Homicide Hunter: Lt. Joe Kenda

True crime shows are my favorite genre. I've watched almost every show on ID. Some are better than others (much better) and Homicide Hunter is one of my favorites. The reason I call Lt. Joe Kenda the anti M. William Phelps is that Kenda is everything Phelps isn't: He is an excellent investigator, he is free of ego, and he doesn't exaggerate the story for dramatic effect (or to sell more books). He discloses the important details without getting bogged down in the trivialities of each case. The only criticism I have of this program is that ID doesn't seem to air many episodes. Maybe it's just my timing, but the network reruns the same three or so episodes repeatedly. I even set my DVR. I will set it again for the upcoming season, and hopefully I can catch more.

I actually like this show and I end up leaving the television on more for noise than anything else, but I happened to see this show one time and liked it.

I like the narrative and no-nonsense cop attitude. It isn't the usual cop fare that television writers feed us. This is much better and this cop is very realistic based upon the cops that I've met.

I hope others watch and enjoy it too. The shows seems to be more realistic than most other cop shows and Kenda doesn't seem like the crap cops that we get from most television shows. I hesitate to call this "based upon a true story" or a "reality" show, but only because the "reality" in reality shows is so scripted by some very poor writing. This show is much different. Enjoy.

Evil lurks within the sordid underbelly of an outwardly bucolic burg in the West. But this isn't Twin Peaks, this is Colorado Springs. And this isn't FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper, this is Lt. Joe Kenda. And the stories are real.

Kenda claims to have solved over 400 homicides over the course of his career, which means the show could go on almost indefinitely. We see him in two guises: one is the young homicide investigator, played by Carl Marino, the other is Kenda himself, who appears frequently with commentary on the case as it proceeds. The younger Kenda does resemble Kyle MacLaughlin's Dale Cooper, with a healthy dose of Jack Webb's Joe Friday. We occasionally see Kenda in repose, enjoying a rare moment relaxing with his wife, when the inevitable call comes. Another homicide. And Kenda is off.

It's the present-day Kenda, however, who makes the show worth watching. World-weary, laconic, jaded but not quite cynical, Kenda renders lacerating insights into human nature and the criminal mind. More often than not, alas, these are mindless, unnecessary murders, and we can only nod in agreement as Kenda bemoans the pointlessness of all the lives lost.

If you kill, Kenda will not only find you, he will mock you, and we will love every minute of it.

I am a connoisseur of True Crime shows. I have seen (and mentally judged) them all. For a good true crime show you need a good narrator, intelligent commentary from the real investigators and witnesses, and a fairly realistic (but always slightly cheesy) reenactment. This show has ALL of these things! I could listen to Joe Kenda tell me stories all day long. I can 100% tell why he was such a good investigator. He is really what makes this show stand out. I looooove the reenactments too - the guy who plays Kenda in them is fabulous. If you like True Crime, this is a must see!

..You'll find it with Lt. Joe Kenda. He recounts the investigations while deadpanning it to the camera. His voice does not become overtly emotive to make the story more than it is. He simply in an almost monotone (not negatively) voice explains how he and his team methodically worked each case. Like with any vocation taken seriously, he proves his years of deduction, singling things out which obviously during his career he developed an inane ability to profile a killers motive and if they're a one off or will be a repeat offender. I find it difficult not to like this man; I doubt he changes for anyone. After a couple episodes you can tell that steely detective heart really cared about his victims and how he loathed those responsible. With Kenda you could be president or pauper; a life has been taken and he would be your voice as he has been for approximately 400 murder cases.