Saving Hope

I am totally hooked on Saving Hope. This is not an easy thing to achieve by a TV show, mind you. It has been years since I regularly followed anything on the tube. But finally I found a show that has really good actors, it is well made, has entertaining stories, and features compelling characters. In other words, it is a high quality program that can be heart-wrenchingly dramatic, wittingly ironic, and yes, sappy and emotional too when necessary. While the set up of the show is not all together original--what medical show can be so by now?--each episode avoids being predictable. The subtle turns, the character growth, and the interesting challenges all make me care for what happens to the diverse characters in Saving Hope. As an extra element, many of the members of the cast are often on twitter and freely interact with their fans. The fandom of this show is amazing, so one can watch the show and be part of a very dynamic online community.

I first came to this show as a fan of the Vampire Diaries, following Daniel Gillies. I have never before been a big fan of the medical drama genre in general. However, all it took was one episode, and I was completely hooked, and become moreso with each show. Saving Hope draws you in with the wonderful characters, emotions, dialogue, drama, and humor. From just being a Daniel Gillies fan, I've become a fan of the entire cast.

Michael Shanks perfectly portrays Charlie's frustration at being unable to wake up or communicate with Alex, and his frequent surprise and confusion about how things work on "the other side." His observations often provide deep insight into both Alex, and sometimes humanity in general, as he is being forced to see everything from a new perspective.

Erica Durance is brilliant as Alex. Every emotion that Alex feels can be seen on Erica's face so clearly you almost don't need words most of the time. She is so believable in this role, it's heartbreaking. You want to cheer her on during her moments of success as a doctor, and cry with her at those times when she breaks down, missing Charlie.

Daniel Gillies is spot-on in the character of Joel, with the perfect balance of confident arrogance in his abilities as a surgeon, and a soft side that drives him to dig into his patients' lives to find out more about them. He wants to know what will help them the most, not just what the statistics say should be done. Joel is also a rock for Alex - always ready to defend her, boost her up, and be a shoulder to cry on when needed. Daniel blends Joel's multi-faceted personality seamlessly.

Beyond these three, there is also an amazing supporting cast. Dr. Shahir Hamza is a brilliant yet delightfully socially awkward brain surgeon. Victor Reis is Shahir's outgoing, wise-cracking nurse boyfriend. Maggie Lyn is a cute, perky medical resident who has her eye on Joel, and is not afraid to go after what she wants. Gavin Murphy is the sweet, kinda nerdy & shy psychiatric resident. Jackson Wade, ICU nurse, provides the best one-liners in the show, hands-down.

There are more regular characters on the show, but you get the idea - the show does not rely solely on its main three, as amazing as they are. We are given a rich variety of characters and personalities, and we come to know them more as individuals with each episode.

Give this show a chance, don't try to constantly compare it to any pre-conceived notion of how it is "like" or "unlike" other shows, and I really think you'll love it!

So, I'm 59 years old. I have seen just about every medical drama ever on TV, going back to Medical Center with hunky Chad Everette. What a wonderful medical drama with a twist this is! Full of real life feelings and doubts and every gender or racial concern under the sun this series touches on. And then something extra...

Michael Shanks, so good to see him again doing a wonderful job post Stargate. In fact I love the entire cast and all the extras and side characters. If you haven't found this series yet watch it from the episode one. You won't be sorry.

I found this series by accident on-line and am very happy I did. I love this show! Thank you creators. Joyous journey to you all!

Having watched this entire series from start to end (only a few episodes left), I am impressed with the writing and acting, particularly the roles played by Erica Durance and Michael Shanks.

The first season was a great introduction to the characters and the premise of the show. I will admit, I had my doubts this would work, but it did, and in excellent fashion. As the seasons progressed, they became very much more appealing.

My two complaints are that in the last season, it seems the writing got lazy and repetitive. Maybe it's because the episodes were cut short and everyone knew the end was near, but I wished it had maintained the pace and drama from the previous seasons. My second complaint is the fact the show did not get renewed. It's a shame as it has much more potential to keep going on.

Nevertheless, it's a fantastic Canadian production, and it will be sadly missed.

A well deserved 9/10 from me!

The show hooked me from the beginning and has a great cast but by Season 4 it was just dragging out unnecessarily. The best part was the cases with the dead people Charlie would meet. But c'mon, it's basically the same storyline over and over. Right down to the final episode.