Bad Blood

Not a masterpiece, but a solid crime series depicting mafia family in Toronto, raise and fall.

Season 2 however, really turns into a B production, with main character running the entire city on his own, going solo against the world. No bodyguards, associates, soldiers, etc. Script looks scraped together without any afterthought.

Funny enough, season 2 episodes have significantly higher score on IMDM.

I understand the bad reviews, it's not breaking bad or the sopranos but we gotta admit, it's a nice show, it's entertaining with unexpected twists and deaths. The first season was very good, the second one was lame but both aren't as bad as people say. I recommend it.

Perhaps it is unfair to evaluate performances and presentation, but mood is lost when we leave a dramatic scene for a yogurt commercial. But beyond that, there is something oddly flat and pedestrian about this effort. It is interesting to examine the true-life underside of Montreal--the U.S. does not have sole rights to mobsters--but the gravitas of The Sopranos and Boardwalk Empire is sadly wanting here. The still images in the opening credits, particularly Kim Coates (with that vampire-like hooded,coloured eye business)and Paul Sorvino looking like a menacing bulldog provides unfulfilled promise of true explosive threat and menace thatwe expect out of the principals. They aren't helped by a plain-Jane script that doesn't allow for much layering or nuance. The series TALKS rather than really SHOWS. Dialogue provides by-the-numbers exposition. A lot of the acting comes off as theatrical vs authentic. Certainly there are violent scenes but they don't really resonate. The female characters in particular are ill-served---whether a crusading lawyer or politician or mistress---come off as either overly shrill or whiny, whereas no-nonsense street-wise savvy and seductiveness are non-existent. The males do not get off unscathed either, lacking in depth. Scenes of meetings with other mobsters have groups of guys trying real hard to LOOK tough and mean like movie standees trying to exude explosive menace. Using slow motion whenever Anthony Lapaglia strolls around is to suggest a bigger-than-life cold-blooded ruthless lion but we don't FEEL it. (The same approach was used when Colm Feore portrayed Pierre Trudeau several years ago, much to the same toothless effect--no fault in effort by Mr. Feore.) We want to see more home-grown Canadian productions but to distinguish themselves against non-commercial cable networks is a challenge.

OMG.. such a great ensemble of actors but the actor who shall remain nameless is one of the worst actors on television.. on episode 2 and I really hope they kill him off soon or I'll have to stop watching. Too bad they got every other cast member bang on!

Kim Koates is an amazing actor. I like him since his role on Sons of Anarchy. This is a great series and probably underrated. This is a mixture of Sons of Anarchy with a touch of Narcos. On the other hand, some plot holes or a bad script make some characters decisions unbelievable. Overall, If you loved The Sopranos and Peaky Blinders, give it a try, it is not as good, but pretty watchable.