The Hunting Party

This is based on one episode so far, but it is already looking as if this series is going to degrade into a standard paint-by-numbers crime show. There was certainly nothing to hook you in and make you want to come back for more. If you're the sort of person who likes to watch shows while multi tasking and engaging on your mobile with social networking then is one of those shows that will suit you because there's no intricate plot details that you need to pay attention to. Miss a few minutes and go make a cup of coffee, you won't miss anything important. All in all it's gonna be a case of the week story, progressed on the thinnest of leads and solved just at the 40th minute with a random clue. Seen it all before.

To be fair, I am quite enjoying the show. I waited a few weeks and then watched the first 5 episodes in one binge session, so for me, it was enjoyable enough to keep me interested.

The actual plot is pretty crazy and offers up some hectic storylines. In my opinion, they could have been executed better. It gives me vibes of a b grade X-Files.

I do have one bone to pick with the show, and it is probably really small in the context, but...

The team fly all over the country in a private jet, but no matter where they land, they always end up arriving on scene on the same SUV! Like I said, no biggie, but just bugs me a little bit.

It is hard to first get into as it seems like a B movie and doesn't really pull you in. The concept is very good. The non-stop music playing throughout the movie, like an 80's movie, is very annoying and ruins the actual vibe that the show could give.

I like the actors. Not sure about the characters yet. The main lady is good enough to carry the show along. I still just can't get past the non-stop music playing at all times, and I mean at all times. I can't get into the scene as it doesn't seem real due to this music.

That is why movies and shows got away from the non-stop 'atmosphere' music throughout, as it doesn't allow it to feel real.

Like the canned laughter in sitcoms, why keep doing that? It is sooooo annoying.

Comes out of a barrel of clichés, in terms of uncreative ideas, and has insanely bad dialogue. The banal conversations - AGGHH! - the hackneyed and overused phraseology. It's impossible to take it seriously, and fairly annoying. Would anyone at all need to say out loud, "Call us if you find anything", when every person present is on the same investigative search team? Because, yeah, the lead was just gonna keep it all to herself and contact no one, D-D-DUUUHH!!

It's entirely conceptually immature, and utterly illogical, as well. One tiny Ex: The central character gets shot straight in the eyes with pepper spray (tear gas), but in the next scene her makeup is still perfect, no inflammation at all. I guess the EMTs do makeup now? (To be fair, she was holding a cold pack, but she was so casual, I thought it was a bag of chips at first. 😂)

It has poor directing and acting. The location-scouting and scene dressing is mostly fine, but it can occasionally appear low-budget. A kettle of boiling water is pouring out onto a floor and there's no steam, huh?

It location-hops frequently and senselessly. Seriously, who in law enforcement - what agency? - is getting to fly around in a luxury jet for the manhunt of one serial killer?

So, it took about 4 mins to figure out how lame this was going to be. It took another 25 until it became evident that the production was Canadian, and then I saw the Citytv logo, confirming it. Now the quality level makes more sense.

More and more often, when there's an early 7-or-above rating on here, it's most likely a true 3-5 stars affair.

There's some nice CGI in the first five minutes of this new show. I won't even spoil the plot by elaborating. So, basically, this a fever dream of all previous inmate on the run dramas. There's usually a flawed but brilliant ex-cop dragged back into service, and there is one here.

Instead I'll point out the parts in the first two episodes which irritated me due to their idiocy.

1. An FBI agent enters a room and doesn't clear it before opening an animal cage. Nope.

2. An FBI agent lets an accessory to a crime roam around a house while they wander off to find the main bad guy. Nope

3. When you take a call, don't turn your back on the other person in the room. Or it makes you look stupid. And don't talk about the reason the person behind you is probably going to use to kill you. Double nope.

4. Don't have characters in your show that work for the CIA, but share all the secrets they know 5 minutes into the show because the other lead shouts at them. Nope-ity nope nope.

5. Don't have characters say that they are deliberately keeping secrets from the president. I'm pretty sure that anyone found doing this would be in deep rose fertilizer.

6. IF the US really had a place like the one in the show, they wouldn't need GTMO in Cuba.

Apart from that it was well written. Wasn't it? NOPE.