If you’re scouring the dark corners of BritBox or Amazon Prime looking for a crime drama that doesn’t feel like it was scrubbed clean by a PR department, you’ve probably stumbled across The Commander. It’s not your typical "who-done-it." Honestly, it’s more of a "how-the-hell-does-she-keep-her-job-while-doing-it."
Lynda La Plante. That’s the name behind this series. You know her from Prime Suspect, the show that basically redefined how we see women in power on television. But while Jane Tennison was struggling against the "boys' club," The Commander’s Clare Blake is a whole different animal. She’s already at the top. She’s the Commander of the New Scotland Yard. And man, does she make some messy choices.
The show feels dated now. Obviously. It ran from 2003 to 2008. The flip phones are chunky and the suits have shoulder pads that could take an eye out. But the psychological grit? That hasn’t aged a day. It’s raw.
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What Actually Happens in The Commander?
Most people go into this expecting a standard procedural. Big mistake. The Commander centers on Clare Blake, played with this incredible, icy intensity by Amanda Burton. Blake is the highest-ranking woman in the Metropolitan Police. She’s smart, she’s ambitious, and she has a devastatingly bad habit of getting too close to the people she’s investigating.
I’m talking about James Lampton. In the very first story, "The Commander: Entrapment," we meet Lampton (played by Hugh Bonneville, long before his Downton Abbey days). He’s a convicted murderer. He’s charming. He’s dangerous. And Blake? She’s fascinated by him.
Their relationship is the heartbeat of the early series. It’s not just a plot point; it’s a massive liability. It forces the audience to ask: Is she a genius or is she just compromised? La Plante doesn’t give you easy answers. She likes her protagonists complicated. She likes them flawed. Blake isn't always likable, and that’s why the show works. You’re watching a car crash in slow motion, but the car is the Met Police and the driver is a woman who refuses to blink.
Why People Still Argue About Clare Blake
Let's be real. If a male commander did what Clare Blake did, would we even care?
Maybe. But the show leans into the double standard. Blake is constantly under the microscope of her colleagues, specifically DCI Mike Hedges, played by Matthew Marsh. Hedges is the quintessential "old school" copper. He hates her. He wants her job. He spends half the series trying to catch her in a mistake.
The tension between Blake and Hedges is arguably better than the actual murder mysteries. It’s office politics turned up to eleven. It shows how the institution of the police often cares more about internal hierarchies than actually solving the crime.
It’s messy.
The critics at the time were split. Some loved the high-stakes drama. Others thought it was too soap-opera-ish. "The Guardian" once noted that La Plante’s writing pushed the boundaries of credibility. They weren't wrong. Some of the plot twists in the later seasons—like "The Devil You Know" or "Abduction"—are wild. But that’s the La Plante brand. It’s operatic. It’s big. It’s not trying to be a documentary.
The Evolution of the Series
The format of The Commander changed over its five-year run. Initially, it was these multi-part miniseries events.
- 2003: The debut with the James Lampton storyline.
- 2005: Virus and Blackdog.
- 2006: Blacklight.
- 2007: The Devil You Know and The Fraudster.
- 2008: Abduction.
By the time we got to the 2008 finale, the show had shifted. It became faster, more episodic in feel, even though the stakes remained personal. If you watch them back-to-back, you can see the TV landscape shifting toward the "prestige" era.
The Lynda La Plante Touch
You can’t talk about The Commander without talking about the woman who wrote it. La Plante has a specific "vibe." She focuses on the forensic details—the blood spatter, the autopsy reports, the dry legal jargon—and then she injects a massive dose of human impulse.
In her books and her shows, the crime is just the catalyst. The real story is what happens to the people inside the yellow tape.
With The Commander, she was trying to top Prime Suspect. Did she? Probably not. Helen Mirren’s Jane Tennison is a once-in-a-generation character. But Clare Blake is a fascinating successor. She’s what happens when the woman who fought her way to the top finally gets there and realizes the view is terrifying.
The Supporting Cast You Forgot Were There
Watching it now is a game of "Spot the Star."
You’ve got Hugh Bonneville as a killer.
You’ve got Celia Imrie.
You’ve got David Harewood.
You’ve got Mark Lewis Jones.
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These actors bring a weight to the procedural elements that keep the show from feeling like a standard "cop of the week" drama. Matthew Marsh as Hedges is particularly good. He plays the "villain" of the office with such greasy, believable ambition that you’ll find yourself shouting at the screen. He’s the guy we’ve all worked with—the one who records every mistake you make in a little notebook.
Is It Worth a Rewatch?
Honestly? Yes. But you have to know what you’re getting into.
Don’t expect Line of Duty levels of technical realism. The Commander is more about the psychological toll of leadership. It’s about how power corrupts, or at least how it blurs the lines between right and wrong.
The cinematography is very "2000s British TV." Lots of blue filters. Lots of handheld camera work during the tense bits. It’s nostalgic in a way that feels heavy and industrial.
The show deals with some pretty dark themes—child abduction, psychiatric disorders, systemic corruption. It doesn't pull its punches. But it also doesn't preach. It just shows you the mess and walks away.
Common Misconceptions About the Show
People often confuse this show with The Commander movies or other similar titles. It’s a purely British production. Some also think it’s a direct sequel to Prime Suspect. It isn't. It’s a spiritual successor.
Another big one: people think it’s a "pro-police" show.
It really isn’t.
If anything, The Commander is deeply cynical about the police force. It portrays the Met as a place of infighting, ego, and massive procedural failures. Blake herself is often the cause of these failures. It’s a critique of the system disguised as a drama.
Actionable Insights for Fans of the Genre
If you’re looking to dive into this series or something similar, here is how to get the most out of the experience:
- Watch in Order: The James Lampton arc is essential. If you skip the first series, Blake’s later decisions won't make any sense. You need to see her "original sin" to understand her character.
- Compare to Prime Suspect: If you really want to see how the genre evolved, watch an episode of Prime Suspect followed by an episode of The Commander. You’ll see how La Plante shifted from "woman vs. the system" to "woman vs. herself."
- Look for the Nuance: Pay attention to the scenes in Blake’s apartment. They are rare, but they show the isolation that comes with her rank. She’s almost always alone.
- Explore the La Plante Universe: If you finish the show and want more, read the novels. La Plante often writes the books alongside or after the shows, and they provide much more internal monologue for Clare Blake.
- Check the Streaming Quality: Some versions on YouTube are terrible. Look for the remastered versions on specialized British streaming services for the best audio, as the dialogue can be quite fast and whispered.
The Commander remains a fascinating relic of a time when TV started to let its female leads be truly, unapologetically messy. It’s a study in power, a masterclass in tension, and a reminder that sometimes, the person in charge is the last person you should trust.
Start with the 2003 pilot. See if you can handle Clare Blake’s choices. Just don’t expect a clean ending. In La Plante’s world, nobody gets away clean.
Focus on the character dynamics rather than just the crime solving. The real "case" is always the Commander herself. Keep an eye on the background characters in the squad room; their reactions to Blake often tell the story the dialogue won't. And finally, pay attention to the silence. Some of the most revealing moments in the series happen when the characters stop talking and just have to live with the consequences of their actions.
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This is the definitive look at a series that paved the way for the complex anti-heroes we love today. It’s dark, it’s dated, and it’s absolutely worth your time.