I have been binge watching Balthazar on Acorn TV, and enjoying it for the most part, but I must say season 2 is a bit of a letdown from season 1. The characters are getting more fleshed out, which is good, but on the other hand the individual stories are getting less credible and seem to be approaching the level of such American counterparts as "Bones" and "Castle", which is NOT so good.
Case in point is this episode, in which Balthazar arrives at an apparently abandoned toy store to examine a dead body, only to discover that the victim was deliberately infected with a deadly bacteria, and that now he and the police officer on the scene have both been infected as well. Not the most original plot - variations on this have been done before on many shows - and the writers unfortunately lapse into clichés and absurdities. As soon as the young policewoman reveals (between coughing fits) that it's her birthday and that she took the call as a favor to the cop that was supposed to be on duty instead of her, we know she's a goner, and sure enough... Balthazar tries to study the contagion as best he can before lapsing into a coma, and thoughtfully leaves his theories written on a board so that they might be used later to help him. When the other regulars arrive on the scene (implausibly they ALL show up, as if none of them had any other work to do), arguments ensue about the best course of action, and in another often-seen TV trope in stories like this, characters - in this case Helene and Eddie - become overly emotional and histrionic, which makes for drama but comes off as manufactured and false for both the situation and the professionalism of those involved. Some genuine suspense is achieved when it becomes clear that the team's efforts cannot help Balthazar, but then in something of a deus-ex-machina he is saved by an antidote conveniently supplied by the person who created the bacteria. Of course this is really not surprising, since we never doubt for a second that Balthazar is ultimately going to survive.
And then we have the ending, which is the most ridiculous part: the writers have our superman returning home that very evening, in seemingly perfect health, in time to nonchalantly ask his girlfriend Maya how her day went. I mean - seriously? This guy was in a coma, at death's door due to a lethal contagion, and everyone thought it was a good idea to just SEND HIM HOME???? Instead of maybe to a hospital for quarantine and observation for a bit? Yeah, right. I think not.
The identity of the villain is an interesting twist, but the motivations behind the crime are handled by the writers in a way that actually winds up making the person almost too sympathetic to root against, with the result that the resolution feels both rushed and unsatisfying. The actors, as usual, make the show watchable, but this story leaves a lot to be desired. (And in case you're keeping score, we see Balthazar's bare chest twice, at the beginning and at the end. Tomer Sisley is certainly attractive, but the obligatory gratuitous beefcake shots really are getting to be a bit much).
Case in point is this episode, in which Balthazar arrives at an apparently abandoned toy store to examine a dead body, only to discover that the victim was deliberately infected with a deadly bacteria, and that now he and the police officer on the scene have both been infected as well. Not the most original plot - variations on this have been done before on many shows - and the writers unfortunately lapse into clichés and absurdities. As soon as the young policewoman reveals (between coughing fits) that it's her birthday and that she took the call as a favor to the cop that was supposed to be on duty instead of her, we know she's a goner, and sure enough... Balthazar tries to study the contagion as best he can before lapsing into a coma, and thoughtfully leaves his theories written on a board so that they might be used later to help him. When the other regulars arrive on the scene (implausibly they ALL show up, as if none of them had any other work to do), arguments ensue about the best course of action, and in another often-seen TV trope in stories like this, characters - in this case Helene and Eddie - become overly emotional and histrionic, which makes for drama but comes off as manufactured and false for both the situation and the professionalism of those involved. Some genuine suspense is achieved when it becomes clear that the team's efforts cannot help Balthazar, but then in something of a deus-ex-machina he is saved by an antidote conveniently supplied by the person who created the bacteria. Of course this is really not surprising, since we never doubt for a second that Balthazar is ultimately going to survive.
And then we have the ending, which is the most ridiculous part: the writers have our superman returning home that very evening, in seemingly perfect health, in time to nonchalantly ask his girlfriend Maya how her day went. I mean - seriously? This guy was in a coma, at death's door due to a lethal contagion, and everyone thought it was a good idea to just SEND HIM HOME???? Instead of maybe to a hospital for quarantine and observation for a bit? Yeah, right. I think not.
The identity of the villain is an interesting twist, but the motivations behind the crime are handled by the writers in a way that actually winds up making the person almost too sympathetic to root against, with the result that the resolution feels both rushed and unsatisfying. The actors, as usual, make the show watchable, but this story leaves a lot to be desired. (And in case you're keeping score, we see Balthazar's bare chest twice, at the beginning and at the end. Tomer Sisley is certainly attractive, but the obligatory gratuitous beefcake shots really are getting to be a bit much).
