Top critical review
1.0 out of 5 starsDisappointing
Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2013
After finding the first episode slow moving and not very interesting, I watched 3 more to see if I just picked a bad episode and so I didn't make a judgment about the series based on just one episode.
I'm puzzled about the rave reviews. Yannick Bisson is a pretty face but it's hard to know whether the writing is as flat as it seems or Bisson just isn't a good actor. The anachronisms are irritating, and the stories are uninteresting and without the elements which make a CSI/police type drama appealing. Worse, Det. Murdoch too often looks confused, like he doesn't understand what's going on. His empty look & frequent loss for words are embarrassing.
The story is supposed to hold your interest, but I found myself glancing at the clock to see how much time was left. The dialogue is silly and amateurish. Even considering the era in which the drama takes place, the characters, the plot, and the dialogue & relationship between characters feels unreal, not credible.
As an aside, if you are offended by the idea of 2013 standards of morality & political correctness in a show which takes place in 1895, you'll want to pass on this show. I may get clobbered for that cautionary note, but it's my opinion. The P.C. drop-ins are contrived and are not things which characters in that era would have said or done.
Murdoch Mysteries may be considered a success based on being around for 7+ years, but I'm not impressed. Perhaps I'm just not part of the target audience, and we do have different tastes. But the absence of dramatic substance and good writing & character development makes Murdoch Mysteries not worth my time.