Wild Cards

This series pairs a police detective with an unusual partner, like many other shows before it. In this instance, the detective has been working an undesirable beat and needs to get back in the chief's good graces. His partner is a con artist who is street smart, clever, and possesses unique skills. Giacomo Gianniotti plays the cop, Cole Ellis, who is ordered to team up with grifter Max Mitchell (Vanessa Morgan) after circumstances throw them together and the results are good.

What makes this show is the writing. Max is witty and quick on her feet. Morgan does an excellent job of delivering the lines that drive the humor. She is also beautiful, which contributes to the potential chemistry between the two unlikely partners. Gianniotti plays the straight man---a reluctant recipient of her barbs and her ingenious methods, which sometimes break the rules.

"Castle" had a similar vibe. The characters in "Wild Cards" are affable and very watchable. And there is a synergy from teaming the two.

The cases they work on are interesting and the action can be fast-moving as they decipher clues and solve crimes.

It's pretty much Hudson and Rex, swap out Rex for Max. Instead of a police dog, an attractive troublemaking potential love interest. A Murtaugh/ Riggs type buddy cop show with a fish out of water twist. She's an experienced con-artist, who got in hot water with the police... major crimes... and the police are letting her work off her jail sentence by solving crimes. On a trial basis. He's on thin ice with his job/ superiors also, could get back in good grace by solving crimes with his wisecracking criminal partner. It's not even vaguely realistic, it's totally over the top... imagine Hannah Montana solving crimes with Thomas Magnum. In Canada. Harmless/ mindless fun.

Wild Cards appealed to me because I was already a fan of cop procedurals. The show reminds me of Castle, White Collar, and a bit of Leverage. It has the "will they won't they" aspect from Castle and the "can the criminal really be trusted" theme from White Collar.

There was one episode so far where there was a flashback of how the con was really orchestrated, something Leverage was known for. There was also one time Max had to climb through an air vent which reminded me of Parker from Leverage. While one can argue this show isn't doing anything special and just recycling previous shows of the genre, I still recommend it because of the quality of the writing. At first I thought Ellis's character was going to be very one-dimensional because the backstory behind his character was eerily similar to Beckett from Castle. Also the acting from Gianniotti felt a bit stiff but the details of his backstory were revealed quickly and he becomes a very relatable character who doesn't fall into the stereotype I thought he was going to be. The amount of banter between Max and Ellis every episode gives the show a very light-hearted tone. If you are looking for a dark and serious show, this isn't for you.

I think the show makes use of its side characters well. Max's dad George has a significant presence in the show and I think he's going to be a fan favourite. Ricky the butler is the smart guy who is always available and is great at computers. Simmons and Yates haven't had much development so far but they've been slowly becoming less adversarial to our main characters. J. J., an unassuming minor character, was surprisingly later featured in episode 7 and that episode has been one of my favourites so far.

The CBC isn't exactly known for producing great shows but this one is definitely an exception. The budget seems to be significantly higher than the early seasons of Hudson and Rex (comparison only because they're both Canadian cop shows from this era). The set designs, scenes and editing look modern and polished and it didn't look like they had to cut any corners which is different than a lot of Canadian shows I've seen. Looking forward to future seasons!

This tv is pretty good. The 1st episode had a very great twist at the end. If Vanessa Morgan wasn't in it then I wouldn't of gave it a chance. She is very much the attraction and eye candy. I'm excited to see where this TV show will end up and is going to go. In the age of cancelations after 1 season, I really hope this show does not get canceled after one season. It seems all the fun shows get canceled and the garbage shows gets renewed. I hope the fans will get behind this because we need more good shows on the market like this. I really also hope these two can stay partners. Not every show with a male and female lead needs to lead to romance.

I value how a show leaves me feeling at the end of it -- and this one romps it in as feel-good, so only low-stress vs nail-biting suspense, a crime so some whodunnit-like mystery, not too complex, and of course never forgetting a bit of sweet romantic push-pull and tension! Add in some hints here and there of other interesting components that provide food for thought ... like ... about what integrity and character really "look like," no matter what the law technically says ... what privilege really is, and perhaps equally, its lack, and how such questions can come up for deeper consideration if desired (but not required, just that there is a possibility available to delve into the realms of philosophy if you want).

But mainly, it is a fun program to watch! Entertaining! It is a good hour of TV and a very agreeable interlude I look forward to each week, what I prefer given life already holds so much dark and nasty stuff so I can do without also seeing that played out again, and worse, on my TV. There is a new story and combo of things happening each time here that keeps it fresh. And this is notwithstanding the two main characters' dynamics together that are, yes, formulaic. The show capitalizes on the 'tried and true' of the genre, because it works. And as a result, and like most of my TV, I don't mind some of the stretches thus required of me, that indeed every now and again (just like the basic premise altogether, let's just admit) some details to continue propelling the show forward may of course contradict "how that really works" outside the bounds of the fiction this show is.

I am a fan, in short! That includes not just the show at large, but the leads' for their often stellar performances, and how I respect significant parts of some shows especially for the writing, as well as really admire so much of the camera work. I hope enough others do too, so that season 2 will be approved without delay.