Created by Colin Bateman to maximize on the talent of James Nesbitt, Murphy's Law is a more likeable Cracker. With nothing left to lose after his daughter's death and the subsequent rift created between he and his wife, Tom Murphy (Nesbitt) transplants his law-enforcing self from Ireland to London. What follows is the quest of one cop to rid himself of the ghosts (and demons) of his past, with a bottle in one hand and his badge in the other.

In the pilot for the series, Murphy infiltrates a band of diamond thieves in his last shot at earning an honest living. He's smart-mouthed and street smart, and while he's been compared to Robbie Coltrane's Cracker, this show is less gritty and less alienating. The bad guys are still cold, but in this episode, the tough guy has a soft side: his father is dying. But Murphy isn't investigating emotions; he's hot on the case of these murderers, and his case is complicated by another undercover police officer within the gang's associates (one of whom he is mutually unaware).

In the second entry, "Electric Bill," Murphy finds himself in deep, undercover in a maximum security prison, the cell mate of a man accused of three kidnappings. The police and Murphy's new DI, Annie (Claudia Harrison), want him to discover where the latest victim is held captive, but along the way, he'll also tackle a drug-smuggling ring within the prison's walls. In both cases, Murphy's own instincts take over, but that vibe is affected by his having traded his daughter's life for the life of everyone in the precinct. Murphy is a man who understands Abraham's dilemma: sacrifice Isaac or disobey God. Neither option was easy, but Murphy has to live out his own penance of his daughter's death as he moves forward.

I found the third episode, "Kiss & Tell," pretty amusing, as Murphy goes undercover at a spa for the rich and upwardly mobile that doubles as a swinger's club: married business folk find other unhappily married business people and have a fling. But someone is tossing the status quo by killing some of the men there. Nesbitt plays Murphy with a bit of humor—Murphy is uncomfortable showing himself off, and even flaunting himself so obviously. Murphy may seek brief respite in the arms of another woman, but at heart, he's still in love with his wife. Did I mention that there's also an avenge-driven, murderous Russian mobster on his tail in this one, too?

Murphy is glib, articulate, footloose, and tortured. He's torn apart by the loss of his daughter, the separation from his wife, and his constant immersion in the world of crime in its different faces. But he's also excellent what he does, getting the criminals to dig holes that they can't get out of&ellips; or battling precocious snooker players and the local mob as he does in "Manic Munday." The only episode I found to be a bit weak was "Reunion," but watching Nesbitt and Harrison play off each other reminded me of the main characters from ABC's Castle. There's a playful sexuality brimming to the top but never over, and certainly never acted on.

In the end, Murphy channels his angst and pain into taking down the bad guys, but his communication skills (interpersonally) are lacking, and he's got serious wounds left to care for in time. I'm amped about the next set of the show, just to see how he does with dealing with his wife's new relationships, his own desire to belong, and his grief over the death of his daughter. Those issues aren't going away anytime soon...