Acceptable Risk

This was utterly painful to watch. The worst part was the horrible speech patterns of "Dr Hoffman" and the detective guy from Canada, which is weird since he actually IS Canadian. Siri on my phone has a more natural diction than these two. Also why are the FBI operating abroad? Makes no sense. Its slow and likely could have been done just as well (badly) in 3 episodes. I don't usually expect great stuff out of Canada (I'm Canadian) but had higher hopes for Ireland/Europe.

"Acceptable Risk" is the Irish version of the Welsh drama "Keeping Faith". The similar plots only differ in the fine details. Both are well worth watching with strong female leads and some good supporting actors. Both have a loving wife and mother discovering secrets about their absent husband.

The intriguing mystery is cleverly built up as evidence is gradually uncovered. Both then come to rather a brief conclusion. Tidying up all the loose ends in a rather simplistic fashion. "Acceptable Risk" probably has the edge in the quality of the production and the credibility of the characters.

Both are fast paced though this is more evenly sustained in "Acceptable Risk." The constraints of this pacing caused me to knock off a couple of points as, sometimes the plot was whisked along at the expense of subtlety.

I'm a stickler for good research and continuity. I got off to a bad start with the scenes in Ireland being in early fall and the ones in Montreal (supposedly happening at the same time) being in freezing cold February. When production errors like that happen, it's distracting and I find I simply can't get fully absorbed into the plot.

And could they not find a francophone actor to play the Montreal police Detective Dusquene? Instead, they chose Alberta-born Geordie Johnson, who I'm sure, could at least have uttered a few words of French now and then to give him some credibility.

At best, the acting is OK, but maybe I was spoiled from just finishing the amazing Night Sky, with Sissy Spacek and J. K. Simmons.

I made it to the end, which is something. But without the above glaring issues, I would have rated it much higher.

The first episode of this Irish TV show gives very little indication of where it is going. It begins slowly with a family tragedy, the random murder of Sarah Manning's husband, Lee, in Montreal.

The series shifts its focus to the investigation of Lee's murder, which draws covert international interest. Sarah takes a central role in the investigation. She and the others involved face constant obstacles in their search for truth and justice as the investigation leads them ever deeper into a web of intrigue and corruption. I could not stop watching it until I had reached the conclusion.

This series is unusual in that most of the main characters are strong women who have found success in tough, male-dominated professions.

Good intrigue and well written ( only one gratuitous bit ) along the lines of Prime Suspect. I like that it wasn't cut and dried but messy and gritty. Didn't really like the woman lead, she reminded me of an ex girlfriend who was a look alike and just as intense to the point of exasperation. Enjoy.