Rocco Schiavone

Weed smoking, foulmouthed Rocco Schiavone is an offbeat Deputy Commissioner of the State Police. For disciplinary reasons he is transferred to the Alpine town of Aosta, far from his beloved Rome. The sophisticated but cranky Roman despises the mountains, the cold, and the provincial locals as much as he disdains his superiors and their petty rules. But he loves solving crimes.

I typically have mixed feelings when it comes to detective/crime drama's. Not so with Rocco Schiavone. This is a wholly outstanding series in every respect. The crime drama that is the foundation of this series, in a sense, shares centre stage with a cleverly crafted human drama, surrounding its central character, Italian inspector, Rocco Schiavone. A complex man mourning a tragic past, who is, in turn, unable to reach for a better future. A maverick who is part of a law enforcement system but hardly fits smugly, within its narrow, linear confines. Its Rocco who defines this series, as much as the tales of crime it tells each episode. Larger than life, innately flawed, as most interesting people are but ultimately a decent man, in spite of it all. A must watch for those who like sophisticated, cleverly crafted, superbly acted series, with a detective twist.