Ian Rankin\u2019s long-running novel series Inspector Rebus has garnered a legion of fans since its debut in the late \u201980s, and prompted multiple adaptations for stage and screen \u2013 the most recognisable of which is Ken Stott\u2019s ITV series in the 2000s.<\/p>\n
And, following a lengthy hiatus, the series has been revived by screenwriter Gregory Burke<\/a> for the BBC, this time focusing on a younger version of detective sergeant John Rebus, played by Outlander\u2019s<\/a> Richard Rankin, set in present-day Edinburgh.<\/p>\n Unlike previous takes, this series isn\u2019t a direct adaptation of Rankin\u2019s source material. While packed with characters and nods fans will relish, Burke\u2019s Rebus is a longer-form story that wants to be judged on its own merits, and is accessible to both Rebus-heads and newcomers as a result.<\/p>\n When we first meet our leading man, he\u2019s at a tricky juncture. His professional and personal lives have collided head on after his brother Michael (Brian Ferguson), not long out of the army, decides to blow up his own life by turning to crime to plug the black hole in his finances.<\/p>\n Unlike in the books, Michael plays a significant role here, with Burke fleshing out the strained relationship between the two brothers. And by placing Rebus\u2019s family at the heart of the case, the emotional stakes are greater, helping this iteration of Rebus to stand apart from what we\u2019ve seen previously.<\/p>\n Read more:<\/strong><\/p>\n Michael\u2019s reckless behaviour not only endangers his wife and teenage sons, it also puts Rebus in a compromising position, something he\u2019s all too capable of doing to himself, as we see in the opening scene during a brutal confrontation between the detective and his arch antagonist, Ger Cafferty (Stuart Bowman).<\/p>\n Bowman is well cast as the notorious gangster, capturing the gravitas and swagger needed to play a man who rules Edinburgh\u2019s underworld.<\/p>\n Throughout the six-parter, Rebus is torn between his duty as a police officer and his concern for Michael, a dilemma which is compounded further when detective Malcolm Fox (Thoren Ferguson) from Professional Standards begins sniffing about.<\/p>\n Rebus can\u2019t afford to put a foot wrong, certainly not in plain sight.<\/p>\n Other characters include Rebus\u2019s ex-wife Rhona (Amy Manson) and her new, very wealthy, fund manager husband, who encroaches on his relationship with young daughter Sammy (Mia McKenzie)<\/span>.<\/p>\n When Rebus feels himself slipping into the darker regions of his character, so often fuelled by his complicated relationship with alcohol, it\u2019s Rhona and Sammy who often pull him back from the brink \u2013 but not always.<\/p>\n It\u2019s in those moments that Rankin shines. He\u2019s entirely believable as someone who is trying to do the right thing and be the best possible version of himself for his daughter and ex-partner, for whom his love has never wavered. But as Burke\u2019s writing keenly emphasises, that\u2019s often easier said than done.<\/p> There\u2019s also Rebus\u2019s new investigations partner DC Siobhan Clarke (Lucie Shorthouse), whose background and worldview stand in stark contrast to her colleague\u2019s \u2013 a hallmark of so many on-screen detective duos over the years, and one that\u2019s been lifted from the books.<\/p>\n But after a frosty initial introduction, and despite a controversial secret of Siobhan\u2019s threatening to derail their working relationship entirely, the pair settle into their own rhythm.<\/p>\n While their dynamic follows a somewhat predictable beat, it doesn\u2019t make it an any less enjoyable watch.<\/p>\n Rebus is a testing yet compelling watch, travelling close to the bone while also channelling the dark humour found in the books. And as the gang warfare ramps up in its savagery, blow torches and all, those moments of levity not only become a lifeline for the audience, but chime with the reality of the world being depicted.<\/p>\n What\u2019s most enjoyable and impressive about the BBC series, though, is while it hasn\u2019t been directly lifted from what\u2019s come before, it feels at home in Rankin\u2019s world. That is largely due to the details that Burke has chosen to include, seamlessly bringing characters and plot threads together in a way that doesn\u2019t derail the show.<\/p>\n As a result, Rebus feels re-energised, delivering a new and exhilarating yarn that also provides some scathing commentary on the state of modern Scotland.<\/p>\n This is a series that could run and run, with no shortage of material to mine, and if the BBC has any sense, the cogs will already be in motion. Rebus is gritty Scottish drama at its best.<\/p>\n\n
![\"Cafferty,](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2024\/05\/rebus-bbc-c746b64.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" "\\"Rebus\\"\/")
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