"Stop being so bloody prissy. If you don't like my methods, you go upstairs and complain." - David Jason as William "Jack" Frost
A Touch of Frost: Season 1 DVD Review
By Caroline Lagarde
The British detective show A Touch of Frost is about Detective Inspector William "Jack" Frost (David Jason), a veteran officer of the police force in the fictional UK town of Denton, who uses his experience and intuition to solve cases that baffle his colleagues. Frost has a solid reputation for successfully solving crimes and has been awarded the George Cross, Britain's highest award for bravery by a civilian. In spite of that, there is nothing conventional about Frost. He will eat a sandwich while questioning a suspect, have a drink at the office without even bothering to hide it, and falsify his crime statistics just to be finished with them. His unorthodox tactics frequently cause him to clash with his boss, Superintendent Mullett (Bruce Alexander). The perfect foil for Frost, Mullett is a stickler for details. He is always hounding Frost to complete his paperwork and reminding him that he must follow regulations when conducting investigations. Frost, who would prefer to be out in the field solving cases, balks at what he feels are petty bureaucratic requirements, and instead of following the rules, he follows his instincts.
The first season of A Touch of Frost contains three feature-length episodes of Frost at his crime-solving best. In "Care and Protection," Frost tackles the case of a missing child whose mother works part-time as a prostitute. While searching the woods for the child, Frost and his team discover a skeleton that has an empty metal box chained to its severed arm. A bank manager linked to the box is later found dead, and Frost must uncover the killer. Meanwhile, Frost's wife is dying from a terminal illness, and the name "Jack Frost" seems most appropriate for the cool-headed man who leaves her with a caregiver as he goes off to work every day.
In "Not With Kindness," Frost's American sister-in-law visits to attend his wife's funeral. Frost has no time to grieve, though, because at work he is again on the trail of a missing child. This time, he must find a teenager who has seemingly run away from home. He also investigates a case involving a woman who is receiving threatening phone calls. The situation becomes even more complicated when the woman's house burns down, killing her husband who is trapped inside.
In the final episode, "Conclusions," Frost must find the culprit of a hit-and-run accident in which an elderly man is killed. The suspect is the son of an important politician, but Frost grows suspicious when the clues pointing to him fall into place too neatly. Later, a fellow member of the police force is shot. A fugitive armed robber is suspected, and in the search for him, Frost becomes involved in a hostage situation.
A Touch of Frost, which is based on books by R.D. Wingfield, first aired in the U.K. in 1992 and was an instant hit. It was also popular in the U.S., where it aired on the A&E network. The success of the show is due to the fact that there is a depth to the character of Jack Frost that goes beyond what would be expected of a hardened police officer. While outwardly disorganized - his broken washing machine from the first episode still has not been fixed by the final show - he is always perceptive and thorough in his investigations, even if his methods are questionable. Confident that his instincts are leading him in the right direction, he repeatedly ignores Mullett's warnings to follow protocol. He often takes risks, sometimes fabricating witnesses or planting evidence to force suspects to confess. Rarely managing to complete his paperwork, he is positively gleeful when the absence of his crime statistics holds up the computer returns for the entire country. Frost, however, is not driven by a hero complex or a desire for power. Rather, it is a simple desire for justice that guides his actions. Although his tactics might be controversial, his success at solving crimes has earned him the respect of his colleagues. More often than not, they are content to sit back and watch him in action rather than question his judgment.
The introduction of Frost's dying wife is important to the story because it provides further insight into his personality and motivation. Yes, Frost received the George Cross for being shot in the line of duty, but it is compelling to discover the mindset that allowed him to walk into such a dangerous situation. As Frost deals with his wife's illness and subsequent death, he becomes a more vulnerable character, and thus more likeable to viewers.
The three episodes in this set are divided onto two discs. "Care and Protection" is on the first disc, and "Not With Kindness" and "Conclusions" are on the second disc. Both discs are housed in a keepcase that contains an interior swinging arm for the second disc. There are English subtitles which can be turned on or off. Chapter stops are included.
A Touch of Frost: Season 1 can be purchased in stores, online (including Amazon.com), and by phone direct from its distributor, MPI Home Video, at 1-800-777-2223.
