Trickster

Bravo to the TRICKSTER creators for bringing together modern, relatable, strong actors of Canadian First Nation heritage. I'm only one episode in, but this show has what so many similar "eerie" and "spooky" shows lack: a stealthy sense of humor.

One moment you're gasping and then something happens and you chuckle involuntarily. Not a big sitcom laff, but a really well-timed and welcome break in tension.

I don't recognize any of the actors and overall the characters they create are solid, dimensional and believable.

In a native Canadian community, high school kid Jared has a troubled life and makes money manufacturing and selling pills. His disturbed mother Maggie Martin owes her drug dealer a lot of money. His absent father Wade is trying to get back into his life. He befriends foster kid Sarah and fat gamer Crashpad. There is something supernatural and it has to do with his origins.

This is fascinating for its cultural elements. The basic supernatural premise is almost a superhero origin story with unique native twists. The actors are mostly solid. The story needs to push harder and go faster. I do like this world and the general tone. It lasted six episodes before getting cancelled under a cloud. Basically, Jared finally finds out his origin story at the end of it but he has only started his quest. I would have liked for him to get going earlier and discover his origins later.

When I read the summary on Kodi I expected a different show. A worse one, actually. But I am very glad that I put this into my trakt watch list.

This show has so many unique and fascinating elements that it gets hard to wrap words around it.

Background

Coming from a US-American and European angle, I never knew anything about Canadian First Nations, their culture, what a "trickster" might be, or anything else. So there is a huge educational facet that comes into play and this alone makes the show very interesting. This concept is not something that "has been done before many times". The mystery/drama part of the show is a perfect fit for this concept.

Acting

For acting professionals I have never seen before they are doing an amazing job. Their chemistry, authenticity, passion and skills are in every single shot. Even the rural community lifestyle is captured in linguistic, body language and habitus patterns.

Plot/writing

The plot is paying attention to the details required to convey a complex message laced with the mystery & fantasy elements around it. While there are smaller side-plots covering teenage romance, family dysfunction, and high school - the bigger story lines are breathtaking.

This show is a unique one in various ways, but deserves the high ratings. Acting performance and character development are very high quality.

Unfortunately, the show has been cancelled after just one season.

I'm not indigenous. I learned a bit of indigenous mythology in university but I don't remember much. The supernatural is intriguing. The scenery is beautiful.

I'm a huge fan of Eden Robinson's novels and was incredibly excited to see her work translated into the screen. Jared was such a rich character in the novel I was afraid that a tv show wouldn't quite get him right. Oulette turned out to be perfect for the role....conflicted without self pity, same charm and humour I expected to see in Jared. Great casting for Wade as well. I enjoy seeing these two characters interact.