Cardinal

I have to say, Canadian shows are catching my attention. It's the pacing as much as the quality of the production. American editing is a real problem for me as the scenes flick so fast I don't have time to take in the images and process to enjoy the emotions before you have to absorb the next image, and the next and next in split second action. I like lingering on a face (as long as you hired a real actor that is trained in the arts, not the couch) in order to capture what they are feeling. A technique that compensates for some lost book context if you have the right scene played out so you feel like you get inside their head. Non-American movies have always been attractive to me because of the more relaxed pacing that relies more upon acting. It's good to see this Canadian TV offerings as it captures you with a good story, moodiness and good character development. Except the young criminals. They are not as intense and believable as twisted, tortured beings. Next season will have new villains, and I hope they devote budget to those characters now that it's such a success. Also, perhaps second season bigger budget might mean more forensic realism and less relying on lingering dead body images. That's the one place I'd prefer the split-second images!

The show may come across as plodding to people expecting an action series with a Hannibal Lector-like serial killer, but the show is a character-driven drama featuring a cast of flawed people very reminiscent of "Nordic Noir" shows such as "Wallander", but very unapologetic Canadian very with very good sense of place. Algonquin Bay on the show, and in the original novels, is quite clearly North Bay, Ontario in all but name (many of the same street names, located between the same lakes, and geographically in the same location), and the show, as with the novels, touches on the mix of English, French, and First Nations groups that form the culture of the area. And anyone who has lived in communities in northern Canada can sympathize with water lines freezing.

Billy Campbell does good work playing the troubled, but very good detective Cardinal, while Karinne Vanasse plays his partner Lise Delorme --also from the novels, lest people think they were casting a French-Canadian actress simply as a token--as equally competent, if not as experienced. The dynamic between is certainly not a copy of the Holmes-Watson relationship that people might be tempted to assume it is, and the pair do a very good job of portraying a detective paired up with a partner who is just as good as he is.

Overall, a very engrossing series again, as long as you aren't expecting shootouts or a serial killer leaving taunting clues.

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.

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.

Billy Campbell (John Cardinal) is the Demián Bichir of Canadian TV drama. He looks at the camera and says his lines and you believe every word he says, but more than that, you would give anything to know what he's thinking.