Past Malice (TV Series) Past Malice: An Emma Fielding Mystery (2018) User Reviews

Collecting treasures

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 19 January 2018]

An eccentric millionaire dies and two years later his estate is still being appraised. One of the appraisers is Courtney Thorne-Smith archeologist who is doing her second Emma Fielding story Past Malice.

The deceased has also amassed a lot of collectible antiques and he wasn't too discriminating about seeing what they might be worth. For example Professor Fielding has to tell his nephew that he does not have an original Mayflower Compact copy. None purportedly exists though if one were ever found I daresay it would be worth more than the rest of the estate combined.

There's also a legendary curse on the family and the death of the family butler and keeper of all the secrets and an eccentric and iconoclastic archaeological colleague of Fielding's seems to lend credence.

I can safely say that these people met their demises at the hands of a real criminal with a most earthly motive. Which Courtney Thorne-Smith and her companion FBI agent James Tupper do uncover.

Emma Fielding is a nice entry in that collection of feminine detectives for the millenial generation that Hallmark has produced.

Ancient artifacts, witches curses and a gorgeous castle backdrop for this Emma Fielding mystery.

[cgvsluis · 6/10 · 28 May 2022]

"Is it because I'm a woman?"-Emma "There is no right answer to that."-Jim

Archeologist Emma Fielding gets asked by a friend to come to Chandler Castle...where things aren't quite right with and valuable artifacts that have been found by professor Webster have started to disappear. Did I mention there is also a witches curse? Not afraid of a mystery Emma arrives and shortly after Professor Webster ends up dead...good thing Emma called in her friend and FBI agent Jim Conner.

This is a beautiful home for a backdrop and the story is made interesting with a lot of fun history on local witches.

This isn't my favorite of the mystery series on Hallmark (that is held down by Aurora Teagarden, Hannah Swensen, and Mystery 101), but I enjoy Jim Conner's pursuit of Emma and a bit of their banter. The mystery in this one was decent and enough to probably recommend to mystery fans out there.

nothing special

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 8 August 2018]

Celebrated archaeologist Emma Fielding (Courtney Thorne-Smith) is recruited by her former roommate to investigate missing artifacts from a mansion with a supposed cursed history. The mystery deepens when she spots a dead body in a hidden chamber with no obvious entrance. FBI Special Agent Jim Connor (James Tupper) leads the murder case.

It's been a little while since I've seen Courtney Thorne-Smith. The mystery at the mansion reminds me of Scooby Doo. Early on, I was half expecting the ripping-off-the-mask reveal. This may be fine for Hallmark but it's a little too light for a big boy movie. There is next to no tension. There is enough likeability but not much else. This needs to be saved by the romantic chemistry but there is limited heat. It's like a lower level pilot for a second tier TV show. They really need a good hot coupling at the top.

Past Malice: An Emma Fielding Mystery

[JoBloTheMovieCritic · 6/10 · 20 July 2019]

6/10 - I expected more from an Emma Fielding mystery

It's entertainment

[agabides · 1/10 · 4 April 2020]

Idk why everyone is hating on Emma Fielding Past Malice. It's for entertainment I'm sure they weren't trying to win an Oscar. It's fiction and it's fun. People stop being so negative can't you just enjoy. If you don't like it find something else. Don't ruin it for others by telling the whole story.

Gets My Vote !!

[carolynocean · 8/10 · 8 March 2021]

I loved this movie, its just up my alley, amateur sleuthing in a light hearted and easy going way. Please stop bashing the lovely Courtney Thorne Smith , and give her a break ! She gets a thumbs up from me and so does her very dishy sidekick, James Tupper. I think they work very well as a team, great chemistry. Its light entertainment, thats all, I dont understand the put downs., I wll be checking in on the third installment of this very entertaining Mini Series Trilogy. Fingers crossed there will be more to come.

Painful Acting / Bad Writing

[johne-55952 · 4/10 · 25 September 2020]

Really wanted to like this series but this particular episode is pretty bad. Almost turned it off. In particular one of the male leads comes up with this fake accent that is painful to listen to. The writing is quite blase' which is why the actors seem to be just phoning it in for most of the movie. Probably not relevant but Courtney Thorne-Smith doesn't look healthy which is troublesome to those of us who are fans of her past work.

Awesomely cheesy!

[dozar23 · 8/10 · 7 January 2019]

I love these Agatha Christie "Who done it" movies!

Not Worth the Money it Cost to Make It

[cotennfl-1 · 1/10 · 10 February 2019]

Sadly this is Courtney Thorne-Smith at her worst. Both in acting and appearance. First, she has had so much face work done, she hardly looks like herself anymore and has taken on a bizarre Klingon appearance. Then the acting and level of writing of this series is awful. Extremely SLOW MOVING plot, poorly delivered lines that seem to have been written by a sixth-grader, and little to no action. Watched the first fifteen minutes and couldn't take it anymore.

Not believable

[krichter-24724 · 1/10 · 27 August 2018]

Courtney Thorne Smith is not a very good actress. She is too stiff and unbelievable in her acting. Don't make anymore of her movies. I want to see more of murder she baked with Allison Sweeney and Cameron matheson they are so good together and have electricity.

I grudge having to give 1 star

[bobtodd74 · 1/10 · 20 May 2019]

Such bad acting and terrible dialogue. When one cop asks the coroner how he can be sure it was murder without an autopsy and the coroner says it was extremely likely given the stab wound to the back and there was no knife found... How could a police officer not see this? It was so frustrating that I put my foot through the telly and sent Courtney Thorne-Smith the bill.

Wow, this was really bad

[cala3 · 1/10 · 22 March 2021]

We watched the first 15 minutes but we only skipped through the rest looking for locations since it was filmed here. The acting and writing were pretty terrible. I like a good mystery but this was just too lame to watch. It's too bad because I used to watch Courtney in Melrose Place.

so many gaffs...

[sarajimi · 3/10 · 16 February 2019]

The numerous plot problems and technical errors alone were so distracting I couldn't follow much of the story. emma fielding is a not very likeable know-it-all and her two grad students are just plot devices to make her character seem more important. the plot was formulaic and cliched. I will not watch nay other movies in this series, and can only hope the books are better.

Dreadful script and poor acting...

[ronalamont-91472 · 3/10 · 24 April 2019]

Many reviewers of Episode one pointed out the poor acting and script. This second episode in the series is far worse. I think there is no chemistry between the leads because they can't believe they are having to deliver such embarrassing dialogue. This time the Agent Jim Conner has been "invited" to consult so I can only assume this is why he doesn't seem to know the first thing about anything and takes his lead at every turn from Ms Fielding. Another reviewer felt the script could have been written by a 6th grader .. I think someone much younger! Poor Agent Conner isn't sure that the 16th century means the 1500s and seems to think her Archeologists Society might be able to change that mode of dating. At Quantico he was apparently taught to trust his gut rather than facts and obviously never learned Latin. But it's the way he even delivers lines that she did in the last movie when she was the "consultant". He's supposed to be the real deal so when she suggests he come with her to meet a suspect it's pathetic that he questions "We?". Even if it's supposed to be a deliberate "nod" to her same comment in the previous episode... it's just embarrassing to watch. I also love that the minute they saw Webster's body through the hole in the wall Conner announced he was dead and then she asked how? She could see the knife wound in his back just as easily as he could but how did he know he was dead from that distance and how was he supposed to how? It's stuff like this that is just grueling to watch and listen to. Then there's her behavior of knocking down the wall to the murder room with glee after the "hopeless" police have finished with it as a crime scene. Previously Fielding clearly pointed out that knocking down the wall would "ruin the integrity of an historical site". Go figure?? Another reviewer commented that the movie reminded them of the Scooby Doo. It's true!! I watched some of it again with that in mind and it was hysterical. No drama, no suspense, Agent Conner is asleep through the whole movie or he's forgotten his training completely. Fielding is a self-assured, annoying and bossy bore. I like that the producers took note of a reviewer's negative comments re Conner's appearance in Episode one. This time his shirt is buttoned up higher to hide his medallion most of the time and he's clean shaven!!

Past Malice: An Emma Fielding Mystery

[Prismark10 · 2/10 · 22 February 2019]

The film starts off with a man running for his life from a mansion. You would think he is being chased by a hound from hell.

We then go forward two years. Archaeologist Professor Emma Fielding (Courtney Thorne-Smith) is helping out looking for missing artefacts beneath Chandler Castle which is rumoured to be cursed.

Then a body is found in the crypts below. Emma investigates with FBI Agent Jim Conner. Emma is concerned that the police have charged the wrong person.

There is not much tension here and it looks cheap. At times I thought the set looked like something from The Garage Sale Mystery. The acting is bland and I could not fathom why when confronting the killer, Emma Fielding is smiling like a buffoon.

Not impressed

[richterkaren · 1/10 · 10 May 2021]

I don't care for Emma fielding mysteries. It's so unbelievable. Courtney Thorne smith can't act.

Stiff acting, weak storyline!

[lyndavanleeuwen · 4/10 · 15 March 2021]

Courtney Thorne Smith's acting is as stiff as her face! She may be convinced Botox works, but her face has become as stiff as a cardboard mask, from decades of injections!!!

This film was weak & flimsy. We only watched it to lull us off to sleep, and guess what? It really worked! Slept like a log after it ended!

This storyline doesn't work; too vapid & lightweight!

Dialogue full of clichés

[Cilica · 5/10 · 31 March 2021]

This is a good movie to write while you are learning. I don't know why seasoned good actors become wooden characters in these types of dramas? Have a laugh, have a watch. We know it isn't Agatha Cristy.