Detective monk “Brother Cadfael” is a very entertaining and interesting series of British television crews, in which you can see the best features of an intellectual detective characteristic of the heroes of Agatha Christie. A Benedictine monk investigates complex and complex cases, in which he is helped by a keen mind, life experience and knowledge of human passions.
The events unfold in the XII century in England, near the city of Shrewsbury, Shropshire, in the Abbey of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, against the background of the civil war of King Stephen de Blois and Empress Matilda, Countess of Anjou for the English throne. The historical background of events is recreated quite accurately, some moments of discrepancy of the era are striking only to connoisseurs of everyday life, and in general everything looks authentic. Former crusader, sailor and mercenary Cadfael from Wales for 20 years, as he took a monastic vow, lives in the abbey, grows herbs, treats the sick and helps to unravel complex issues related to the life of the abbey, the city and the surrounding estates. The series begins with the siege of Shrewsbury Castle by King Stephen and brings the main characters to the audience, and somehow imperceptibly imbued with sympathy for a monk who is not afraid of the powerful and at the same time kind and selfless to people who need help. For 13 episodes you watch how he unravels criminal and political crimes, which are periodically intertwined in a tight knot, how he helps lovers find happiness, and those who lost their way back to the right path. The series are not similar to each other, each is individual, united only by common characters - except for brother Cadfael, this is Abbot Rudolfus and Deputy Sheriff Hugh Beringar - almost every crime, if not one, sometimes with historical overtones, but each time putting the official authorities in a baffle. Cadfael serves as a link between ecclesiastical and secular authorities to establish the truth, although he sometimes abuses his rights to help anyone, or shows remarkable everyday ingenuity to resolve conflicts of interest. A lot of time in the series is devoted to the events of the struggle for power, when either the best qualities of a person are manifested (loyalty, steadfastness, love), or the most vile features emerge (betrayal, deception, cruelty), and it does not matter which side a person is on.
Viewing gave me a real pleasure: the actors play very well, taking into account that it was shot in the mid-nineties, then some who became famous can be seen young, the dialogues are built very competently, the intrigue will remain in almost all series until the end, and the denouement is not suddenly, but as a result of brainstorming and psychological play.