Bellevue

Bellevue is a dying northern Ontario town struggling with drugs after its mine closed. There's a native reservation close by. Annie Ryder (Anna Paquin) is a hard-charging police detective in town. She's the single mother to Daisy. Daisy's father Eddie Rowe is her on-again off-again boyfriend. Her police father was killed investigating the murder of Sandy Driver over 20 years ago. Another kid has gone missing. It's Jesse Sweetland, the 16 year old transgender hockey star. Maggie is his widowed mother. Peter Welland is the police chief. Annie used to find notes in the woods which she assumed to be from her dead father. She gets a new message which leads to clues about Jesse.

It's another dead kid mystery. The thing about dead kid mysteries is that it should start with a dead kid right away. I did wonder about all the police effort in finding a missing kid when the town is over-run with drugs. Like one of the officer said, he's probably run off somewhere. I'm willing to give it a pass since he is the hockey star. The other problematic issue are the notes with the dead father. Sometimes, it feels too gimmicky although I do like the original sin message. There is a bit too much exposition in the pilot. The over-riding positive is Anna Paquin. She's a top notch actress injecting real power and charisma into this project.

Bellevue (2017): Right from its posters to its trailers,Bellevue promised a great thrilling series.After Cardinal,which is a great investigative thriller,I expected a lot from another detective thriller.So how is it? Plot: Bellevue is a mystery set in a small town with a lot of 'good people' who 'live right' and take it upon themselves to make sure the neighbors do too. Driving the series is Detective Annie Ryder (Anna Paquin), a cop whose intense and brazen personality has always been at odds with her hometown. When a transgender teen goes missing, Annie dives in to unravel the disappearance that suggests foul play, despite finding herself in a difficult position as she must cast suspicion on people she has known all her life. As the case pulls her further away from her family, she is also confronted by a mysterious person from her past with disturbing answers and a terrifying need to get inside her head.

My Review: The phrase "edgy and eerie" has been used repeatedly by CBC to describe the series, but that doesn't do it justice.

Bellevue has one of the most intriguing potential in recent times and has all the opportunities to make a masterpiece thrilling series but all of it was misused to bring us a boring messy series.The problem with the series is that it always seems like a lot is going on in the town and we try to keep track of all those but unfortunately most of the time we don't succeed.All the episodes features only three types of scenes.One is where Anna talks with her family,second is where she talks with Police colleagues and third is where she talks with town people.Most of the series is just talking and driving and even roaming in forest.

Direction and dialogues are biggest drawback of the series.We even feel like laughing whenever any important discussion is going on.Acting is mediocre.Cinematography is the only part which is impressive.

So,Bellevue is one of the most disappointing TV series I had even seen.A wastage of strong potential.

My Rating 5.25/10

I don't really understand why it has a 6.7 from 94 people, didn't anybody watch this show and just some haters gave it a low rating? It had only one episode yet, those reviews are also the reason for my review.

From the other reviews I expected the show to start really slow or with bad actors, but everything is good enough for a TV show and the story is not so different from the very good first season of True Detective.

I'm only bothered by some little things like why would you go in there alone in the dark, you know what I mean, but the story makes up for that, a lot happens and it's not slow at all. I would maybe give it a 7.5 but I'll round it up to 8, because I truly am curious about the next episode.

I really enjoyed this story in spite of all the unexpected twists and turns. Complicated, weird and even gory at times, but with so many deeply-felt emotions and a real understanding of family relationships (somewhat extreme and perverted here). The setting is wonderfully eerie too with the mine and the woods, the darkness and the snow at the end. The acting is wonderful. I had only seen Anna Paquin in the film "the Piano", and she has retained the passionate intensity of that little girl. Allen Leech is very moving in all his clumsy warmth.I didn't know any of the Canadian actors, but I found their portrayal of these troubled characters very believable. The young girl who plays Daisy is so cute and vibrant she manages to lighten up the dark mood. So much better than many popular shows, it is complex and moving!

I don't know why so many seemed to be confused. It's a whodunit with a story underneath revealing more about the protagonist, who is a profiler/detective. As she is putting together the dark clues of the missing one, she also is uncovering things of her own past. The tone is reminiscent of True Detective.With trippy religious behaviors and psychotic tones and trails, it is a very good thrill and ride.

If you are one of those looking for the "True Blood" fix and a 'simple' story that doesn't require you to become invested in the characters or you won't even allow yourself to be told this story, this show will not be for you.

I am into it!