But I don't.
I really don't.
I'm a big fan of mystery shows, and I enjoy them in all forms, from lighthearted, bloodless British romps to dark and twisted serial killer binge-worthy nightmares. Sadly, the show lacks any depth or humor whatsoever, and even Lucy Lawless (who clearly dialed this one in) couldn't hold my interest. The dialogue is (and I'm being generous here) weak, the "mysteries" are obvious and vapid. There's no character development. Alexa was advertised as this brilliant criminal mastermind with a tragic backstory. She's meant to be paired with an equally shining datahead and together they're supposed to combine forces girlpower-style to defeat these allegedly tricky foes. And then there's dadcop, who is completely useless. Just appears conveniently at the end once Alexa has unraveled the tangled threads of each mystery. (Which, in reality, were already presented as a well-knit sweater from the get go; all she does is put it on.) After a few episodes, I'm left feeling annoyed with these characters, to be honest. What is it about Alexa that makes her so crucial to these "cold" cases? Why is Madison so irritating and ineffective? And what does Kieran even do aside from handing over manila envelopes and exiting his cop car at that not-hackneyed-at-all-oh-so-critical-moment-before-arrest? The solutions are painfully evident and the slog to get to them is cringe-worthy to say the least. With this series, it feels as though we're merely watching thin cardboard cutouts (well worn at their edges) being pushed across an equally flat setting attending to fatiguing villains -- who are ridiculously apparent from their first introduction. I applaud Lucy Lawless's comeback here; the show seems to revolve entirely around celebrating her "many skills" -- e.g., speaking German, baking bread, doing "research" online, and wearing comfortable clothing. Brava. I hope she goes on to produce better shows in the future. It's just too bad because the whole thing comes off as a pretentious coat of dust.
Disappointing.
I really don't.
I'm a big fan of mystery shows, and I enjoy them in all forms, from lighthearted, bloodless British romps to dark and twisted serial killer binge-worthy nightmares. Sadly, the show lacks any depth or humor whatsoever, and even Lucy Lawless (who clearly dialed this one in) couldn't hold my interest. The dialogue is (and I'm being generous here) weak, the "mysteries" are obvious and vapid. There's no character development. Alexa was advertised as this brilliant criminal mastermind with a tragic backstory. She's meant to be paired with an equally shining datahead and together they're supposed to combine forces girlpower-style to defeat these allegedly tricky foes. And then there's dadcop, who is completely useless. Just appears conveniently at the end once Alexa has unraveled the tangled threads of each mystery. (Which, in reality, were already presented as a well-knit sweater from the get go; all she does is put it on.) After a few episodes, I'm left feeling annoyed with these characters, to be honest. What is it about Alexa that makes her so crucial to these "cold" cases? Why is Madison so irritating and ineffective? And what does Kieran even do aside from handing over manila envelopes and exiting his cop car at that not-hackneyed-at-all-oh-so-critical-moment-before-arrest? The solutions are painfully evident and the slog to get to them is cringe-worthy to say the least. With this series, it feels as though we're merely watching thin cardboard cutouts (well worn at their edges) being pushed across an equally flat setting attending to fatiguing villains -- who are ridiculously apparent from their first introduction. I applaud Lucy Lawless's comeback here; the show seems to revolve entirely around celebrating her "many skills" -- e.g., speaking German, baking bread, doing "research" online, and wearing comfortable clothing. Brava. I hope she goes on to produce better shows in the future. It's just too bad because the whole thing comes off as a pretentious coat of dust.
Disappointing.