Republic of Doyle

Any show that plans on wading into the cop/detective crime drama waters these days is automatically fighting an uphill battle. You've got your mainstream shows, your Law and Orders and your CSIs. Then you've got the cable stuff like The Shield. And finally premium shows like The Wire and True Detective have the freedom and ability to delve into the harsher material without flinching for the sake of TV censors. So any new show that wants to set itself apart from the pack has to have a hook, something to differentiate itself.

Now to be fair, the Republic of Doyle isn't exactly a new show. It's been airing on Canadian broadcast TV since 2010. And to be even more equitable, most new shows don't have their own voice established until well into the first season or even the second. At only 12 episodes, this Doyle doesn't have much time in the first season to really anchor it's own voice and/or tone. I mention all of that as as preamble to my main critique of the show: it's pretty darn mediocre. The cast appears to be enjoying themselves, which adds to the tangible chemistry between most of the members throughout the episodes. But from a storytelling standpoint, this feels almost dead on arrival. It attempts to be both funny and edgy and doesn't really succeed at either. Perhaps it's a well-meant stereotype about Canada, but the show comes across as almost too kind or nice to be effective as a crime drama.

And so, in the final analysis, the first season of the Republic of Doyle commits the cardinal sin of being so middle of the road that it's boring. The biggest element that it has going for it is the setting, in bright and cheerful St. John's in Newfoundland Canada. Beyond the beautiful scenery, it's also fun hearing the Irish accents sprinkled in throughout the cast. But again, none of these ingredients are compelling enough to make me want to explore the show any further. If you do count yourself amongst the show's fans, then chances are good you've already made up your mind about how much you love it. But for the rest of us, this is one republic that isn't worth visiting.