All Rise...

Appellate Judge James A. Stewart always morses right the first time so he doesn't need to remorse.

The Charge

"There is concern that some of me has rubbed off on you."
—Jesse Stone to Suitcase, the acting chief of police in Paradise, Massachusetts

The Case

Jesse Stone, the alcoholic police chief in Paradise, Massachusetts, originally came from the pen of the late Robert B. Parker, best known for creating private eye Spenser. The character stays reasonably close to Parker's creation, but Tom Selleck (Magnum P.I.) has made Stone his own, even co-writing Jesse Stone: No Remorse.

The TV movie finds Stone suspended from his job as the Paradise police are investigating violent convenience store robberies. Meanwhile, Stone gets called in as a consultant to catch a serial killer who lurks in Boston parking garages.

The suspension storyline finds Stone quietly keeping tabs on a friend who works in a convenience store, nudging colleagues Suitcase (Kohl Sudduth, The Notorious Bettie Page) and Rose (Kathy Baker, Picket Fences) behind the scenes, and saying a lot without really saying anything in conversations with a mobster. The most unusual thread, though, finds him finally bonding with his golden retriever Reggie. The dog, it seems, has been more of a conscience, watching him when he drinks, than a pal. Getting Reggie to fetch a stick is a major personal breakthrough. It may not sound like compelling television, but it's a small touch that reveals Stone's struggles and makes the cop human.

It appears that Selleck took part in the writing to make No Remorse a movie of small touches. As in Jesse Stone: Night Passage, an earlier entry in the series that I reviewed, the best part of the movie is Selleck. However, he's done a better job of bolstering his performance with the writing, concentrating on character and mood, with minimal emphasis on the plot. It's only in the last reel that Stone matches wits with a sociopath in the case that gives the movie its title, but you won't be bored in the meantime, since No Remorse gives Selleck plenty of character moments.

The seascapes of Nova Scotia continue to make an excellent backdrop for Stone, and they come across well in this transfer.

Atmosphere carries No Remorse, making it worth a look if you liked Magnum. Selleck fans probably have seen this one, but if you haven't, you won't have remorse over a rental or Netflix.

The Verdict

Not guilty. Jesse Stone could rub off on you.

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