This Irish cop drama tells the story of Sergeant Jack Driscoll (Owen McDonnell), who is transferred from Dublin to his hometown in a coastal part of West Ireland, to take over a position that was formerly occupied by his own father, Gerry (Ian McElhinney).
 
Set 1 includes three feature-length episodes. Jack’s first assignment is to investigate the death of a young female immigrant from Eastern Europe. The investigation leads to a shocking discovery about the town and Jack’s father, who earlier had insisted for Jack to close the case as a suicide and to move on since the victim was a nobody. Meanwhile, Jack finds comfort in the arms of an attractive woman, but she turns out to be someone he should not have slept with.
 
While Single-Handed is not a fast-paced, action packed cop drama, there is no shortage of drama. I found myself drawn to the twisted and dark plot of the first episode. The main character struggles to fit in with the locals including his own father, who is sort of a local legend and leader. Jack’s superiors and backup offers are located miles away, and most of the townsfolk do not offer any help to him as if Jack was trying to unearth the town’s sacred secrets or something. Therefore, as the title suggests, geographically and emotionally isolated, Jack must work alone and deal with differences in policing between a rural community and a big city before he is able to solve any crime mystery that occurred in the town that he thought he knew well. Although the other two episodes are not as poignant and shocking as the first one, the plots are still interesting, and further illustrate Jack’s challenges on a professional and personal level. In the all episodes, Jack seems to be acquainted with the wrong kind of women. 
 
Filmed in rural and picturesque West Ireland, the landscapes and locations are perfect to depict places where life runs at a different pace and the community is tight. The breathtakingly beautiful yet also gloomy and melancholic setting is a welcome breath of fresh air since most US crime drama series are often taped in urban locations.
 
The crimes of this show are very heinous, but not at all unimaginative or unrealistic. Lead actor Owen McDonnell gives a believable performance as Garda officer Jack Driscoll, and Ian McElhinney, who plays Jack’s corrupt father, gives the show extra edge and conflict. This first season of Single-Handed proves to be a compelling and emotionally complex TV crime drama, and I am curious about what awaits Jack in the second set.
 
Bonus Features:
-Production Notes From Owen McDonnell and Caroline Catz
-Text Interview With Producer Clare Alan