scvj-06911

I love Alfred Molina but he is not Gamache; actually none of the actors match the characters that Louise Penny created. Not even a little bit. Maybe I could enjoy the series if I had not read the books? It seems many people who state that they didn't read the books like the series, so, maybe, but I can't get past how shallow and ridiculous the characterizations and plots seem to me in comparison. If you want mysteries that are smart, thoughtful and emotionally engaging, read the books! I learned something new from each and every book.

Write an entirely new, original show that deals with the horrible "education" of native children and the many abuses perpetrated on the native population past and present. THAT and rural vs. Urban values, police insensitivity to non-white cultures... all that and more can be a great basis for a show. Run with it! Why ruin a brilliant series of books?

That they dubbed this Romanian detective series from the '80s was irritating at first, but after the first episode it became a part of the appeal. Whose voice is that? Why it's Daniel Craig guesting as the voice of the evil priest who smuggles bibles and leads good Communists astray.

I grew up in the coldest years of the Cold War: hearing the Communist spin on the evils of capitalism, how America always rigged Olympic judging, seeing their version of dangerous New York or the decadent/slutty American ambassador with her minion eating a mountain of hamburgers for lunch. It was eerily similar to the stuff I was taught about the Soviet Union.

I'm a little confused by the reviewer who seems to think this is a spoof--I think that reviewer probably thinks the moon landing was faked too.