Better Late Than Never: 'Death Valley' Is a Perfect Mix of Grief & Humor

TV loves a maverick crime solver. You know the type. They aren’t officially a detective or on any police force. But somehow, they are experts on cracking the case. It’s not just a British trope either. Think ABC’s High Potential, where the cleaning woman with an extraordinarily high IQ outsmarts the police every time. USA’s Psych, where a faux psychic uses his powers of observation to catch the culprit. CBS’s Elsbeth, where Carrie Preston’s eccentric lawyer always knows when something is not quite right. Or, probably the best example of the “maverick crime solver,” Castle, where a famous novelist uses his wit and charm to figure out what’s going on. 

Into this fun field comes Death Valley. Written and created by Paul Doolan, the six-episode dramedy follows Detective Sergeant Janie Mallowan (Gwyneth Keyworth), who has a habit of constantly inserting her foot in her mouth. (“I wish there were more murders by the sea,” she muses at one point. “I love fish and chips.”) In the pilot episode, she meets John Chapel (Timothy Spall), the neighbor of a man who committed suicide in his home office... or did he?

John is the former star of the hit detective TV show Caesar. Janie is a big fan, mainly because the series helped her through a tough time in her life. As a show within a show, Caesar is a spot-on spoof of the genre. “I’m not in the habit of letting people get away with murder... crime waits for no man!” is one of the many bon mots Caesar says melodramatically. The series has a lot of fun with John’s level of fame. During the first season, various characters don’t know who he is, assume he has died, or mistakenly think he was on Game of Thrones. “Oh, we like him. He was in that thing with the thing,” one character says. 

(Despite being the right age and British Actor Stature, we double checked and Timothy Spall has never been to Westeros. At least not yet.)

Set in Wales, the series makes terrific use of lush locations and gorgeous countryside. Characters slip in and out of Welsh, giving the show authenticity. The crimes investigated over the course of the first season’s six episodes are a lot of fun. Murders take place at a wedding, a community theater, and a high school reunion. The culprit is always a bit surprising as the episodes take unexpected twists and turns. 

But what really makes the show tick is the delightful dynamic between John and Janie. From the small moments (she has a habit of eating his food even when she says she doesn’t want anything) to the larger ones (some big moments towards the end of the first season that we won’t spoil), their relationship is the heart of the series.  John has perfected the art of being a loner and a curmudgeon—his only companion a stray cat. He doesn’t quite know what to do with the obvious breath of fresh air Janie has brought into his life. 

Keyworth is hilarious, and her deadpan delivery of her lines is spot on. “Wow, you can choose any fake name, and you go for Karen,” she marvels about one suspect. But there’s an undercurrent of sadness to the series even amidst all the hilarity. Both Janie and John are still in the throes of grief. John’s wife died a few years ago, and he’s overwrought with both heartbreak and guilt. “I was so busy with work, I didn’t realize she was dying,” he tells Janie. 

Janie is haunted by the death of her best friend, who committed suicide. She has never gotten over the shock. She still lives at home with her (slightly overbearing) mother, Yvonne (Melanie Walters). It’s Yvonne who explains to John the impact he has had on her daughter’s life. “Your show is the only thing that got her through what happened. She watched your show on repeat. It was like a comfort blanket for her,” she tells him.  

Together, the unlikely duo helps each other heal; John by giving Janie the confidence that she actually is a good detective, and Janie by making John leave the house and be part of the world once again. “This is so far from protocol, it’s in a different time zone. So just stay in the background, okay?” Janie tells him as they approach a group of suspects. 

But staying in the background is not something John is accustomed to doing. “There are no background artists in this. We are, all of us here, significant protagonists.” 

The problem is, of course, Janie’s boss (Steffan Rhodri) doesn’t want a famous TV actor helping with their detective work. For one thing, John is a civilian. For another, her boss thought he was the mentor in Janie’s professional life. “You’re a good detective. You don’t need fictional detectives helping you,” he tells her. Janie wants a promotion, so she needs to keep the fact that John is helping her a secret. 

It’s Janie and John’s burgeoning relationship that develops throughout the first season that grounds the series and keeps it from being too slapstick. In an unexpected twist, all plot points come together in the season finale. 

Although a second season has yet to be officially announced, Death Valley has been one of the BBC’s biggest hits thus far this year. Look for Janie and John to get the chance to solve a lot more crimes. 

All episodes of Death Valley Season 1 are currently available on BritBox. Season 2 is rumored to start filming in Wales in the fall of 2025.