I missed out on something. It was like reading a mystery and then finding that the last chapter was missing. But, beyond that, it truly was and is outstanding! Good job all around! Mirren is strong and yet we see a very touching side of her when it comes to a medical question. The seediness of the whole "rent boy" world was well shown without pointing fingers or moral questions answered, which in all honesty is for better minds then wrote, acted and viewed this series. Perhaps that is why, "the end" is, after all, correct for this look into what we outside see as an almost "unreal" world/way of life.

The director did a superb job pulling PS 3 together. There are many twists and turns and unexpected endings. This shows the fullness of human nature in graphic, dark but jarring peeks into a modern police investigation. It also is a thought provoking portrayal of how powerless we often are to bring about meaningful change in erasing the root causes of such crimes from our communities.The interjection of the investigation teams personal and sexual lives adds to the drama and richness of PS 3. The beginnings of life, childhood interrupted and the degradation of some of humanity is well portrayed. The dialogue is often excellent and you have to listen to some of the questioning sessions carefully to pick up nuances that become important later. The resolution is not as expected leaving the audience with a lot to think about about the rent boy issue today.Mirren again bucks the system and the old boy network. the crusty Sergeant Bill Otley also surprises -- sometimes hard and occasionally "soft" when faced with the grit and horror of the crimes they are investigating.There is no sugar coating hear. Highly recommended.

At first, we had a hard time understanding the accents, but by the second episode we caught up and enjoyed it a great deal. Then again, we were watching a home-taped VHS copy, so the sound was a little muted.The acting and the writing were excellent.