And now for something completely different!

sacredlake

I'm in the middle of Season 2 and am enjoying every minute of it. What a wonderful series, especially refreshing because the writing is such a departure from the typical canned, predictable script. The characters are strong, three-dimensional, and charismatic.

The setting is St. Johns, Newfoundland, unique and picturesque. I love the aerial views of the city, especially the shot in the introduction where the camera zooms over the water as it approaches a narrows between two mountainside cliffs.

Jake Doyle is the lead character, a cute and charming ne'er-do-well PI who is always trying to get out of scrapes that are generally of his own making. The series begins with him living at home with his dad (Malachy) and dad's live-in girlfriend (Rose) and somewhat surly teenage niece (Tinny). Additionally, he has to deal with a would-be apprentice, Des, a goofy, awkward, and geeky (smart) lad who is in love with Tinny.

The only problem I had with the series initially was with the female characters, who seemed to be deemed interesting only because of their looks and willing participation in Jake's sexual escapades. The ex-wife was not especially strong, particularly as her ambivalence about Jake became a bit confusing. However, as the series develops, the female characters indeed become three-dimensional, interesting, and strong: Leslie, the female police sergeant; Tinny, whose teenage angst morphs into remarkable self-possession; and the Crown attorney whose name I cannot recall.

I love seeing the evolution of the characters over the episodes, and the interweaving of plot lines throughout the series. The father and Rose seem to be a bit more flatly portrayed, more static rather than dynamic characters.

And about that action: there are plenty of rough-and-tumble fight scenes recalling the good old days of television, as opposed to bang-bang-you're-dead, where the presence of guns tends to dampen the fun.

I love the corny humor (thank you, Des), the unusual accents, Hawco's sweet rubbery babyface, the sense of loyalty and affection among the characters, the whole thing, actually. Highly recommend.

score 9/10

sacredlake 13 March 2018

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw4090078/