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berriesnpie
Reviews
Murdoch Mysteries: Bloodlines (2022)
Strong episode that finally fleshed out Violet Hart
First of all, this was a delightful episode that highlighted how far Murdoch Mysteries as come in it's portrayal of characters of colors since the early seasons. I loved the nuance here, how each character had a unique point of view, and that the main conflict wasn't racism, but political strategy differences between more radical and more conservative Black people. But at the same time, it didn't shy away from the reality of racism in small town Niagara. And the mystery kept me guessing!
The casting of DuBois and Booker T. Washington was strange, though. The actors were good, but looked very little like the real people. I kept getting confused about who was who actually, because the actor playing DuBois was broader in stature, like Washington was. And the Washington actor was bald, which DuBois was.
Ms. Bright and Ms. Hart dynamic is starting to grow on me. I've always liked that Violet Hart's is so moral gray because you never know what she might do. But Ms. Bright has seemed too simplistic a character to offer either much of a challenge, or a friendship of equals. In this episode, they're on more even ground, and their political differences made the story richer. Neither was very talented at investigation so I missed the competence of Murdoch. But since non-whites weren't allowed to be police, I don't mind watching a bit of amateur sleuthing to get an episode featuring Violet.
The Victim (2019)
Interesting but frustrating to watch
This is a layered drama that has way more nuance than we usually see in UK crime dramas. It made me like characters that I never thought I would, like the crusader cop accused of sexual harassment. I was completed sucked in and watched most of it in one night.
Kelly MacDonald's acting is vivid, but I found her character delusional and unsympathetic for most of the show. I think the script just assumed that being the mother of a murdered child would make viewers empathize so they instead gave her a bunch of selfish and illogical behavior to make her appear more morally grey. But she was so awful to her current children that I struggled to get past that.
The Bay (2019)
Season 3 is strong
This is the rare crime procedural that gets better with time but man, season 1 sure sucks.
Centering the show around a family liaison officer makes for some juicy layers of drama and the mysteries are fun, with cliffhangers at the end of each episode to encourage binging. Also, it's beautiful to look at.
But the idiotic behavior of the lead character is maddening and a huge distraction. Season 1, she lies and commits misconduct which made me want to scream at the screen. And season two, her equally stupid decisions in her relationship sometimes overshadow the mystery.
In season 3, the show start over with a new, and frankly less stupid lead, and she's fantastic to watch. The drama in her personal life is still there, but they've finally got the balance between personal/professional right. I'm hoping for a season 4.