Has Robert B. Parker willed his fame Jesse Stone to Tom Selleck?

JohnRayPeterson

The seventh and hopefully not the last episode aired just this past Sunday, but that prospect looms ominously in my opinion. The seventh instalment of the Jesse Stone character on film delivers the usual mystery death(s) we know Jesse will likely solve, but the faith of the bad guys is most often the biggest surprise of the Jesse Stone stories. Again, to my personal delight, the bad guy dies at the hand of former Sheriff Stone, in a perfect trap we can only somewhat presume was Jesse's checkmate move; as usual we were not privy to the plan until it unfolded.

Jesse struggles with his usual demons, the liquor and his divorce. A new love interest in Gloria Reuben is introduced, well maybe just a friend with lovely benefits; and this is one that makes it alive by the end of the movie. Occasionally they die. His friends Luther, Rose, Saul, Commander Healy and Dr. Dix, even quasi-friend Gino, as well as a renewed appearance by Sister Mary John are familiar faces doing their usual thing. About Sister Mary John, we were fooled in believing for a fleeting moment, thanks to very good editing, that she and Jesse have an affair. Well it's the second episode he's blunt about his intention in that respect, so we can hope.

All and all, this episode delivered our annual dose of characters we like and a story we can claim is a good mystery. The pace and the mood always the same slow and thoughtful process; I often remark in many other of my reviews that this or that movie leaves me with a grin, a smile or excited still, etc., but a Jesse Stone movie is one that makes me sigh at the end. It's not a sigh of disappointment, absolutely not; but I have a hard time finding the right words. I can describe how I feel; glad most of the key characters are alive and hopeful that Jesse will maybe find something close to happiness at least before the end of that series. We could say there's a Jesse Stone movie cult, if others feel the same way I described.

score 8/10

JohnRayPeterson 25 May 2011

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw2433960/