The Calling

I am enjoying this show much better than most police procedural detective shows. I see a few bad reviews here and the complaining of overacting or reducing religion to a cliché. But compared to "law and order" or some of the other mainstream shows, this holds my interest much more.

The woman who plays the partner of Avi does seem a little one-dimensional sometimes. They don't develop her character very much in the first four episodes other than making her and the other cop comedy relief characters to Avi's straight man.

And unfortunately the captain of their division is forced to say the same lines over and over every episode. I don't blame the actress who plays the captain, but why do cop shows always have to have the lieutenant or captain yell at the detectives constantly that they're doing a terrible job whole time they are actually solving a crime effectively.

Even with flaws I am entertained.

Season 1 of The Calling, left me hoping for a season 2. While it could be described as an old-school police procedural, the unique characters on the police force and their interactions made this a thoroughly modern drama. The ethnic mix of the main characters was both striking and a reminder of how far TV has come in showing the diversity of real life: A spiritually inclined, orthodox Jewish detective, partnered with a private school educated black female, supervised by a crusty but wise black female Captain, created an interesting ethnic stew that enriched the show.

The acting was first-rate from the entire cast. Even the child actors had solid roles, and were not gratuitous or cloying as is sometimes the case.

If I had a complaint about the series, it was that it ran roughshod over rules of evidence. Police burst into peoples' homes without warrants and poked around, and there was nary a defense lawyer to be seen. The next season could tighten that up a bit. But overall, it was a highly engaging series; I hope we see more of it.

So, i am half way through and just want to say this is one of the best murder mystery law and order csi criminal minds mentalist type shows to hit the mainstream in a LONG time. It is EXCELLENT. Every character every cop every story the intrigue the suspense. If this had come on Netflix instead of Peacock the world would go mad for it. Also as a UK viewer this is RIGHT UP OUR STREET. Its gritty, grown up, funny, broody. Honestly they better renew this bad boy for a few more seasons and also promote it better. The lead detective also reminds me of a young ben affleck but personality of the younger brooder new batman. Go watch it you will not be disappointed!

This is not your run of the mill police procedural. It was very different and I enjoyed everything about it. The writing, the acting and the production were all very well done. Based on novels by D. A. Mishani, the plots are well-developed and the characters are unique. Each story has twists and turns that you don't see coming at you.

I, for one, hope they keep these characters going with new stories and cases to solve. There are four books in the series, so there is more material to develop.

If you're weary of the angst-riddled detectives you usually see, give Avi a chance.

Don't listen to nay sayers. Give this a chance.

You're in good hands if you go with David E Kelly. He's created some really entertaining TV series and The Calling ranks among his best. It's got a great ensamble cast, with Michael Mosley, Chris Sullivan, Steven Pasquele and Noel Fisher worth a special mention. The writing is very different, with two separate cases covered in the 8-part first season.

The first case, the more gripping one, is about a missing boy. The second, more complex case, has two sub-parts, one about a bomb threat to a school and the other about a missing woman.

The cinematography is rather interesting, mostly using dim colours to create a sinister atmosphere. The stories are gripping, albeit sordid, and characters are all very interesting.

I stayed up late a few nights because I simply couldn't stop watching this series.