By Morgan Jeffery
BBC One's new revamp of The Musketeers is - as noted last week - essentially Dumas' classic novel reshaped to mimic the formula of a contemporary cop drama. So it's rather fitting that episode two sees Luke Pasqualino's spirited D'Artagnan go undercover to ally himself with a infamous and enigmatic criminal.
Jason Flemyng has always been a hugely charismatic performer and it's chiefly his towering turn as the villainous Vadim - less a Parisian Guy Fawkes and more a 17th century Hans Gruber - that makes 'Sleight of Hand' so eminently watchable.
Indeed, so good is Flemyng that the episode suffers when he's not on-screen. Like last week's premiere, 'Sleight' opens big and bold and then meanders in the middle, losing much of its momentum as attention shifts from Vadim's skullduggery to the Musketeers' investigation into the miscreant's past.
But in an echo of last week's ebb and flow, the episode picks up again in time for an explosive climax, as - in a refreshing break from the traditional undercover cop formula - the wily Vadim reveals that he has been on to D'Artagnan's subterfuge from the start.
An uneven pace is not the only scripting issue that 'Sleight' shares with the series opener, though - the women of The Musketeers remain regretfully sidelined. Tamla Kari's Constance is still suitably spiky and Maimie McCoy's manipulative Milady gets more to do this week, but those who criticized the premiere will find more fuel for their fire here.
In particular, Alexandra Dowling's Queen so far exists solely to be rescued and romanced by the show's heroes and molested by its villains. There's definitely room for a powerful female monarch in a series so dominated by swaggering menfolk.
Thankfully this week's outing shares the previous episode's strengths as well as its weaknesses. The show continues to look absolutely gorgeous - from the opening duel sequence in a wintry woods to a fiery climax in the tunnels of Paris. The sparky central performances and witty dialog - "Common sense is for commoners!" - remain firmly in place too.
The Musketeers is not problem-free but remains a stirring piece of Sunday night drama. For the second week running you're left with the feeling that, with just a few scripting tweaks, this show could become something very special indeed.
© BBC
Jason Flemyng has always been a hugely charismatic performer and it's chiefly his towering turn as the villainous Vadim - less a Parisian Guy Fawkes and more a 17th century Hans Gruber - that makes 'Sleight of Hand' so eminently watchable.
Indeed, so good is Flemyng that the episode suffers when he's not on-screen. Like last week's premiere, 'Sleight' opens big and bold and then meanders in the middle, losing much of its momentum as attention shifts from Vadim's skullduggery to the Musketeers' investigation into the miscreant's past.
But in an echo of last week's ebb and flow, the episode picks up again in time for an explosive climax, as - in a refreshing break from the traditional undercover cop formula - the wily Vadim reveals that he has been on to D'Artagnan's subterfuge from the start.
© BBC
An uneven pace is not the only scripting issue that 'Sleight' shares with the series opener, though - the women of The Musketeers remain regretfully sidelined. Tamla Kari's Constance is still suitably spiky and Maimie McCoy's manipulative Milady gets more to do this week, but those who criticized the premiere will find more fuel for their fire here.
In particular, Alexandra Dowling's Queen so far exists solely to be rescued and romanced by the show's heroes and molested by its villains. There's definitely room for a powerful female monarch in a series so dominated by swaggering menfolk.
© BBC
Thankfully this week's outing shares the previous episode's strengths as well as its weaknesses. The show continues to look absolutely gorgeous - from the opening duel sequence in a wintry woods to a fiery climax in the tunnels of Paris. The sparky central performances and witty dialog - "Common sense is for commoners!" - remain firmly in place too.
The Musketeers is not problem-free but remains a stirring piece of Sunday night drama. For the second week running you're left with the feeling that, with just a few scripting tweaks, this show could become something very special indeed.
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