Reviews

Been watching since day one and actually going through the series in order again but starting to wonder why. What was annoying initially still lingers. Reading other reviews I agree on the following-

> Ben Napier's mauling his wife in every interview. That Southern 'this is my woman' macho stance is sickening.

> Erin's cheesy, watercolour renderings of the homes is absurd. My 7 year old granddaughter does better at her age. And stop having people flop over these paintings..so phony.

> painting over top surfaces not scraped or properly prepared.

> Ben's high school woodworkings. It's gotten better but making a buffet with old window frames with paint still on in places ?

> Erin's horrible use of an old suitcase for a medicine cabinet..people are paying big dollars here !

> Have Erin stop begging for compliments! "Do you like it ?" Over and over.

> Ben's over reaction over already scripted comments and events. The audience is not stupid!

...end of part 1.

One of more than a few dumb episodes in this series but this is near the worse of the lot.

Rob can't simply tell this 'old army buddy' that he can't recall who he is. And so, what better way to address an uneasy situation like this than to invite this person into your home. While there, this stranger and his wife lure Rob and Laura's child into their bedroom!

Creepy. What's more absurd is that Rob and Laura do nothing but listen in through the wall !!! That's a normal parental reaction right ?

The episode caps off with the discovery that Rob couldn't recall Harrison because his face was obscured by a spotlight ! This leaves us to surmise they had no other contact ...if so why did Harrison consider them old army pals. Dumb. Dumb. Dumb.

The soundtrack for Dragnet has a resounding Dum/Dee-Dum Dum inclusion in the theme. It fits well for this Dumb-Dee-Dumb Dumb episode. It takes two policemen to effectively terrorize a child by showing up his house over a broken window in an abandoned building??? Wards self congratulated demeanour throughout the story gets nauseating. He acts more childish than Beaver when the gendarmes come to the house. Leave it beaver, like no other show, bludgeons a topic to death..here it's more about 'the youth centre' than Beaver's possible misdemeanour. The Wally's Party episode is a case in point. The parent's obsession with party preparations is absurd..especially when Ward dismisses Beavers asking his father for help with "Not now Beaver..I need to talk to your mother about Wally's party!"

Hard to imagine how this once pleasant program could get any worse. You'd be hard pressed to find one praiseworthy aspect of the new format or this episode. Scenes are stiff, bordering on silly with high school dialogue and impossible developments. People overhearing conversations from long distances, that even owls could not sense.

But the raspberry performance of them all is Ruby-May Martinwood. False pretenses galore. This is no actress; quirky facial expressions are not acting.. smirking at the camera to feign, I know not what, is not acting. In this episode one almost wishes for a cat attack to end the misery.

Oh boy .. I guess it was funny back in the day but for a show that touted itself as a new sophisticated comedy this is a cringing miss ...or mess ! I can't fathom how any man who works for a major TV down in New York would act like Lou Costello because his wife is expecting. It's been done to death; most notably on I Love Lucy when Ricky and even the Mertzes go bananas at the point of Lucy's announcement of labor. But here it's beyond the pale. Sure it allows for Van Dyke's physical comedy skill but it morphs into a silly string of gags; the oversized suit; phone down the pants; and on and on ..someone call 911 !

Did you ever think you'd see a chainsaw attack in a Blake mystery? Sad but true ! Ridiculous over acting by the Gorman portrayer and easily a cringe few moments.

This episode slides headlong into over played tropes and repeated formulas of this program itself. Can we never have an episode where characters actually get along with each other? Charlie now bickering with Blake. Charlie and Rose at odds; per usual. Etc etc..one may think this is the most dysfunctional police station ever.

Oh let's not ignore the typical sibling disfunction; Eve reacts almost as nasty as her sister Patricia. Red herring. What's with the looks Jean gets during the funeral mass ? Well we've certainly seen that haven't we ?

Really like the program and most characters. But it's clear from episode one that the Martha storyline is forced and has little substance. The loss of the child might be the unfortunate break in their relationship. Can't see it evolving any other way.

There's enough in Humphrey's manner of investigation and the clever stories to carry this along. Sidekick Zahra Ahmadi is appealing and natural. A good fit. Not sure how they'll handle PC Kelby Hartford though there's potential there for off beat side stories. Episode one's car theft chain concluded cleverly! Kelby's foot chase was filmed well. Every detective tale needs a rough and tumble foot soldier.

Please please get rid of James Murray character! Same routine every episode...idle threats ...something about protocols....doesn't look the part either ...a boring cast addition...Otherwise a fine program..yes, there's definite Columbo similarities which is fun.

Second episode, season 1 is a gem. I like the complexity too. Ok, Tala Gouveia as DCI McDonald is a pleasant, attractive treat ...but she has a piercing eye lock that actually gets a mention in the early part of season 2 episode 1 ... It's a bit light and airy but that's nice too..so many British mysteries try too hard ramping up the shock value. Entertaining all around.

So Rob is buying a coat for his wife. She even picks it out . Okay.

But for some ridiculous reason she never tells and he never asks for her size !! Are we supposed to be that stupid????

It's absurd! I'm not buying that Millie would fake 14 letters to help Rob..And her antics when she tells Laura about the phony letters is as annoying as any other acting she's done. And she can be annoying! Almost as bad as Rob's silly reaction to hearing about the notes. Get a grip !

This is a strange and frustrating episode. If Buddy's brother is reformed why does he claim to have loaned Buddy money; he did not. Pretend to have lost his wallet; he did not. And why would he go to Rob's house when he had no idea Buddy would come later ! And if that's true, then he hustled Rob just like his old ways ! This whole episode doesn't add up at all !

I disagree with the previous review that this episode bombs because of Mary's whining. It's a terrific entry in particular for Rob's antics as he ponders whether to go through with the marriage or not. Dropping the keys in the radiator never wears thin; it's a clever bit and Rob pulls it off perfectly! It's a lot of fun episode with the great Dabs Greer as the minister!

Had its moments but a lot of common sense had to be suspended -

• how did Laurel shove her toe so far up the spigot ?

• would anyone really paint on a false moustache?

• why would Laura have a laundry marker in her purse ?

• why have Herman, Sally's boyfriend play the bellhop character..
• why Laura lock the bathroom door in the first place
• why does everyone; maid, bellhop and waiter just continually walk into their room unannounced ..ridiculous!

Danny Brewster ...the worlds funniest comedian ? Really ...how about cringe inducing and mediocre? The Laurel and Hardy sketch is the only part worth watching...

Dawson's performance can be summed up by the title of a good DVD episode..'Offensive, obnoxious egotistical..'. An awful entry.

Again Phil spends more time socializing with his elite contacts and ignoring so much about the city they're in. I've been to Venice and there's so much more they could have touched on.

One restaurant scene he asked the locals what could be done to make Venice the way they want it..a woman pipes up "Tell young people to stay away !" Oh really ? So you've never been a tourist anywhere ?

I find so much xenophobic malarkey at times in these episodes !

It will take your best constitution to sit through the idiotic postering and bloated pronouncements of the French detective Giraud. He challenges Poirot to a contest to see who can solve the 'murder on the links' first.one of the prizes is Giraud's famous pipe that he puffs relentlessly. The character is pompous to be sure but too overplayed to be natural and continually annoying. Almost matched by the Captain Hastings bland presentation as a dolt 'extraordinaire' ! His bumbling and puppy dog, blank expressions are a distraction on the same level as Giraud. He's wasted here.

Good episode with various standard tropes when it deals with the church; shifty clerics; a nun with doubts..two weak points ..it's hard to accept that anyone would think this frail, smallish nun could overcome a strapping young man and stab him. Then there's the Lt Brock character..McEachin postures and flails about in his usual over the top manner. It's mostly a Paul Drake show ..but that's just fine !

A fine episode with all the usual cast of trope characters...the arrogant aristocrat; the frumpy ladies maid; the over fawning nice fellow; and on. The Murder setting on a plane from France to England is a nice change from the Mideast or Greek islands or whoever Poirot travels; which is odd in itself since he does not travel well. Death occurs as a result of a small poison dart. The cabin was also home to pesky wasps. What sticks out to me is the rather cool, even antagonistic back and forth between Poirot and Cheif Inspector Japp. In earlier episodes they are quite amiable; almost close friends. But here, they show no initial pleasant surprise on meeting and thereafter no real sign of any previous history. Strange.

Oh come on..people slamming this version ? Far superior to the '74 version ..Suchet and Jessica Chastain shine throughout...a great cast ..liberties ? Yes but the direction and cinematography are top form..never been a better Poroit ...

Great episode..Rickles shines with not so much the script but the terrific way he delivers his lines. I love the one set episodes and this one is memorable. What also intrigues me is the set. The scene wth Rob on top of the elevator is realistic to the point of being queasy..but some of the funniest dialogue too !