Sister Boniface Mysteries

I loved this character when she appeared in Father Brown so I was delighted to see this spin-off. It is wonderful light, amusing British TV. Some of the dialogue makes you giggle. Occasionally you laugh out loud: "We took vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. They never said anything about sobriety." Looking forward to each week's episode.

The first episode was good and had good promise. The motive of the murder was stupid but at least it was watchable. I have seen 2 more and for me it is going downhill. With so much else to watch on TV, I would rather spend my rest and relaxing time watching something else.

The story needs a backstory of how Sister Boniface got so much power over the police department. They just show up and expect the sister to do all the intel work and then they clean up the rest.

If you are looking for farcical no brain activity type of story, then this is for you.

But if you want something that is more intelligent, there are plenty of other shows to choose from.

Father Brown has matured after multiple series and based on a famous book by a famous author. Sister Boniface is a breath of fresh air. It's not brow beating your idea of religion or Catholicism. Great script, swift and solid plots keep the story driving along smoothly. The characters are great as are the actors. Always good to have period dramas, they seem to pluck at peoples nostalgic heartstrings like FB . Unlike Agatha Raisin or Shakespeare & Hathaway it deals with back stories lightly and concentrates on the plot. The main point is that Sister Boniface is a likeable character. Do not review this after one episode. It's unfair. It's a great tonic. Highly recommend!

As the title says, the vibe of the show is pretty light hearted and the setting is quite idyllic and sort of alt-historical (early 20th century England). So, there is an appealing escapism aspect to this show that keeps bringing me back.

That said, how the stories play out, the way they investigate and figure out who did it, etc. Has gotten quite repetitive. It's identical in every episode so far. This is not Sherlock or Poirot level. It can also come off as too light hearted, well goofy, sometimes, think they could dial that back some but it varies by episode.

Like many mystery shows, Sister Boniface doesn't solve the mysteries on her own, there are 2 official detectives plus a tabloid news reporter who all play parts gathering clues. Sister Boniface just always plays the most important part piecing everything together towards the end. Most of the acting is pretty good given the nature of the show.

I was disappointed with the sterile portrayal of Sister Boniface in the first episode. But the character is developing more with each episode. The support characters are wonderfully cliched. Theres a ruggedly boyish detective, a liberated, feminist reporter, a tough, no-nonsense Mother Superior,a super cockney nun and the priggish land lady (can't believe it's Belinda Lang!). Rounding out the cast is a very pleasant Caribbean detective and a lovable junior policewoman. Is it intense highbrow drama? Not by a long shot. It is fun, silly, lighthearted entertainment and I look forward to the next episode!!