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Reviews
Murdoch Mysteries: On the Waterfront: Part 1 (2014)
The basic story is good, execution falls far short
I get the sense that here was a major change in the writing team.
I also get the sense that this director was a total novice, based on the bizarre selection and application of music, questionable edits, and overall ham-fisted delivery of what should have been a nail-biter first episode in a two-last follow-up to last season's nail biter cliffhanger episode.
There is so of much of import to deal with in response to Brackenreid's brutal beating as an almost natural consequence of his usual tactics when handling criminals, but instead we get confused, grossly underplayed handling of his emotional and physical fallout and recover and a weirdly garbled visual attempt at contrasting a women's suffrage march with the Toronto Constabulary marching on the emergent dock gangs.
Supposedly there is also a murder plot in there for Murdoch to solve, too, but I can barely remember what it is.
Even the music is jarringly overdramatic and somehow never takes a break, like this is some strange, wearyingly melodramatic music video.
Even the subtext Of the dock master's (mistress's) attempts to seduce Murdoch came off as awkward and unconvincing.
Usually, the performances in this show feel natural and deliver on chemistry, but it's liked whatever new team swooped in decided their first priority was to suck all of the chemistry out of every si fake relationship in the series.
Very disappointed, after 7 seasons of loyalty to the show and investment in these characters and turn-of-the-century Toronto as both a setting and a character in its own right.
The most scurrilous part is how little this episode devotes to Brackenreid's recovery, but ultimately there is almost nothing to applaud here.
Even the acting takes a dive, which can't be ascribed to a sudden drop in the qualities of actors, as the cast hasn't changed. The most likely culprit is, again, bad direction.