The Last Panthers: Episode 3

It is 9 November 2015, and time for another episode of The Last Panthers.

In London, Naomi (Samantha Morton) leads a surveillance team to track down and capture the stolen Marseilles diamonds. In Marseilles itself, the aftershock of Kahlil's (Tahar Rahim) police read lead him to reminisce on his troubled youth. In Belgium, Milan (Goran Bogdan) is faced with a choice of siding with the new or old order of his criminal gang. Back in Belgrade, Tom (John Hurt) challenges the Panthers' participation in the new international airport project.

The Last Panthers is a clever juggling act, with writer Jack Thorne balancing four simultaneous storylines with deftness and style. That said, with three episodes over the line and the series at its halfway point, there does seem to be a growing need to connect the disparate storylines a little more closely. They have all spun out from the one violent jewel robbery, but there is a need to tie them together as soon as possible - otherwise the audience is simply watching four simultaneous crime dramas.

The Last Panthers: Episode 2

It is 2 November 2015, and time for the second episode of The Last Panthers.

Insurance investigator Naomi (Samantha Morton) pressures an imprisoned robber to give up information on the Marsielles jewellery heist. In Marsielles itself, police detective Kahlil (Tahar Rahim) leads a raid in a crime-ridden housing estate to track down the supplier of the heist's guns. In Belgrade, the last surviving robber Milan (Goran Bogdan) slowly works his way back into his former criminal organisation.

It is enormously impressive to see how the second episode of The Last Panthers juggles three storylines, all of which are narratively related but none of which ever actually intersect. In effect it is like watching three episodes of three different TV dramas at the same time. In the hands of lesser creative talents it could all fall flat. In the hands of writer Jack Thorne and director Johan Renck, however, it is some of the best crime drama I have seen in a while.

The Last Panthers: Episode 1

It is 26 October 2015, and time for the first episode of The Last Panthers.

In the port city of Marsielles a jewel heist goes disastrously wrong. While the thieves get away with millions of dollars' worth of diamonds, one of them is injured and a child is killed in the crossfire between the gang and the police. While French police detective Khalil (Tahar Rahim) begins his investigation, he finds his efforts complicated by the arrival of Naomi (Samantha Morton), an English insurance investigator sent to recover the lost diamonds.

The Last Panthers is a bleak and uncompromising crime drama created and written by script writer and playwright Jack Thorne. It is a European co-production, told across multiple countries and in three different languages. It boasts an excellent international cast, including not just Rahim and Morton but also Goran Bogdan, Corinne Masiero and John Hurt. Upon its release late last year it gained a lot of publicty due to its theme music, which was composed by pop singer/musician David Bowie from his forthcoming single "Blackstar". While the music is a great fit for the tone of the series, it is far from its best selling point. This is a great first episode all round.