'A Touch of Frost' is a personal favourite of mine, and one of my favourite shows from the detective/mystery genre. Do have a preference perhaps for the earlier-mid-show episodes over the later ones, but none of the episodes are less than watchable and none do anything to embarrass the show.
So much appeals about 'A Touch of Frost'. Love the mix of comedy (mostly through Frost's snide comments and quips) and dark grit, the tension between rebellious Jack Frost and by-the-book Mullet which has led to some humorous moments, how he interacts with the rest of the staff, the deft mix of one or two cases and Frost's personal life, how Frost solves the cases, the production values, music and of course David Jason in one of his best roles.
There may have been people initially sceptical about whether the show would work, and with Jason (a mainly comedic actor) in a departure from usual in the lead role. Scepticism very quickly evaporated, with the first season containing three consistently great episodes, even with the darker and grittier approach with less humour, that established the tone and characterisation so brilliantly so early on with no signs of finding-their-feet. The second season opener "A Minority of One" was up to their level. "Widows and Orphans" is a slight step down from the previous episodes but is still very good, and the otherwise very worthwhile "Nothing to Hide" was let down by a far too obvious ending.
Although Season 1 and the season 2 opener were truly great, "Stranger in the House" was my favourite episode up to this particular point in the show. It is to me easily the best episode of Season 2 and one of my favourite 'Frost' episodes.
Visually, "Stranger in the House" looks great, matching the dark, gritty tone of the episode beautifully with atmospheric lighting and the stylish way it's shot. The music is haunting without being over-bearing while the theme tune is one of the most iconic in the detective genre (or at least to me it is).
The script is well written, with a few amusing quips from Frost, and thought-provoking, and the story is continually compelling with tension, grit and shocking twists, portraying the impact of rape and the portrayal of it very powerfully. The ending is unforgettably tense and a real shocker, again from personal opinion one of the best endings of the show.
Frost is a remarkably well-established character for so early on, and one cannot help love his interaction with the rest of the officers and his chemistry with Bruce Alexander's stern and by-the-book Mullet, who constantly despairs of Frost's unconventional approach. Again he shows his less than perfect side with Wallace's life being endangered but his regret is every bit as believably done.
Jason is brilliant as usual as Frost, while Bruce Alexander, John Lyons and especially the sympathetic performance of Caroline Harker excel in a way that is more than up to his high level. Support is solid too.
Overall, outstanding episode, best of Season 2 and a highlight of the whole show as well. 10/10 Bethany Cox
