So let us try this Republic of Doyle review again. Although we won't be doing a lengthy review like I had last night. Alas, you just get the bullet points.
• Overall a good episode. The mystery of who committed the murder was reasonably well disguised and there was that much going on that it was kind of easy to overlook who committed the original murder. Not as funny as some of the other episodes this season, but considering how serious last season's finale was, that kind of fits.
• Having said that, it's been nearly a year since last season's finale, and this is the fourth episode of this season. I follow the show reasonably close, but seriously, I had problems remember what was going on with ponzi schemes, reformed hookers and corporate conspiracies. Even with the "Previously on Republic of Doyle" being more detailed, there were too many times where I was going, "wait, what?" I think they were better off dealing with this the first episode of the season, not the fourth.
• It occurs to me that the women of Doyle haven't been treated especially well this season, though. Rose is back to being a walking expository device. Tinny is still being pretty dumb. Nicki is mercifully scarce, the new Crown is just odd and Leslie....the poor girl. Leslie was shaping up as a strong woman at one point. Now, she's being the girlfriend to a secretive mayor, her partner is pissed with her and Jake is still jerking her around while she makes moony eyes at him. The fact that she never solves the cases, just comes in after Jake does it for her is getting a bit annoying.
• It would actually be nice to have a Doyle episode where the women save the day. Or hell, at least have Jake show up and Leslie is there, wrapping things up already with a smirk. That would be amusing.
• One of the commenters from last week's review said that the Crown and the Mayor were obviously married. I dismissed the idea, thinking it would be very bad writing. But it seems this week it's pretty obvious that's where things are going. The mayor keeping Leslie quiet, the Crown having an ex that she just hasn't gotten around to divorcing. It's there.
And why is dumb? Because of a little scene Jake had with Tinny, where he told her he's investigated every boy that's ever come into the house. Do you really think he didn't do the same thing with the Mayor when he hooked up with Leslie? If that happens, it's deeply sloppy writing.
• It seems Christian is going to stick around for an episode or two. We'll see how that works out. I'm not fond of the character, but there is some potential there. Nothing like a brother to get under your skin.
• And now, quotes of the week. The pickings are a little slim this week, what with the humour being downplayed:
• Overall a good episode. The mystery of who committed the murder was reasonably well disguised and there was that much going on that it was kind of easy to overlook who committed the original murder. Not as funny as some of the other episodes this season, but considering how serious last season's finale was, that kind of fits.
• Having said that, it's been nearly a year since last season's finale, and this is the fourth episode of this season. I follow the show reasonably close, but seriously, I had problems remember what was going on with ponzi schemes, reformed hookers and corporate conspiracies. Even with the "Previously on Republic of Doyle" being more detailed, there were too many times where I was going, "wait, what?" I think they were better off dealing with this the first episode of the season, not the fourth.
• It occurs to me that the women of Doyle haven't been treated especially well this season, though. Rose is back to being a walking expository device. Tinny is still being pretty dumb. Nicki is mercifully scarce, the new Crown is just odd and Leslie....the poor girl. Leslie was shaping up as a strong woman at one point. Now, she's being the girlfriend to a secretive mayor, her partner is pissed with her and Jake is still jerking her around while she makes moony eyes at him. The fact that she never solves the cases, just comes in after Jake does it for her is getting a bit annoying.
• It would actually be nice to have a Doyle episode where the women save the day. Or hell, at least have Jake show up and Leslie is there, wrapping things up already with a smirk. That would be amusing.
• One of the commenters from last week's review said that the Crown and the Mayor were obviously married. I dismissed the idea, thinking it would be very bad writing. But it seems this week it's pretty obvious that's where things are going. The mayor keeping Leslie quiet, the Crown having an ex that she just hasn't gotten around to divorcing. It's there.
And why is dumb? Because of a little scene Jake had with Tinny, where he told her he's investigated every boy that's ever come into the house. Do you really think he didn't do the same thing with the Mayor when he hooked up with Leslie? If that happens, it's deeply sloppy writing.
• It seems Christian is going to stick around for an episode or two. We'll see how that works out. I'm not fond of the character, but there is some potential there. Nothing like a brother to get under your skin.
• And now, quotes of the week. The pickings are a little slim this week, what with the humour being downplayed:
"Don’t be a dicksmack, Christian." - Jake. Nice to see some local obscenities make it into the show and past CBC censors.
"Yeah, that’s my style, killin’ old folks." - Jake to Leslie
"What about you and your little Twilight friend?" - Jake to Tinny
"Men are tools and boys are even worse." - Jake to Tinny (that was actually a pretty decent scene)
"I am glad that I had that cleaned." - Jake to the Crown who was wearing his hockey jersey and not much else, who apparently has no problem circumventing the rules surrounding break and enter. Not that Jake appeared to mind.
"I got hit by a car, but believe me, I’m going to forget all about it in about 30 seconds." - Jake to the Crown
Last Five
1. I predict a riot - Kaiser Chiefs
2. Little motel - Modest Mouse
3. I don't want to face it - The Fab Faux
4. My music at work - The Tragically Hip
5. Bottom of the world - Tom Waits*
2 comments:
It was just a theory. I'll buy you a double-double if I'm wrong.
The problem with this season, so far at least, is the timelag between the primary and secondary storylines. Each week the primary narrative runs at breakneck speed so that the plot can be tidied up neatly in an hour, while the secondary narratives creep along at a snail's pace.
This works fine for the romantic subplot, which feeds off the main storyline; but it isn't working for the Tinny grow-op story, which is developing so lethargically that it's in danger of becoming the dramaturgical equivalent of Krusty the Clown's superfluous third nipple.
Perhaps the writers will mercifully euthanize the subplot (maybe, next week, Tinny's screwing with the power meter will create an electrical short that burns down the whole grow-op); but something tells me that they will keep it on life support until Jake saves the day.
I know the writers are going for the Rockford Files thing, but they're using enough humour to justify periodically drawing on the successful Seinfeld (and Corner Gas) model, in which three parallel storylines run at a similar pace and then merge at the end of an episode.
The way things are going now, by the time Leslie and Jake eventually link up via the grow-op denouement, it will be hard to imagine anyone caring all that much, unless something unexpected transpires, such as the jerk being the mayor's son.
If Jerky McGrow Op Robber turns out to be the mayor's son, then Jake is clearly not great at researching the boys who hover around Tinny, as he claims to have been doing "ever since [she] started looking like a girl."
As much as the whole grow op side plot is boring and stupid, I'm kind of curious to see where it goes, seeing as Tinny's partner in crime is apparently the stupidest grower in the history of grow ops.
Likely, it'll end up with the cops moving in just at what's his face is robbing the place. Tinny and her friend will conveniently be somewhere else and everyone will have learned a valuable lesson without having actually been caught in the act (except for the kid robbing the place). Tinny will ask Mal for the money to go study in London, he'll say yes, and she'll disappear for the rest of the season (and hopefully for good).
I'm not sure if I actually believe that theory, or if I'm just kind of hoping that it goes that way, because it'll mean no more Tinny acting like a stupid brat. Hell, if Tinny went away, Des might actually become a better character. His bumbling idoicy tends to be a lot funnier when it doesn't involve awkwardly spying on Tinny.
Post a Comment