Review - Republic of Doyle, Season 2, ep 2

So, your weekly Doyle review from frigid Iqaluit, where the temperature is around -30C but on the bright side, there is a lovely full moon.

So this week was have an actually quite a good Doyle, a big step up from last week. In fact, it might be one of the best since the show aired. And all it took was bringing back Beloved Canadian Icon, Gordon Pinsent.

Oh, and watching Alan Doyle get smacked in the face a few times worked for me as well. Not sure why that is. Probably best not to dwell on it too much.

So this week Jake gets sent inside Her Majesty’s Penitentary undercover by the police and the hot new Crown Attorney to have a chat with a brother who knows where a priceless stolen diamond necklace is stashed. And he has to get to him fast as his other brother who was in on the heist died of a heart attack. At 30. Which is not suspicious at all.

So yes, there are strange goings on at Her Majestry’s. Complicating things is the return of Pinsent’s Maurice Becker who harbours a bit of a grudge at being in jail because of Jake, his henchmen, played by Doyle, and a corrupt prison guard who is apparently a part time ninja and is also after the necklace.

Meanwhile, outside of jail, Rose’s batshit crazy con artist mom drops in unexpectedly (as in she told Mal she was dead) and Tinny and Dez have managed to stumble into the grow-op business.

The good news is that the main story was pretty funny and had me guessing up until the end. Granted, the end made little sense, but hey, let’s not pick nits to hard here shall we. (If the first brother was out and alive for days, why did he wait to go and get the necklace until the other brother got out? And why did they both wait for the other guy in love with the doctor, who they were going to kill anyway, to get out? And how did the guys at Caul's not know the difference in weight between a coffin with a body in it, and one without?) Doyle in prison works and was amusing. The opening scene was hilarious, although to be honest, wouldn’t you have been just as happy if the entire episode was about the bachelor party? Oh, excuse me, Engagement Party.

And the bit about why Jake was arrested? Priceless. Possibly the funniest bit in the show since we were introduced to Jigg’s Dinner last season (and isn't it about time Jigg's Dinner makes a return appearance?)

So yeah, the main story was mostly fun. Doesn’t give the best impression of Her Majesty’s, what with the corrupt cops, lax security, multiple jail escapes and riots, but oh well. It's not like most people have a happy view about the place anyway.

The bit with Rose’s mom was…fine, I guess. It wasn’t exactly riveting stuff. The jokes Jake was able to get off at Mal's expense were funnier than anything that really happened with the characters directly involved with that storyline. It’s nice to get a bit more of a back story about what a rogue Rose was before she met Mal, I just wish it was more entertaining than what it was.

I really should just stop writing and Dez and Tinny, it’ll save me time and space. Look, from now on, if I don’t mention them, can you just assume I thought I thought whatever it was they were doing was awful and a complete waste of valuable screen time? If they actually do something that isn’t completely annoying and stupid, I’ll be sure to mention it.

And now, the always popular best quotes of the week:

“So bitter, so young.” - Mal

"What a lame party! You should have gotten strippers!" - Rose

“On what charge?” - Mal
“Assaulting an officer (headbutt).” – Jake. Also, kudos to the look on Sean Panting’s face when he realizes what Jake’s done.

“I can’t hear you, your voice is all nasally.” - Jake

“I’m seeing double, which is good when I’m looking at you, not so good when I’m looking at him.” - Jake

“That there’s what you call a self cleaning oven. Turn on the heat and it takes care of itself.” – Maurice Becker

“B’yes are calling you One Smack Doyle. That’s better than Dick Smack Doyle, I s’pose.” – Alan Doyle (sorry, forget his character)

So yes, more of this please, although a tighter ending would be nice. But as long as it keeps being funny and entertaining, I’ll forgive the odd massive plot hole. And apparently Jake is now also required to take off his shirt and getting smacked in the face every episode. It should make the ladies happy, at least.

Last Five
1. Real love - David Gray
2. The boy come home - Matthew Good*
3. Road to somewhere - Goldfrapp
4. Teenage pregnancy - Cake
5. Learning to fly (live) - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers