katieintoronto Reviews

Pretty Hard Cases (2021–2023)

Worth giving this show a look

[9/10 · 5 April 2021]

I hope people give this show a chance. I originally was afraid it was going to be fluff, but it's a really good detective show. As the story line develops, so do the characters, and the two leads in particular are excellent - I love the dynamic between them. I just recently picked it up and have been binge watching it. Can't wait for more!

Mary Kills People (2017–2019)

Two doctors moonlight as angels of death.

[20 January 2017]

So far only the first episode is out, so this is based on that only. I don't know if I like this show or not. It's an interesting premise and the title character, Mary, seems to have a backstory that led her to what she's doing. What she's doing is helping terminal patients die by choice. She's an ER doctor by day, heroically saving lives. Her partner is referred to as a "former plastic surgeon", suggesting a past that didn't go so well. He also seems to have been an addict - they get the drugs they use to kill their terminal patients from his former dealer, who is suspicious as to what he's doing with the drugs. The plot gets more complicated when we discover that a patient Mary goes to visit is actually an undercover cop who is working on a sting to put her away. Oh, and her kids have discovered her stash of drugs. That's all in the first episode. There's the potential of good secondary plots that explain or elaborate on the story line. Some nice tensions. The actors are good, suit the parts. I just don't think I like them very much. There's no sense of altruism about what the doctors are doing - just money. Except...she starts to talk to the cop but then the conversation doesn't go anywhere. Maybe it'll come out a bit at a time. I'll watch again. There's definitely potential. But I'm still undecided if it's a keeper.

Lucifer (2016–2021)

The devil is tired of hell so heads to earth for a change of pace

[9/10 · 24 March 2016]

I really like this show! Stumbled onto it by accident. Didn't know what to expect. It's very loosely based on the DC comic character but the best way to watch it is for itself, rather than comparing it to the comic. I've been enjoying it a lot!

Tom Ellis is perfect in the part of Lucifer, the devil who takes a holiday from Hell. Just devilish enough, just enough hints at how wicked he might actually be, but all the time with a devilish twinkle in his eye that makes him fascinating and likable in that way bad boys have of being likable. As the show progresses, his Lucifer character has gained complexity and depth that make him increasingly interesting.

The plots are pretty straightforward procedural cop show, as are the stock characters: the beautiful detective, the guy who doesn't want to be a dirty cop, the guy who is a dirty cop, and the various peripherals. But there's a sub-plot developing, manipulated by his yin yang counter-part, the archangel Amenadiel (played by D. B. Woodside with elegant smoothness and an unexpected hint of the sinister), which gives a continuing line to the episodes and will test the loyalties of the characters - and keep the audience watching. I have a feeling it may end up being the cliffhanger at the end of the season.

I find the show is at its best when it focuses on Lucifer himself. His charming bad boy persona is almost campy, but yet irresistible. And his moments of self-examination through the situations he gets into can be quite poignant. He doesn't understand the softer side of things, resents them, tries to subvert them, only to find sometimes he likes them, even needs them. And that could make him vulnerable. Tom Ellis does this with a subtlety that I find quite brilliant. As much as anything, I watch the show for him!

I'm glad Fox (in Canada, it's on CTV) has given Lucifer the chance to find its footing, and I really hope they keep it going beyond this first season.

Midsomer Murders (1997– )

good old fashioned murder mysteries

[8/10 · 18 February 2016]

I love this show. It's perfect when you've had a long, hard day. Complete story arc: murder, cops called, solving process, mystery solved and everyone's happy. The stories are light and the characters are either Likable or The Bad Guy - with the occasional red herring thrown in to confuse you. Think "Murder She Wrote", but in England. And if you're a fan of Brit TV, you'll recognize a lot of the actors - they turn up in practically everything that's made for British television. It's one of the few shows that have gone on for years and years and had main character changes, but never jumped the shark. If you like this type of thing - and I recommend it! - do give it a look. Start from the beginning, because then you'll get the full story line. It doesn't matter too much to the plot of later episodes, but there's a comfy feeling to knowing who is what to whom right through. Is it a rainy evening and you don't feel like going out and you'd like a pleasant way to pass the evening? Perfect!

Angel from Hell (2016)

Very disappointing

[3/10 · 27 January 2016]

I first watched this because I'm a fan of Jane Lynch. I've seen her in quite a lot of other shows over the years, some big hits, some not, but I always liked her. But this show just doesn't work for me. First and foremost, the premise: a straight-laced, work driven professional (a highly respected doctor) gets stalked by a loud, abrasive middle aged woman who appears to be a drunk and behaves like a loose cannon, and claims to be the younger woman's guardian angel. Not only that, but the woman also knows amazingly intimate details of the professional woman's life. And begins to interfere in her relationships. And encourages her into reckless behaviour. She has never met this woman before and has no idea how she knows so much or what she wants. But what does the educated professional woman do? Not run as fast as possible in the opposite direction. Not call the police. Nope - she decides she needs a wacky friend. And this bizarre total stranger who gets way too close and causes trouble everywhere she goes will be just the ticket. A wacky friend who's twice her age, who thinks she's an angel, and has a criminal past. I don't know... maybe better writing could've made the premise work better. The acting's okay. The casting's okay. But of the first three episodes I've watched so far, I find nothing to make me buy into this plot line. The relationship seems creepy rather than funny and, because of that, the jokes don't work. I just find myself thinking, "Run! Run while there's still time!" Whether I'm saying that to the character in the show, or to the audience...well...

Schitt's Creek (2015–2020)

So glad to see this show back for a 2nd season!

[9/10 · 27 January 2016]

When CBC first began promoting Schitt's Creek, I thought it sounded, well, kind of stupid. And it did take an episode or two for the ensemble to get into a groove. But it was a great cast and I wanted to give it a chance, so I kept watching. It was worth it! As the first season progressed, it got better and better. The cast really work together: Adam Levy is a scream, Catherine O'Hara is cleverly batty, the dynamics between Adam Levy and Annie Murphy as brother and sister are perfect, and the peripheral characters have developed more dimension, especially Emily Hampshire's. I love this show!

Now they're back for another season and I've watched the first three episodes. They've really got a good dynamic going. It's quite a dry humour, that can seem simplistic if you don't get it, but I really enjoy it. I just watched the latest episode and I found myself really laughing out loud. The characters play off each other and balance each other at the same time, never missing a beat. Brilliant casting! It's not complicated or demanding, but it's a lot more clever than might seem from a superficial glance, and well worth taking the time to get into it. I'm quite picky about comedies, find many of them irritating or just plain unfunny, but this one I gave a 9/10, I like it that much!

Midwinter of the Spirit (2015)

Creepy, with good tension building

[8/10 · 6 January 2016]

• No Spoilers - I've never read (or heard of) the books, so just watched this as a stand alone rather than comparing. Based on other reviews, it's better that way. I found it to be well done: good suspense building up through the first episode (that's all that's been on so far here), with enough creepiness to keep you jumpy. The evil characters are suitably evil, the mystery seems complex and possibly dangerous, and it's not yet clear how this will play out, which keeps you watching. I like the way the lead character plays the part, as something of a normal-ish Mum who's muddling along, as much as anything; although that said, it's a bit puzzling that she would have wanted to be an exorcist. Possibly that comes out later. A bit cliché, but so far it's working for me and I'd call it generally well done. I'll definitely tune in for the next episode.

The Romeo Section (2015–2016)

Another great show from this team of creators

[9/10 · 15 October 2015]

As soon as I saw who had created this new series, Chris Haddock of Da Vinci's Inquest and Intelligence, I was pretty sure I would like it. Having watched the first episode, I wasn't disappointed. His signature is complex characters and plots with interwoven stories. Nothing is ever immediately obvious.

Though occasionally raw, this show isn't action packed, depending more on psychology and intrigue. Haddock creates the thinking person's mysteries. The Romeo Section is about spies with a special talent: Romeo Section of the title is a covert intelligence operation that uses seduction as its tool for spying. The Romeos and Juliets are recruited for their ability to get information by getting romantically/sexually involved with their intelligence targets. (Yes, there are some fairly explicit sex scenes. Just so you know.)

I will definitely keep watching this show. From my experience with Haddock's other productions, I expect it to get more and more complex as the various stories ravel and unravel and the tension climbs.