Gradually, almost unfussily, Strike has established itself as a mainstay of the BBC drama schedule since it premiered in 2017. Adapted from the unnecessarily mammoth novels by JK Rowling (writing under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith), the nonchalant story casts Tom Burke as the gruff titular army man turned private investigator.
It’s the type of crime series that works best in winter, when the nights draw in and the endless choice of Netflix seems, simply, like too much choice. There is pleasure in dependability.
This sixth series is a retelling of 2022 novel The Ink Black Heart and while it might run to over 1,000 pages in book form, thankfully it’s been slimmed down to just four one-hour episodes.
The Ink Black Heart told the story of Edie Ledwell (Mirren Mack), a young graphic artist whose titular online cartoon had become a massive cash-cow hit, spawning both a successful computer game and an imminent big-screen adaptation. That success brought former friends and foes out of the woodwork, each wanting to claim the riches for themselves.
Edie had been a victim of online stalking for several years by the time she stepped into Strike’s office, desperate for help. She didn’t want Strike, though, but rather his partner Robin (Holliday Grainger), whose reputation – after several high-profile cases – was very much on the rise. “Why isn’t your name on the door alongside his?” Edie asked Robin.
When Edie turned up dead just a few days later, both Robin and Strike cleared their workload to focus completely on the mysterious “Anomie”, the online troll believed to be the murderer.
Strike has never been a particularly flashy drama, nor excessively gripping. Instead, its pleasures arise from its detail and characterisation. The clapped-out Land Rover remains the perfect vehicle for a duo whose office would horrify Kevin McCloud for its breathtaking lack of feng shui – only the Slow Horses HQ looks more dank, more asbestos-y.
The chemistry between Strike and Robin still crackles, too. He is dour and dejected (and wears terrible jumpers), while she is radiant and brims with joy. He loves her and she (somehow) loves him, but neither can admit it because, well, that would be awkward.
The episode began with the two enjoying a palpably romantic dinner whose mood was ruined when Strike loomed in for a kiss, from which Robin reeled. Oh dear. When a friend later asked Robin whether she is indeed smitten, she replied: “I definitely don’t want to be, that would screw everything up.” And so they seem destined to wallow in Ross and Rachel territory in perpetuity.
Strike is often a little silly, even am-dram, and the script is clunky with exposition. When Strike and Robin went undercover in pursuit of suspects – several of them alt-right agitators – they donned arguably the least subtle disguises in private detective history, he seemingly as Ricky Gervais, she with a face full of geisha make-up. Car chases took place at night, down country lanes suffused with fog. And at least every six minutes, the phone rang in order to propel the narrative forward.
Nevertheless, amidst the perfunctory nature of it all – the crime, the clues, the assorted malcontents – it still made for compelling comfort viewing. And things are about to get interesting with the arrival of a handsome police detective who is obviously interested in Robin. How on earth will Strike react? Everything’s all about love in the end.
‘Strike – The Black Ink Heart’ continues tomorrow at 9pm on BBC One
