Motive

First off, let's address the issue of showing the killer at the beginning. Yes, Columbo did this, but so did other classic shows like Hawaii Five-O and Cannon, to name a couple. So what makes Motive different?

Simple...the idea of this crime drama is to figure out WHY the killer did what he or she did. It's an interesting play on things...the episode starts out with two different sequences, one ending with the word 'killer' appearing on screen, the other ending with 'victim'. The sequence with the killer usually portrays the person in a positive light, and conversely, the 'victim' sequence may portray that person poorly, creating a sense of sympathy for the killer and maybe a non- sympathetic light for the victim. After the two detectives, Angie Flynn (Kristen Lehman) and Oscar Vega (Louis Ferrara a/k/a Justin Louis) show up and launch the investigation, then we see events unfold as to just how the killer and victim wound up on a fatal trajectory. We gather all sorts of info and see all sorts of obvious motives, but quite often, the real motive for the crime comes out of left field. The motive is quite often something unexpected.

This is a Canadian-produced series, and I enjoy the way they tell stories. Between this show, Flashpoint and Rookie Blue, I'm beginning to think that our neighbors to the North are writing better cop shows than we are.

Given that each episode starts off with identifying both the killer as well as the victim, this is a one of a kind series. The premise doesn't look that strong nor does it seem like it would be worth watching when you already know the identities of both victim & killer. But like the name suggests; Motive is entirely about the motive that leads the killer to kill the victim.

Call me crazy, but I love this show so far and don't see myself not watching it. If you, like me, love watching drama that explore the psyche of people and what drives them to do what they do, then you'll love this one. Most of the time when you're introduced to the killer, you can't place him/her as a killer and it's interesting to watch what leads them there.

The one thing that's left to be desired right now from this series is that you don't have much to connect with the leads of the show. I'm probably gonna stick around and see where this one goes.

Motive is a very special treat. I love how instead of figuring out "who dunnit" the show is based on "why they dunnit." It's such a great twist to try to come up with the motive. A show giving you the victim and the killer right up front is really turning the tables. You have to think in a slightly different way. It's a great concept that works. Sometimes murder mysteries are easy to figure out and very boiler plate. In Motive the acting is excellent. The stories are well thought out and don't follow a cookie cutter format. I look forward to every episode. I hope this show goes on for many seasons because quality TV is so very hard to find. This show is a gem! I highly recommend it!

I love a good crime show. Law & Order SVU is the highest standard for me when it comes to crime shows and Motive takes an original spin on the genre by showing you immediately who the killer is and also their victim.

As the episode progresses you find out more of the story (or motive) from backflashes or killer movements. The sub-plot with the detectives is also standard for these shows and it gels well.

My main criticism for the show is that I like to guess and have suspicion at who the killer is, not being told straight off the bat and thats where Motive really fails. Great acting, great detective characters (especially Kristin Lehman) and production values. I'll be watching curiously to see how it progresses but Episode 1 is really just giving the viewer a basic summary of what the show is about and how it works. It's not great, but it's not bad.

Love this show. Great settings in and around Vancouver and an extremely well produced Canadian show. US love to ignore Canadian productions generally, but this is definitely a winner!

Kristen has some brilliantly-written dialogue...very off-the-cuff-type,,,,,,which makes her character so believable.

In fact, all characters are very well played. Nice to see cop partners who obviously enjoy working together...they are very natural. Also nice to see Warren Christie has joined the cast.

Really enjoying the concept of trying to figure out the 'motive' as opposed to the victim/killer! Would be great to have some 2-parters for a change of pace! Truly hope this series gets the go ahead for a third season.