Eyewitness

This miniseries started well - and the muted colors worked very well for some beautiful scenes. Basically though there was not enough material (or it was simply not narrated in sufficient depth) to warrant 10 episodes. The series upon which it was based was 'only' 6 episodes and so should this have been (imho) - or even less!

I also felt that too many significant events only happened because of the unbelievable stupidity of some of the cast. I find this to be a cheap and lazy method of introducing plot turns and excitement. Furthermore the bad guy was only caught by a last minute revelation that, if true, could/should not - for credibility - have been so completely hidden up to that point. I had higher hopes for this miniseries based on the reviews I read.

At first I thought it would be a bit Fargo, because it had a small town female cop not subject to crazy CSI beauty standards tackling a case bigger than the town itself - with the addition of lovers, but it's completely different. Up to ep 3 so far.

I'm very much enjoying the story writing and the characters. It's a breath of fresh air. A lot of women are given strong characters and the casting is phenomenal. Sometimes I feel that there can be 'much butthurt' from strong female leads, but I find they did it with great subtlety, using familiar tropes and dare I say, using Helen's job for a detective procedural element to make the viewer comfortable.

The lead 'Helen', taring is a full faceted character that we are seeing more of each episode. Other characters such as Camilla and her sister have been given a lot of depth and complication as well and I want to follow along with their stories too. - see no spoilers.

I'm also very much attached to the future of the lovers Philip and Tyler. I have long accepted that this generation of films and books will always exist coming out stories and I am not against them. I am also not against alternate universes where everything is acceptable. Of course it shouldn't need to be this way, however, depending on where you are, everyone's freedoms may not be the same. So far, I feel that there are good writers giving people fair representation (as of yet, it is ep 3 so far) and that they are in safe hands.

On another note, I thought Helen's husband looked familiar, maybe his role was very similar to the husband's in the Medium staring Partricia Arquette. But nope, Tommy from Shawshank didn't die! After passing his higher school exam (or the equivalent in America), he's found a loving foster home (with parents whom he still visits) and is now fostering kids himself. Andy Dufresne must be very proud.

Rating: 8.5/10

Themes: Crime, Thriller, Murder, FBI, Sherrif, Foster Care, Motorcross, Serial Killer, Romance, Lgbtq+, Closeted Gay Couple, High School, Suspense, Marital Problems, Gangs, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Mystery, Small Town, Pedophilia & Drugs.

Top three characters: 1) Philip Shea, 2) Lukas Waldenbeck and 3) Gabe Caldwell.

Eyewitness is one of the best things on TV I would say. It's not something that has a lot humor and if you can't watch drama, probably not your show, which is okay. However, it's not a show that is gonna make you depressed to watch. It has a very good story line and plot, it is not simply just about Philip and Lukas witnessing the murder and struggling with not being able to tell, mostly because of Lukas being paranoid of people finding out he's gay. There are many plot lines in this, like a ex FBI agent (now Philip's foster mom and sheriff in a small town), a FBI agent with a sister in serious trouble, and of course the killer. So you aren't just seeing things from Lukas and Philip's eyes. The writing is not predictable and you will be surprised and entertained.

This isn't a show that is in poor LGBT taste, there aren't any gay stereotypes in this.

This cast is really great, despite the fact that most of these actors aren't known. everyone on the show does a amazing job, I really love what the actors who play Philip and Lukas are doing.

I've only watched one episode, but like what I've seen and am optimistic about the rest of the season. If you're a fan of Julianne Nicholson, she's the lead character. If you're not familiar with her work, you should be. In this series, she again plays a woman with a troubled past, a role she does extremely well.

The series in not the usual legal, police, or hospital action or drama show. There is a murder, but the focus seems to be more on the characters' lives, emotions, challenges instead of solving the crime. Don't be misled by the gay-bashing reviews. That's only one relationship, in addition to the sheriff and her doctor husband, the FBI agent, her undercover agent, and the undercover's wife, the sheriff and her deputy, ... you get the idea.

If you've enjoyed shows, as I have, like The Red Road, The Bridge, Top of the Lake, American Crime (the one with Regina King and Felicity Huffman), give this one a chance, too.