It's hard not to dismiss Case Histories as just another British mystery show. It doesn't have the same dark style as Luther, nor does it have the charm of a show like Sherlock. While it's not a bad show, it's perhaps easiest to describe Case Histories as middle-of-the-line. It features all the staples of cop shows that have become cliche by now: a rough-around-the-edges good guy juggles unorthodox crime-fighting while dealing with a fractured family life and indulging in a few vices of their own. It feels by-the-numbers.
But there's another level to Case Histories. The show, which aired on PBS's Masterpiece Mystery! back in October and is coming to DVD on November 8, stars Jason Isaacs, the actor probably best known for playing Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter flicks. And while his portrayal of Malfoy was magnetic due to Isaacs's absolute scenery-chewing, his role as Jackson Brodie in this series is much more quiet and reserved. Brodie is certainly entirely good, though he does have a dark past and certain self-destructive tendencies. In a genre defined by outrageous leads, Case Histories features an interestingly restrained protagonist.
Case Histories is really memorable in one other way: it juggles cases. The six-episode series is essentially comprised on three two-part stories, each with multiple cases. In the first two episodes, for instance, Brodie deals with three different cases, all while slowly discovering a strange subplot that might just have to do with his tragic childhood. The juggling keeps the show from becoming too tedious, though it diminishes the mysteries' payoffs a little bit because they all come so close together.
All in all, Case Histories is a solid detective series that isn't terribly unique. What it does have going for it, though, is a solid lead actor and an interestingly constructed plot that will please any fan of British mystery.
