If you're going to use formula and cliche, this is how to do it right.

the-n

I love this show. This is how to do formula, use cliches, and pay homage to all the similar "whodunits" that came before. This show started OK--considering the recognizable elements--but it found a groove early and the seasons got increasingly better. Giving Nic Sampson more to do helped with that, as did the tweaks and fun shifts that help part-time characters grow, and in some cases even get killed or be killers. Way to give the actors something to play. I've been working in US TV for a long time, we churn out so many crappy detective shows and bad pilots using the same cliches and formulas, but fail miserably to connect. Timothy Balme gets it, and adds just the right tweak to the expected to make them not seem stale. US TV production is currently shut down, but New Zealand handled the pandemic much better, I truly hope there's a season 7 in the works.

score 8/10

the-n 28 July 2020

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw5947513/