GunnersMate

Not just the best acting partners in daytime, but the finest on television today: Max Gail and Maurice Bernard. The 1 April 2020 episode was yet another example of two artists who not only make their craft look as easy as breathing but give performances which affect the heart and minds of their audience with remarkable depth. Simply beautiful.

Part two of the final episode of Season 12 of the Murdoch Mysteries is a fairly tidy resolution of the dark and darker penultimate episode. There are plenty of twists and turns balanced with some series predictability, red herrings galore, and promise for both good and bad on the horizon. Not brilliant, but a good fun ride. More importantly, it was a largely satisfying episode both as the completion of a two-part arc and of a season. Worth a watch.

The final episode of season two of The Crown is largely difficult to follow. It covers a slice of British history not typically covered in American schools, spends the vast majority of its screen time focusing on new and ancillary characters, and is frankly not terribly interesting as presented. (A 7 out of 10.)

Fast forward to the last 10 minutes - the spotlight is finally on the characters that drew the viewers to the series, the actors whose chemistry and exquisite performances have kept the viewers hooked - they are powerful, real, and mesmerizing. A look at not just a relationship that has captivated onlookers for over 60 years, not just a peek at the complexities of royal marriage; but a slice of the very essence of long-term marriage relationships and the nature of commitment. It is raw, honest, and nothing less than exquisite. The director lingers on one quiet camera shot just long enough to make the viewer feel that they are an unseen voyeur on an intimate moment. It is beautifully crafted. (An 11 out of 10...because for things this good, "These go to eleven".)

Watch the last 10 minutes of the final episode of season two multiple times - it just keeps getting better.