Defending Jacob (2020)
The limited drama series is a gripping, character-driven thriller based on the 2012 New York Times best selling novel of the same name by William Landay. An assistant DA’s world is shattered when his beloved son gets charged with murder.
My thoughts: Gets off to a good start, then gets bogged down by the standard cliched (“Someone has sprinted MURDERER on their garage door!”, “The friendly wannabe-confidante turns out to be a sneaky reporter!”). The ending is unsatisfying and strays from the novel, further alienating fans of the books.
2.5/5
Queens of Mystery (2019 – ) Season 2
Three crime-writing sisters and their 28-year old niece use their extensive knowledge of crime to solve whodunit style murders in the picturesque English village of Wildemarsh.
My thoughts: I didn’t realize they had replaced the lead until the third episode. Anyway, the characters are charming enough but the mysteries too insubstantial to warrant me checking out a third season.
3/5
Father & Son (2009)
Ex Manchester gangland boss Michael O’Connor, who is now happily settled in rural Ireland, is forced to go back to Manchester when his son Sean is found guilty of the murder of a gang member.
My thoughts: Dougray Scott delivers a stellar performance in this lightly plotted drama
3/5
Agatha Raisin (2014 – ) Season 1
The Cotswolds-based PR guru turned amateur sleuth returns for a series of comedic murder-mysteries based on the books by M.C. Beaton.
My thoughts: Overall, a little too silly and law enforcement a little too dumb for my taste.
3/5
Banshee (2013 – 2016) Season 1
An ex-con assumes the identity of a murdered sheriff in the small town of Banshee, Pennsylvania, where he has some unfinished business.
My thoughts: Anthony Starr is great but the bad guys felt T.V. Light and the sex scenes gratuitous and kinda silly. Ultimately, cable shows tend to date themselves a lot quicker than streaming shows.
3.5/5
I’ll look up Father and Son. Thanks for the review!
Sunday, I finished Season 5 of the Unforgotten. I was a bit unsure of the new lead but the writers did what you did on DM with Anthony’s character. They made her unlikeable and then you get to know her better. This is such a good series!
Not recommended. Yeah, I was unsure about Unforgotten season 5 as well and while I did feel something (someone) was missing, it still held up very well.
Upon further review, I’d bump Father and Son up to a 4 and would recommend it.
The Acorn PR department phoned it in when they had to come up with the DVD covers for “Queens of Mystery” and “Agatha Raisin”.