I'm loyal to this show, but I see its' flaws. I have to admit that the flaws are part of the fun. Two of the regular actors are hilarious caricatures of hard-boiled detectives. Law and Order does that too, but it's less entertaining with them.
But there is an exception and she's the lead female. This actress, Kathryn Morris is intriguing. She's human in the way the others aren't. Her face depicts her compassion, a distant sadness from a dysfunctional childhood, and just the right amount of cynicism.
I do love the Philadelphia setting. It's gritty and perfect for hard luck stories of the local working class. I like how they depict the sociology of different neighborhoods.
The time period music effect is a bit heavy-handed, but sometimes it works. I like it better at the end when they bring in the culprit in cuffs, rather than during the flashback scenes where it's just obnoxious. As someone else mentioned, the best effect is when you see a suspect's face change from present to past and back to present as they speak.
Many of the stories are politically correct. For example, a big corporation covering up asbestos poisoning,gays suffering discrimination, Japanese-American internment,or corrupt rich guys cheating. Not that those things didn't happen.
Nevertheless, you have to give them credit for coming up with some intricate plots. It's fun to figure out who may have done the murder, based on the show's formula.
Overall, a worthwhile hour. Also, they don't give you the gore and sadistic serial killer scenes that Criminal Minds is famous for. They focus on the flashbacks and interviews.
But there is an exception and she's the lead female. This actress, Kathryn Morris is intriguing. She's human in the way the others aren't. Her face depicts her compassion, a distant sadness from a dysfunctional childhood, and just the right amount of cynicism.
I do love the Philadelphia setting. It's gritty and perfect for hard luck stories of the local working class. I like how they depict the sociology of different neighborhoods.
The time period music effect is a bit heavy-handed, but sometimes it works. I like it better at the end when they bring in the culprit in cuffs, rather than during the flashback scenes where it's just obnoxious. As someone else mentioned, the best effect is when you see a suspect's face change from present to past and back to present as they speak.
Many of the stories are politically correct. For example, a big corporation covering up asbestos poisoning,gays suffering discrimination, Japanese-American internment,or corrupt rich guys cheating. Not that those things didn't happen.
Nevertheless, you have to give them credit for coming up with some intricate plots. It's fun to figure out who may have done the murder, based on the show's formula.
Overall, a worthwhile hour. Also, they don't give you the gore and sadistic serial killer scenes that Criminal Minds is famous for. They focus on the flashbacks and interviews.