Slowly slowly catchy monkey

Getting a new partner is a stressful situation, no matter how long you've been on the job.  DI Jack Armstrong already has his new partner, George, pegged:  around 30, a know-it-all, and bearded.  He's somewhat taken aback when DI Georgina Dixon shows up (definitely not bearded!).  So begins season 2 of the series Vexed, a humorous cop drama set in modern England.

DI Armstrong, played by Toby Stephens (son of Dame Maggie Smith!) is the charming Jack, who seems to spend most of his time in the local café/pub.  Georgina (Miranda Raison) is, as Jack had feared, something of an overachiever:  she is 5 steps ahead of Jack in every investigation, and seems to have taken a course on nearly every subject you care to name.  At the same time, she does recognize that her Type A personality can rub some people the wrong way.

The two detectives set about investigating crimes from diverse locations such as new car lots,

universities and even a reality baking competition.  At every crime scene, they are joined by the forensic investigator Naz, who seems to be able to come up with the cause of death with miraculous ease.  All the while Jack continues his pursuit of beautiful women, even if he has to crash his car into theirs in order to get their attention.  He is not shy in sharing all the intimate details of his relationships with Georgina, who is constantly on the defensive about her lack of a social life.  She does have several relationships over the course of the series, and even joins an Internet dating site for a while, but, as with Jack's relationships, nothing ever sticks.  Georgina's father also makes an appearance in several episodes, using Georgina's knowledge of recent crimes to his advantage in selling security systems to worried victims (much to Georgina's chagrin).

The bickering of the two partners never disguises their attraction for each other, even though nothing is ever said between them. Their two very different personalities allow them to work well together in questioning witnesses and solving crimes.  Although they are partners, Jack seems to order Georgina around a lot, which doesn't seem to bother her.  Most of the tasks he asks her to do were already done by her long before it occurred to him to ask! 

I enjoyed the 6 episodes from Series 2.  The humorous aspects of the series made a nice change from all the gory crime shows on TV these days!  It was funny to see the two attempt to go "undercover" in a variety of situations in order to solve crimes.  The set also featured a "behind the scenes" photo gallery of images from the filming of the series.

Disclaimer:  I received a copy of Vexed Series 2 from Acorn Media in exchange for this review

Final Verdict for Vexed Series 2:  Four Gherkins, for being an amusing look at a mis-matched crime solving duo