Cardinal

The characters and situations seem real and interesting.

Cardinal is a guy with a lot of issues and secrets, there are 50 degrees of grey to this guy.

The show feels Canadian, from the snow covered streets to the remote tree lined roads.

I really enjoyed the first episode and wonder if the show will continue to build interest for me. The politics of the police department feel uncontrived and realistic too.

Cardinal's new partner is initially uncertain of Cardinal and he of she. It seems like they might develop a good or trusting relationship but there are many things going against this outcome. It will be interesting to see the relationship develop as the characters are both smart and strongly independent.

A potentially very interesting show that is truly Canadian.

This is a true reflection of what Fargo would have been if it was a TV series. Proof positive that Canada can make extraordinary TV shows. It's gruesome and gritty just like the Cohen brothers classic.

The cinematography is excellent without the superficial dark scene common in other police procedural shows. The show also does not attempt to rush to conclude each case in the space of 45 minutes. This allows the storytelling to be much fuller and nuanced.

Each season follows the main characters working on solving one major case. The two leads are exemplary in their portrayal of the seasoned detectives. The supporting actors come in each season with focus to fill out the story. A true gem of TV, not just Canadian TV.

I've seen 3 episodes so far. Actually the Algonquins were in this area, which was disputed in a different review. They were and remain very much in the North Bay region, which is where the fictional Algonquin Bay is based on. The role of Lise Delorm played by Karine Vanasse is spot on in my opinion. The Giles Blunt books depict Lise as French Canadian and again to dispute an earlier review, many of the northern Ontario towns are french or half-french - Mattawa near North Bay for instance. So it is not really a stretch as suggested. I've read all the John Cardinal books and I think the casting is excellent. I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of the series before submitting a review, but the landscape captured in the series evokes the mood of the book very well.

Highly intriguing first episode, with a lot of Scandi vibes. Ominous music score, vast cold open spaces, lots of torches used, missing kids and an apparent clash of the sexes between Det.John Cardinal and his unwanted new assistant, Delorme whom he fobs off by giving her some B&E cases to occupy her while he tackles the more exciting homicide work. Apparently very routine but wait...is John Cardinal a dirty cop ? We discover that he is being discreetly investigated and suspected of being in cahoots with a local drug lord and...his innocent new assistant is a police snoop, planted to keep an eye on him. The main crime story is about missing children (reminiscent of The Killing) with searches in dark cold uncomfortable places where the need for torches is paramount. A very well directed and acted episode and having the transparently honest upright good guy Billy Campbell as a "dirty cop" is inspired casting. Karine Vanasse as his assistant Delorme catches the eye too. There are other subplots, mainly a spate of burglaries which look like an unconnected open-and-shut case, at this time..but are they. I have high hopes for this one

Following closely the story arcs from the BBC hit HINTERLAND, although with more dollops of sadism, this could be the best Canadian show ever produced in terms of script, direction, casting, and production. The problem is that this specific type of series is so depressing (not really a police procedural at all!) that the day eventually comes when even the most loyal viewer has to choose between jumping to the next episode ... or seeking psychiatric help.