Strike TV series, Career of Evil, BBC One

The ‘will they won’t they’ between private detective Cormoron Strike and his attractive temp / secretary / eventual partner Robin, has been keeping us going in the three Strike books by Robert Galbraith (pseudonym for Harry Potter author J.K Rowling) and the first two instalments of the mini-series produced so far by the BBC.

The idea that something sexual could happen between the gruff, one-legged detective and our sparky young Northerner has been on the table since Strike accidentally grabbed Robins breast to stop her from falling down the stairs at their first meeting. A bold move by Rowling there.

The first two books in the Strike series, The Cuckoo's Calling and The Silkworm were adapted by the BBC last year. The first of two episodes adapting Career of Evil aired on Sunday night. This time, the mystery came to Robin and Strike when an amputated leg was sent to Robin in the post. It wasn't Strike’s, if you were wondering.

No spoilers for Career of Evil here. The time has come to remind yourself of the many (many) reasons our two protagonists should set up shop together on the camp-bed in Cormoron’s office.

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1) Robin’s fiancé is a massive, horrible, controlling jerk

Smoothie, corporate, basic jerk boyfriend Matthew is every awful man you’ve had to hide from in a South London nightclub. Picture him now in a pair of red corduroy trousers, a self-satisfied smile and a short fuse. He likes to know exactly where his woman is, and probably what she’s doing. He’s more than a little bit controlling and manipulative, lets be honest. No, we’re not being harsh. Matthew is a jerk.

Come the third instalment in the series, Matthew will still be talking about how annoyed he is that Robin didn’t take a job in HR that would have paid her more than the pittance Strike can afford to give her. It doesn’t matter that Robin’s has dreams and ambitions outside of working in a sterile corporate environment in a pencil skirt and kitten heals – he doesn’t want that for himself, and so it must be stupid.

Her talents and enthusiasms go unappreciated or discussed. This is the kind of man who tells his girlfriend she’s ‘naive’ when she draws different conclusions to him, when the two of them have lived in the same world just as long as one other.

Don’t forget that time Robin organised for the three of them to go to the pub together. Matthew was all superior and boastful in an attempt to intimidate Strike – the mark of a jealous and pathetic man. Oh God Robin, don’t marry him.

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2) How much does Robin really love him anyway?

We don’t blame you Robin – obviously – but it does rather look like you might not be that in love with your fiancé.

Remember in The Silkworm when you decided to drive Strike to Devon, despite the fact that your fiancé’s mother had just died. To be fair to awful Matthew, it was reasonable for him to expect his girlfriend to support him whilst he made the funeral arrangements.

Rather than rushing off to be by his side, you were mad with freedom, lied about not being able to take the time off work, drove to Devon and gave us a very tense moment when it wasn’t clear you were going to make it to the funeral at all. Hate to break it to you, but this isn’t how girls who are desperately in love with their kind, wonderful fiancé’s usually behave.

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3) Strike and Robin have the same outlook on life

Any relationship councillor will tell you that shared values make the bedrock upon which to build a good relationship. This hairy, portly, older detective and our unusually attractive young strawberry-blonde might not, on the surface, have that much in common with one another, but look deeper.

They’re both highly moral people, both have been damaged in their own ways, and yet have come to believe in justice, goodness and ruthlessness in the face of adversity. They’re both private, complicated people, who even know how to fight clean. And just think how clever their babies would be!

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4) Also he clearly fancies her

As Robin is, like, engaged and everything. So it's hard to know how Robin really feels about Strike. But anyone who has read, or watched, the scene where Robin tries on the green dress as part of a ruse to get information about the Lulu Landry case in The Silkworm can be in no doubt as to how Strike feels about Robin – physically at least. All that’s left is for Robin to discover she has a thing for scarred ex-military men.

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5) They already make a great team

They catch killers together, they compliment one another perfectly and they both know how to apologise when they’re being stupid jerks (looking at you Matthew). Is any more proof than that needed?