Durham County

I have read many of the reviews but I seem to be the only viewer who found it almost impossible to understand much of what the characters were saying. Much guesswork on my part. They just seem to mumble. A very depressing series.

I'm a guy who loves his creepy dramas and this is by far my favorite so far. It has so many elements working on so many different levels, but it's all presented so simply. It reminds me a lot of the show Dexter but more story driven and a little simpler intellectually. After watching thousands of episodes of CSI, I would have thought I was more than desensitized to anything T.V. could throw at me, but the entire first episode gave me chills. It's a bit grotesque and bloody but it's not unnecessarily so like most horror movies and crime dramas. It's a great back and forth chess match of a show, and you'll feel guilty for having such a good time with it.

And it's not just the violence itself. The characters set up the scenes easily and they develop themselves beautifully, the scenery and environments are great and they set up the atmosphere of impending doom, the effects cut the monotony and still makes you feel crazy. So great! Hurray! We can finally be shocked by murder again!

Detective Mike Sweeney (Hugh Dillon) is on the hunt for murderers. His wife Audrey (Hélène Joy) is suffering from the diagnose of cancer. He suspects his childhood rival Ray Prager eventually involving the children of the two struggling families.

It's got some of the best visual motif in a strictly Canadian TV production. It takes the everyday suburban landscapes like electrical towers and turn them into something creepy. That's the first impression from the show. This show lasted 3 seasons with 6 episodes each. Sometimes the pace does lag a little. Sometimes the story gets complicated especially trying to keep track of the relationships of the minor characters. The acting is acceptable with some standouts like Hugh Dillon, Helene Joy, Laurence Leboeuf, and Louis Ferreira in the first season. It's cool crime drama.

Durham County is a fantastic show. I can't wait for it each week to find out what's going to happen to Ray, Mike and the rest of the characters. The cinematography is brilliant, acting phenomenal, and directing amazing.

Right from the black and white with splashes of red opening shots, through each episode and to the final credits, I'm riveted by this show. It rivals some of the best TV dramatic series out there: Six Feet Under, the Sopranos, etc.

Kudos to the producers for getting this top-notch show on the air. Looking forward to the next season.

Marianne

The plot of Durham County is one of those that will leave you scratching your head in confusion and frustration at times. It has a very quirky, off beat sense to it and it's hard to compare against a benchmark. At times it feels as though the writers of Twin Peaks got together on a lazy Sunday afternoon, put their heads together and came up with the plot for Durham County.

One thing about the series is that it's weird and puzzling and you can see that right from the first minute. Thankfully there are only 6 episodes because by the end of the last episode I was ready to punch my sofa cushion in frustration.

There are ups and downs to the series and it leans slightly more towards the downside a little. The upside is that it is short and for the most part does not succumb to anything typical. That makes it unique. There are no good guys here- just bad, badder and worse. The writers blur the lines neatly between the heroes and the villains, leaving it up to the viewer to decide if the character is good or bad. Acting is quite good by all the principal characters, helping to bring out a variety of emotions from the viewer's point. The downside is that the ending is not satisfying enough and leaves you wondering if it was worth watching in the first place. The plot does stumble around a bit and could have used some tightening.

All in all it starts out well but starts to lag in the third episode onwards leading to a disappointing finish.