The Bletchley Circle: San Francisco

Not a bad show with some interesting characters and good use of San Francisco. My problem is that we are told that the show is set in 1952. There is talk of someone being shipped off to Vietnam, possible but America did not start shipping troops there until the mid 60's. In one scene people are listening to music that sounds like it comes from the late 60's in an era before rock and roll. They also talk about converting a mono record player to a stereo player six years before stereo records were on general release. Then a character mentions the British invasion, if he is talking about music, he is over a decade ahead of his time. These anomalies take me out of the story. It is somewhat lazy writing, research is easy, it is basically what the show is about.

This is an excellent period piece bravely tackling the subject matter of sexism and racism in the storyline of a crime drama featuring strong female characters. The side plot of the challenges the women face being taken seriously during those times adds an extra layer of complexity to the plot line. They use their skills as code breakers that brought them together during the war to find clues about the murderer. Many serial killers have patterns and rituals so this is not a stretch. There are a couple of reviews that talk about "pushing agendas" and being overly "PC", but I couldn't disagree more; sounds like mansplaining to me.. I've seen the first 4 episodes and I'm waiting for episode 5. I believe there are supposed to be 8 episodes in Season 1, altogether.

Loved the original series and was disappointed when it was canceled after 2 Seasons. Now the code crackers who served covertly in England come to San Francisco to solve the murder of a co-worker who died during the war. The women are dismissed by the all male police departments. Little do they know these are women with brilliant minds who won't rest till they find the killer.

If I'm going to write a review I have to include a warning that if you're wanting to watch The Bletchley Circle Series 3, this isn't it.Tonally it's just different, which to me seems appropriate given the change of setting. It's also functionally different given the skills this new group of ladies brings to the table. The Bletchley Circle: San Francisco is a spin-off series that brings us a quite different post-war perspective. I thought the first couple episodes were middling. They were very conscious of the history but I'm not sure how successful they were in communicating it. It's not that it's inaccurate, it's just that they're trying to shove a lot of background/world-building into a very small space due to time constraints. That meant there were conversations/interactions that came off more stilted than the (apparent) intent. The series might have remained an okay 2.5 star watch, but about halfway through they started to really hit their stride. It's like the writers finally relaxed into it a little. The dynamics between the American and British women started to gel as well. I try to give every series I start at least four episodes to convince me, and in this instance I'm glad I do because otherwise I might have stopped watching after the first. I read that there are more episodes set to air next year. Fingers crossed they maintain their momentum. If they do it's going to be fun.

This certainly has a different feel than the original series. It's a decent crime drama, and it continues to showcase the women's personalities and skills. However, it tries to pack too many social issues into each episode. Of course, the issues are important, as they drive peoples' actions, but it often feels forced, as if they approached each episode as the last and had to make every possible statement they could. Overall, it's enjoyable.

Additional points I make address other reviews. Those who ranted about this being a horrible American series should know it is not American, but rather it is Canadian. It is produced by a UK company and filmed in Canada. Also, I cannot speak for every inconsistency regarding misused vernacular of the time period, but those who commented on the US not being in Vietnam in the 1950s are incorrect. The MAAG went to Vietnam to advise in the 50s.