"To be honest, I find your Inspector Frost a bit of a prat." - Unnamed suspect after a run-in with Inspector Frost
"Yeah, a lot of people think so." - Caroline Harker as WPC Hazel Wallace in response
A Touch of Frost: Season 3 DVD Review
By Caroline Lagarde
In Season 3 of A Touch of Frost, Detective Inspector Jack Frost (David Jason) continues to utilize controversial tactics to solve cases for the Denton police department. His methods are often questioned by Superintendent Mullet (Bruce Alexander), whose primary focus is following protocol and maintaining a good public perception of the department. Although they often disagree, Mullet rarely gets in Frost's way, but he does warn him that "eccentrics are only tolerated so long as they come up with the goods." The eccentric Frost always manages to do just that.
In the four feature-length episodes of Season 3, Frost, with his irreverent attitude, does not disappoint. He loudly chomps on a stick of gum while questioning one suspect. He captures another by knocking him down with a bowling ball. He scoffs at the department's morale-building snooker tournament, readily admitting that he is not a team player. Frost is dedicated to his job, though, and he has a genuine concern for the victims. His pain is evident as he talks to a mother whose son has been killed, and he is clearly disturbed when he realizes he may not be able to identify a body. This concern is so deeply felt that he is impatient with any procedures that delay his quest to ensure that justice is served.
In "Appropriate Adults," a young girl who was reported missing by her parents is found dead in the woods, and a man with Down's syndrome who is friendly with the neighborhood children suspiciously turns up with cuts and scratches on his face and body. Everyone in the department suspects he is the killer, but Frost has his doubts. While trying to uncover the truth, he must also figure out who is responsible for a recent rash of car thefts. A mysterious man on a motorcycle who is taking pictures in the woods might have the answer.
In "Quarry," Frost investigates the murder of an animal rights activist who is killed while protesting a fox hunt. The investigation leads to the discovery of stolen antiques and art work, and Frost must discern what relationship, if any, the thefts have to the murder. Shirley Fisher (Lindy Whiteford), the nurse who cared for Jack's terminally ill wife in Season 1, reenters Jack's life, and he must decide how much of a commitment he is ready to make.
In "Dead Male One," a player with the Denton Athletics soccer team is kicked in the head during a game, and he later collapses at a press conference. The cocky star falls into a coma, and Frost learns that drugs were found in his system. The case becomes more complicated when other men on the team begin receiving threatening messages. Frost is also busy trying to identify the dead body of a man found in the river. He is stumped when he discovers that the identification found on the body belongs to a man who is still alive. On a personal level, Frost is becoming more involved with Shirley, and he ponders selling his house and moving in with her.
In "No Refuge," Frost works with Detective Sergeant Maureen Lawson (Sally Dexter) to solve the case of a female couple that has been victim to several home robberies which occurred within days of each other. Trouble arises when Lawson becomes personally involved with one of the victims. Frost also investigates a robbery turned homicide at a glass factory. After being threatened, the factory's owner goes into hiding, and Frost must discover who is behind the threats before it is too late. With all of the demands on him at work, he finds it hard to make time to support Shirley after her mother's sudden death, and the future of their relationship is uncertain.
Notable in Season 3 is the fact that David Jason's real-life brother, Arthur White, plays Police Constable Ernie Trigg in three of the episodes.
The four episodes in this set are divided onto three discs. The discs are housed in a keepcase that contains an interior swinging arm for two of the discs. There are English subtitles which can be turned on or off. There are chapter stops, but there is no scene selection.
A Touch of Frost: Season 3 can be purchased in stores, online (including Amazon.com), and by phone direct from its distributor, MPI Home Video, at 1-800-777-2223.
