Endgame

I have to admit beforehand that after being so disappointed with recent detective shows that I was reluctant to give Endgame a go. However, upon prompting by a house mate, I decided to give it a watch. I was a little confused at first, expecting it to be more serious than it was. Once past the first few minutes, I found that the comedy elements were a perfect fit. The acting and direction did justice to the amazing work of an awesome scriptwriting team. I hope to see this series continued past the first season, though there seems to be a trend of late wherein intelligent shows are canceled. Fingers crossed the viewers take a liking to this series.

The first time I saw Endgame, I thought it would be your usual "brillant guy shows all the cops and those with real know-how how to solve crimes." The show is nothing like that. Endgame's protagonist has a phobia that will not let him leave the hotel he is staying at. After his wife's murder, he was so traumatized that he could no longer be part of the "real world," unless it is through quips of his knowledge and intellect.

The supporting cast literally marvels at his genius and scoffs at his arrogance.

Every character in every episode plays a relevant part in telling the story.

In one hour, we see one of television's most vulnerable characters show everybody what he feels and sees.

Great show, Do yourself a favor and watch it if you can.

Among all the "crime" shows out there, i enjoy this one the most. Intelligent TV is usually an oxymoron, but not in this case! I love the way Balagan doesn't have to resort to anything physical,but uses his intelligence to solve crimes. And the use of chess moves to work out the sequence of events is genius on the part of the writers! It is well acted and I especially like that the show is set in Vancouver, and you know it's set in Vancouver; not in some anonymous American city!

I really hope the network gives this a second season to gain more viewers. I have friends as far away as Isreal who really love this show.

Looking at crimes from the point-of-view of a chess game and the players as chess pieces is fascinating. The chemistry of this ensemble cast led by damaged Russian Ex-pat Chess-master (played by Shawn Doyle) is a testament to the phrase "friends are the family you choose". Albeit a dysfunctional one, but then what family isn't a little bit? I was curious to see where the storyline was headed. I really would have liked to see the back story of the character of Sam (played by Torrance Coombs). Where does he go when he's not assisting Arkady solving mysteries in trade for chess matches? It's really nice to see a Vancouver, BC based show actually play as Vancouver, BC. Sadly it looks like we'll only see one season. A shame as the show was just hitting its stride.

This show reminded me a little bit of House. I was first introduced to it when I read the general plot of the show on a weekly TV review magazine. It was intriguing, and I am always willing to give shows that attempt to imbue intellectual pursuits creatively a shot (like, Numb3rs or Big Bang Theory). When I first watched the pilot, I was hooked. Shawn Doyle portrays his character beautifully, and it almost reminded me a bit of Dr. House. The connections to chess (the game) are sometimes a bit contrived, but as the show goes on, you gain a deeper appreciation of the producers' visions. I like it the same reason way I was drawn to the original CSI. Its cast of characters and the exposure to new concepts and ideas have created a small revolution in my own way of thinking, and I greatly appreciate the show for accomplishing this.

I did not give this show a 10, because it is not "The Wire".