New Tricks (TV Series) The Crazy Gang (2015) User Reviews

The end

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 7 October 2015]

After twelve series and a complete cast change 'New Tricks' finally comes to an end. The team's final case involves the murder of a man on New Year's Eve 1999 which is reopened after the dead man's daughter discovers his journal which suggests it might not have been a random attack. He was a mental care campaigner who believed a new mental health drug was dangerous. One person questioned is Baroness Samira Khan, another mental health campaigner, who believes in working with the system. Shortly afterwards the UCOS team are informed that the three men are to be suspended while an investigation into how their previous case was handled is held… that is the official reason; in reality the Baroness has friends on the force who have their own reason to try to get UCOS shut down. Inevitable the boys continue to investigate and find a variety of motives both political and more personal. Away from the case tensions rise between Danny and Fiona as he continues to prevaricate about whether or not to back Fiona's plan for them to move to Aberdeen.

While I have enjoyed the last series I think now was the right time to end it; it has passed its peak but was still fun… it would have been sad if it was allowed to drag on until it wasn't fun. This episode proved to be a good story; we have a good mystery at the heart of it with a number of suspects. The real interest though was always going to be learning what would happen for the team after they have left our screens. This was done in a good way with possibilities that the team would be disbanded, that they would continue (just not on TV) or that the individual members would chose to go their own separate ways on their own terms. The cast, both regulars and guests, did a solid job and made this a fine send off for this popular and long-running show.

This is the end friend...

[safenoe · 8/10 · 31 July 2017]

So ends 12 seasons of New Tricks. Some seasons were better than others, but still, I love New Tricks and surprisingly the new cast wasn't as bad as some thought. Unfortunately the new cast didn't have time to settle in, and I think this series deserved another season or two to allow this.

Whilst the ending wasn't as dramatic as the M*A*S*H finale, we saw the UCOS team members folding up their tents and moving on to bigger and better adventures.

I hope the creators and writers can have a spin off series or two. For example Brian and Esther solving crimes in their retirement, or Gerry on his travels across the USA (kind of like the Route 66 TV series) exploring new tastes, or one with Sandra on her European crime- fighting adventures.

New Tricks can hold its head up high.

All that begins has to end

[rpleunis · 9/10 · 6 October 2018]

Good episode where office tigers let their ego's prefer. Sorry that New Tricks stops. Was a goid show to watch. Maybe a film can be made with a briljant story line like S12 EP 1-2.

A Sad Goodbye

[lizroy51 · 10/10 · 8 October 2015]

I am not writing to review this particular episode; I am writing to mourn the end of a great and enjoyable series with a few caveats.

I loved the original team but when Jack Halford left to join Mary in the 'great beyond' I didn't mind because Steve just fit right in and added some character to the already interesting UCOS team. However, when Brian left it was a game-changer. He was replaced by Danny who just didn't seem to have the 'oomph' to fill Brian's eccentric shoes. Then Gerry who added spice being an 'overripe' charmer but a charmer nonetheless. He was replaced by Ted, who severely lacked in that department. I love Sasha and what a great choice as she has the character, personality and even the similar voice to Sandra, which made replacing the original very seamless.

I want New Tricks to continue. If I was the producer/director I would keep Steve and Sasha but replace Ted and Danny with similar characters to Brian Lane and Gerry Standing. The cases are always interesting and I have been watching old episodes (as I got my neighbour hooked and she has been ordering like crazy from the library) and they are as fresh and new to me, the humour and spirit lively and the 'whodunit' personage always elusive right up until the end. I would also pay the originals to make cameo appearances to liven up certain episodes and work with the team to solve tetchy cold cases.

New Tricks always made me feel like home just like with Midsomer Murders and its ilk. Surely it can revitalized? I know there will be a huge audience who will mourn, like me, its demise. I know there will be letters written begging the producers to give it another chance. And why not? It has lasted many years and mysteries like Castle etc. have a great following. But they can never imitate New Tricks.

It is one of a kind.

Review of the series....

[Design88 · 10/10 · 4 October 2022]

I rarely give 10 stars but this was such a unique, upbeat series which was always a delight to watch. The characters and chemistry of the original team was exceptional. They were so natural you forgot you were watching a script being acted out.

That was not as true in the last season as some forced jokes often fell on deaf ears or the timing was a bit off. The chemistry just wasn't there and the show really needed Gerry but it was still great because the stories were good and the cast entertaining.

This wasn't the best finale episode I was expecting, especially after the previous ones in Season 12 but I think it worked because they all had had the air let out of their sails. It wouldn't have been realistic if they'd been up to their usual level of antics after being suspended. But I do think sitting on the boat at the end was pretty anti-climactic. But they would all be subdued in the circumstances. As an audience we perhaps just wanted more. I'll really miss this series and will just have to start at season one again!!!

The end of 'New Tricks'

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 28 March 2018]

Have always been a big fan of detective/mystery shows from a fairly young age, well since starting secondary school.

'Inspector Morse', 'A Touch of Frost', 'Midsomer Murders' (in its prime), 'Law and Order', 'Inspector George Gently', 'Criminal Minds', 'Murder She Wrote', you name them to name a few. 'New Tricks' has also been a favourite from the start (despite not being the same without the original cast in recent years). Although it can be corny at times (in an endearing sort of way) it has always been perfect for helping me relax in the evenings. Something that was needed during all the hard times endured in school.

'New Tricks', after 12 seasons and 107 episodes, comes to an end with "The Crazy Gang". And while it is a decent send-off that feels rounded off rather than incomplete, for a show ending part of me was expecting more. It should have been an episode with lots of punch and be among the best episodes, but while nicely done and that it kept the attention going, the extra oomph was missing.

The case is compelling and keeps one guessing, but is spoilt by the culprit agreed being too obvious far too early.

Despite Ted settling in stronger all the time, being quite amusing and Larry Lamb doing a nice job, he never became a well-developed character and never became as well-developed or interesting as the rest of the three or any member of the original team. "The Crazy Gang" did very little, if at all, to change that.

The team dynamic charms and amuses and feels more natural. Still think it doesn't sparkle anywhere as much as the original team dynamic and doesn't have its freshness.

For a show ending, the side-stories are not too soapy and intrigue. There is a sense of finality and moving forward. The writing amuses and touches.

Visually, "The Crazy Gang" is slick and stylish as ever. The music is a good fit and the theme song (sung with gusto by none other by Dennis Waterman himself) is one of the catchiest for any detective/mystery show and of any show in the past fifteen years or so.

Good performances from the whole cast. Yeah it would have been nice to have seen Brian and Sasha make appearances no matter how small, but that they didn't is more to do with that Alun Armstrong and Amanda Redman from my understanding didn't like the show's change of pace in the latter seasons and showed no interest in coming back when they left.

In summary, good show ending but not one that sees the show go out with a bang (like it deserved to). 7/10 Bethany Cox

A Disappointing Finale!

[Robinson2511 · 4/10 · 3 May 2016]

The previous episode, 'Life Expectancy', did a brilliant job of building up to a truly climactic finale, but that finale never happened.

Maybe it's just me, maybe I was expecting more, but there was nothing special about this finale, the plot was basic, the acting by the supporting cast was very hit and miss and it lacked the sense of finality the previous episode had.

The plot of this episode is very similar to the Series 7 finale, 'The Fourth Man'. Someone in the team makes a mistake, in 'The Fourth Men' it was Gerry and in the previous episode of Series 12, 'Life Expectancy' it was Ted, this causes an authoritative figure in the MET to try and close down UCOS, eventually they solve the problem and UCOS is saved. The plot is very similar, only 'The Fourth Men' did it so much better.

Maybe I expected too much from the finale of the show, but this finale really doesn't feel like it does a lot to commemorate 12 years of the show. I was hoping for an appearance or even a cameo from the original team, but they just get a mention. Considering the situations of some of the team, specifically Jack and Gerry, but there's no reason why Brian or Sandra couldn't have made an appearance.

You know what would've been a real treat, an appearance from PC Clark, that character who disappeared after Series 1 without any explanation, just revisiting and old character like that would've done it for me.

The case itself is very dull, I found myself not really caring who the killer was, because the killer was just far too obvious. I was guessing throughout the episode, and I always guessed the same character, because it was far too easy.

'The Crazy Gang' is a disappointing finale to a great show, and it's even more disappointing that the previous episode was so good, and such a good build-up to what could've been a really good finale, sadly a lack of care or effort ruined it and we got a dull finale that is barely worth talking about. Sad!