‘Suspect’ Becomes Prime Again Sunday

That intriguing British copper Jane Tennison resurfaces on “Masterpiece Theatre” Sunday in a tense, crackerjack mystery that returns “Prime Suspect” to the lofty list after two inferior efforts earlier this season.

The Granada Television drama retraces its roots, literally, by involving Detective Superintendent Tennison (Helen Mirren) in a string of homicides strikingly akin to those of a serial murder case that she and her lads solved in the original “Prime Suspect” four years ago.

That’s a big problem for Tennison, whose seemingly keen detective work sent a twisted bloke named George Marlow to prison for those earlier murders and gave an epic boost to her career. And in conjunction with that, someone has written a nasty book suggesting that Marlow is innocent and Tennison’s motives were impure in getting him convicted.

Either the new slayings are the work of a copycat or of someone manipulated by Marlow to make him appear innocent. A third option--that the same person committed both sets of murders, and Tennison nailed the wrong man--is the one her enemies are banking on in hopes that a good, old-fashioned miscarriage of justice will get her booted from the force.

And enemies she has--as always, envious males who again include her oily nemesis, Chief Supt. Kernan (John Benfield). Moreover, Detective Chief Inspector Tom Mitchell (Christopher Fulford) can barely hide his rage after the aggressive Tennison takes over the case from him.

Her staunch ally remains her immediate superior. She can also count on the loyalty of her scholarly lover, psychologist Patrick Schofield (Stuart Wilson). Or can she?

Although not the equal of those brilliant, complexly layered “Prime Suspect” mysteries of past seasons, this latest Tennison outing, titled “The Scent of Darkness,” has lots to recommend it, notably fine direction by Paul Marcus and a Guy Hibbert script of tantalizingly murkiness that threatens to sink Tennison into her deepest, thickest bog yet.

At once formidable and flawed, Tennison is at her most interesting when demolishing her foes while seeming also to self-destruct. Her paranoia is as great as her skill.

Mirren is back to being stunningly effective as the driven, relentless, ever-resilient detective, who at one point finds herself nose to nose with the scary Marlow (Tim Woodward) in prison, their eyes meeting through the haze of her cigarette smoke. And typically, the supporting performances are first-rate as “Prime Suspect” stages a comeback, once again bearing the scent of bewitching television.

* “The Scent of Darkness” airs on “Masterpiece Theatre” at 9 p.m. Sunday on KCET-TV Channel 28 and at 9 p.m. Tuesday on KOCE-TV Channel 50.