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X Company (2015)
An entertaining diamond in the rough
I anticipated watching "X Company". It would be quite a change to see a TV show about Canadian spies instead of American ones, I thought. While I have a few reservations, I will continue to follow it.
The story begins in 1942. Canada had declared war to Germany, Italy and Japan before the United States. In order to gather intelligence, the Canadian government sets up a secret training camp near Lake Ontario or outside of the city of Whitby to be more exact. This is where a group of Canadian, British and American recruits get trained before being sent behind enemy lines to spy, kill and sabotage on the European front.
Like any drama about WWII made before it, "X Company" contains the "must-haves" (or clichés) of the genre: harsh German officers, conscientious German officers, an idealistic genius, a troubled genius and the brutish guy. Even though the pilot doesn't elaborate much on most of the leading characters' back story, I expect further episodes to delve a little deeper. After all, every seconds of the pilot was smartly spent making us witness the spies' first mission.
Morever, it was good to know that Americans, who didn't have any intelligence service back then, relied on Canadians to train their first modern spies. Add to that the cast's capability to make you feel their character's fear during a mission. However, I have one minor reservation. While the pilot is set in France, I was irked to see French-speaking characters, be they Canadian or French, talk among themselves in English with an affected Francophone accent. This is weird coming from a Canadian TV series with a budget high enough to cast non-Canadian actors and film action sequences!
Despite a few flaws one can expect from a network TV series, "X Company" has the intensity of an espionage thriller combined with an appreciable dose of historical veracity.
19-2 (2011)
A Tad Soapy, but Smart Procedural Drama
Unlike many, I wouldn't call "19-2" the best TV series of all time. The title is an allusion to the police precinct (19) and the ID number of the car (2) where our lead characters work at and from. After his partner has been severely injured, Nick Berrof (Réal Bossé), a beat cop of the Montreal Police Department (MPD), is partnered with rookie Benoît Chartier (Claude Legault). The latter presents himself as a former agent of the Sûreté du Québec (SQ), which is Québec's provincial police.
On a daily basis, Berrof and Chartier ride along and try to remain professional despite their aversion for each other. Furthermore, unbeknownst to Berrof and everyone in the MPD, Chartier is still on the SQ's payroll. In fact, Chartier is out to catch a mole in the MPD who's leaking sensitive informations to the organized crime.
While "19-2" is not among the best French-Quebecker TV shows such as "Aveux" or "Les invincibles" to name a few, it nevertheless is a diamond in the rough. When "19-2" is soapy, it stresses with a lot of emphasis that the characters are flawed. Off the job, Berrof has problems with his wife, a member of the brass, and his distant son. Add to that Berrof's occasional outbursts of violence. As for Chartier, he deals with his estranged wife and his flings.
Add to that the few problems of pacing. In its attempt to be like a film from Wong Kar-Wai (In the Mood for Love), "19-2" often offers long close-ups of the leading characters' face while they're saying nothing. Other than that, the acting is pretty solid and the smart script will have you scratching your head as to who the mole is.
Finally, once the mole is found by Chartier in the second season's finale, the script paves the way for an anticipated third season which is entirely focused on the leading characters' own issues. Moreover, I can't wait to see how the English Canadian remake, which also takes place in Montreal and will be aired on the cable network Bravo, will fare.
Almost Human (2013)
Unoriginal, but Smart Sci-Fi Show
This review is based on the first two episodes of "Almost Human". Given that the premiere was in mid-November, the wait was worth it.
The story is set in 2048 in an unnamed U.S. city and centred on Det. John Kennex (Karl Urban). Because criminality has become so complex, cops are now partnered with androids, which are bound by logic. However, Kennex is paired up with Dorian (Michael Ealy), a humanoid who can act, think and feel almost... like a human while having access to computer networks and having perfect data recording. Together, they will crack cases and, above all, investigate on the Syndicate, a mysterious criminal organization that terrorizes the United States.
This TV series has a fair share of tips of the hat, which is not a bad thing. A human dealing with both androids and humanoids? We've read that in Isaac Asimov's short stories. Some analyses on scientific ethic? Many speculative sci-fi works do that. Combining mystery and sci-fi? That's a reference to Phillip K. Dick's short stories.
However, despite being a formulaic buddy cop show, "Almost Human" has a lot going on for it. When John and Dorian are not dealing with the case of the week, they work on cases about the Syndicate which are part of the story's grand scheme. As a matter of fact, John learns in the pilot that there's a mole from the Syndicate in the police department. We can also assume that the show will elaborate over the course of the season as to why the Syndicate is hellbent on waging a war against the U.S. government. Add to that the doses of humour resulting from the excellent chemistry between the two leads, Karl Urban and Michael Ealy.
Finally, while it might not win an Emmy Award for best dramatic series, "Almost Human" is, at its core, a simple and yet efficient show from a TV network.