Maxine Peake’s sexual politics drama is a cop show in disguise

Having been promised a drama exploring sexual politics within the office, it was disappointing to be introduced with a gap scene involving police barrier tape and flashing blue lights. Please, not one other crime sequence.

The cop aspect added some typical whodunnit intrigue to Guidelines of the Sport, the apparently Harvey Weinstein-inspired story of a family-run Cheshire sportswear firm and its antediluvian workplace tradition.

An unidentified worker had died messily in reception, the place he/she (most likely a “she”, however this nonetheless wasn’t clear by the top of the episode) was found by the chief working officer, Sam.

Performed by Maxine Peake, Sam was a hard-bitten veteran (and enabler) of the corporate’s poisonous masculinity. One of many house owners had a penchant for strangulation porn, whereas the previous, male, head of human assets had been sacked for mysterious causes.

Into his sneakers stepped keen, younger, by-the-book “HR woman” (it’s that form of office) Maya, performed with jittery excellence by former EastEnders actor Rakhee Thakrar.

However Maya, first glimpsed listening to motivational tapes and considering a bottle of Xanax, had issues of her personal – a stalker ex.

Seeing herself as a brand new broom in HR, she was in truth there to supply good optics whereas the corporate went public. As for office sisterhood: “Don’t attempt to shag her,” Sam warned her boss (the throttling one). “Except you desire a lecture in feminism.”

Author Ruth Fowler has lined up some hot-button topics and wrapped them in thriller, however I might have executed with out the concurrent police investigation. Maya might have been left to do her personal sleuthing.

However then, maybe there’s a hidden contractual clause in TV drama commissioning – that no less than one scene per episode have to be performed in a police interrogation suite.

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