Reality Bites: A Hannah Swensen Mystery

I really liked the Murder She Baked movies, but these Hannah Swensen movies are awful. Even Hannah's character has become really goofy. The way she acts every time she sees the District Attorney, is embarrassing. I don't know any middle-aged woman who would behave that way. And why do they keep making the mom more annoying than the last movie? She was at least a bit likable in the Murder She Baked movies, but now I cringe every time she's in a scene. This one was so bad I didn't even watch until the very end. Even though I wanted to know who the killer was, I just couldn't take any more of this silliness.

Another poorly written Hallmark mystery and as usual it's the script and dialog that are the problems. Barbara Niven's affected Dolores Swenson character is over the top and dumb, she's not funny. She played a similar snooty character in a holiday movie and her character was also dumb. Her character should be dropped or toned down.

And Hannah not Dolores is the lead and Hannah should be solving the crimes. I enjoyed the series more when Cameron Mathison played the detective, you don't need a DA. I don't know why Mathison left the series or if his character was written out. It's never been a great series, but it was less annoying in past movies.

My wife and I have watched many of the Hannah Swensen mysteries and this one, to me, seems a bit weaker and more silly than the others. However, my wife commented to me, "They are all silly."

But the real question is, does it entertain? And it does, a bit, but mostly in very silly ways.

Alison Sweeney is, of course, Hannah Swensen and she acts a bit like a teenager. The reason, she has a keen interest in the handsome, single District Attorney and in his presence just can't hold it together. She keeps waiting for him to ask her out.

The mystery here is twofold, a man has been arrested for several home burglaries and he is about to go to trial. But another burglary happens and Hannah wonders if it is a copycat and, if so, why?

Second, a film crew is in and using Hannah's bakery as their set for a popular cooking show, the host is Connie Mack who, it turns out, can't really cook but was chosen for her screen presence. Then on day two of shooting they came in and find her young producer dead in the restaurant. Is this connected to the trial, or just random?

So, as usual, Hannah and her friends look for clues and devise a plan to try to catch the new burglar in the act.

Again, as a story and as a movie it isn't that good but it does have a bit of entertaining value. Especially if it is free, like we found it streaming on Peacock.

(Trivia - Connie Mack, born in 1862, was an American professional baseball catcher, manager, and team owner. Mack holds records for the most wins, losses, ties, and games managed in Major League Baseball history. There once was a stadium in Philadelphia named after him.)

I think Alison Sweeney does a great job and like Chad ok but do wish they'd give Norman a love interest. And where did the tall, brunette sister come from in this new post-Mike batch? Fine actress but ridiculous casting to believe she is in this family of petit blondes. Ok, here is my real complaint: the mother. I have seen Barbara Niven in many, many Hallmark shows and even in previous Hannah mysteries and she has always been fine. But, she has become absolutely insufferable in these shows. They have written her character to be a complete fool and are doing Ns. Niven a disservice. Her character drags down every scene in which she appears and is toooo toooo annoying. Rescue her!

I like all of the actors in this movie & I used to really enjoy the Murder She Baked movies. However, in the Hannah Swensen movies, I find that Delores has changed from being a loving, somewhat ditzy mother, adding some comic relief, to being annoying. She's disrespectful to Hannah, calling out her wardrobe quite publicly & nastily. She's self-absorbed & irritating.

Despite liking Vistor & Alison, I don't see any romantic chemistry between them. Also, it's pushing plausibility to have Hannah 'helping' a DA.

If the next movie isn't an improvement on these last two, I will not watch future movies.