The Nanny's Secrets

I wonder what this story is going to be about. I usually don't read any reviews before watching at least one episode but in this saga I have seen two. I, however, don't know what to think about what I've seen so far and quickly looked at the rating, which is way above I think it is worth right now. Scenes take so long to get moving, but we get some eerie music to accompany someone walking through creepy passages for no reason as nothing happens. Perhaps I am impatient and must watch some more episodes. I don't know what other viewers think, but I will read these after I have submitted this review.

I love this. I find it refreshing, and different. So many elements bouncing about. Totally recommend watching this, let's hope the mystery element continues. A lot of the actors are unknown to me, maybe a few faces familiar. The lead actress is outstanding, great character who carriers a past that keeps things edgy. Like I said there are so many elements; class, young love, deception, misplaced love, murder, mystery, corrupt cops, receipt and to top it spooks. Some say this is a slow burn, but the various elements make the burn a multi faceted modern show with a background of the past. Watch it and enjoy the varied, different elements!

9 eps in and still waiting. This is a show that requires something else on the side; hence the "needlework", knitting, drawing, or solitaire on the side. It doesn't require full eye attention. How it rates above 6 is beyond me. Glad I'm not paying a subscription to watch it! Hoped it might provide something more interesting than the big N's increasingly long dragged out tales. One thing for certain is there's a lot of junk shows being made these days. Kind of like coffee - I'd rather have one cup of good coffee than 3 cups of cheap coffee. Hopefully all involved are newbies and they come out of this with an awareness of how not to do things. Unless this has a good punch-line finish I can't give it more than 4 as the filming was decent, acting mediocre... maybe 3 as I had to back up to understand some of the mumbly dialogue which might have sounded better if I had a high end sound system - or worse. When all said and done, this could easily been done as a less than 2 hour movie of the made for TV genre. DISAPPOINTED.

It's a bit all over the place, and for some reason the main character is really annoying. I can't tell if it's just her being a terrible actor or if it's something else...I really couldn't stand the weird slow talking she did all the time, it's almost monotone. It made her sound like a bimbo, and i they made it seem like she supposed to be really smart, but that doesn't really come through for me...Other than that, I like the story line with the mystery around the building and the hidden clues. The set design is cool, but again, it's a bit cheesy, I wouldn't be surprised if they cancelled this one after the first season.

On the Acting:

Amy Acker pulls the beating heart from the characters she portrays and puts it on full display. Even characters that might seem unlikable on paper become people who are easy to empathize with and even love through her portrayal. Tory Ayres is no exception.

I seem to be in the minority with this one, but Mariel Molino does a great job of portraying Elena. The flattened affect seems to be consequence of Elena's upbringing and I found her believable, and easy to like and empathize with.

Kelly Bishop is as usual a delight to watch, I found Warren Christie's character compelling, and I think in general the actors portraying the older adults did well and were believable/ interesting to watch. The actors playing the kids also did well. Unfortunately the "young adult" group had acting that I can best describe as rough and I'll leave it at that.

On the Plot/Characters:

It's mostly typical freeform fare: there's a lot of YA drama and cheesy relationships which aren't my jam, but that's to be expected with my being in my mid-twenties and decidedly not the target audience here. Most of the side-plots involving the nanny group weren't all that interesting, and seemed shoehorned in at times.

That being said, there *were* some really interesting characters and plot threads to be found.

The Santos's family dynamics were really well done, and it's clear that the writers really thought about the kind of people who would come out of that kind of situation. And the parallels to the Ayres family are super neat to have. You have a parent who has done and continues to do awful things, and two children: one trying desperately to protect that parent and the other running as far as they can in the other direction.

The truth of Tory's character is slowly unfurled through the series and by the finale, you're on her side. Even if you didn't like her in the pilot, you don't want anything else bad to happen to her. How both Tory and Dick felt about their marital situation, and the beliefs they held with respect to themselves and each other made sense and informed what happened in the finale, making it as believable as it was horrifying and tragic.

The supernatural element of the ghost was not too overdone, and through how mad it drives Elena we understand Charlotte more as a character.

And overall the series' exploration of grief was well done, with the birthday episode being a real gem in that regard.

I would say that where this series shines is not in the investigation plot, but in the believable and compelling ways that character dynamics are fleshed out. The background we learn informs the characters' actions and emotions, and that is where it matters.