And had no idea after watching the first two seasons of this excellent Canadian police drama that two more seasons were made and available until today. John Cardinal, well played by Billy Campbell, is a haunted homicide cop because of his wife's ongoing mental illness. Each season deals with different homicides as Cardinal works through dealing with a new partner, wonderfully played by French Canadian, Karine Vanasse as Lise Delorme. I think Season 1 is still my favorite, but as each season builds on the relationships and casualties suffered by Cardinal, I never lost interest in any way.
In many ways, Cardinal is my favorite show about cops; the things they experience, the way they are treated and treat each other, and mostly the grief many cops suffer because they are often torn between the job and their responsibilities to their families. This show is raw in portraying the secrets they must keep, the horror of what they witness, the guilt they carry when they cannot solve every crime, the life they choose to try to bring Justice to a populace that many times does not appreciate them. As well as the corruption and inner politics they must muddle through to get their jobs done.
I watch many cop shows and there are other excellent shows: Law&Order, Law&Order Criminal Intent, Prime Suspect, Vera, The Fall, Hinterland, and so many more on Peacock, Acorn and Brit Box. Cardinal is on Hulu! I'm not sure why Cardinal has stayed with me (so has Criminal Intent), and I watch those two over and over. There is something that touches a nerve in me in these shows and when they are well written with great characters and actors perfect for that character, I just wish they would never end. Highly recommend Cardinal if you love really good murder mysteries. As an addendum, we also discovered "Class of '09", an FBI thriller that takes place over 25 years last night and binged it. It is also on Hulu and highly recommended! But Cardinal is still my favorite. If you love a good, complex mystery cop show, watch Cardinal!
In many ways, Cardinal is my favorite show about cops; the things they experience, the way they are treated and treat each other, and mostly the grief many cops suffer because they are often torn between the job and their responsibilities to their families. This show is raw in portraying the secrets they must keep, the horror of what they witness, the guilt they carry when they cannot solve every crime, the life they choose to try to bring Justice to a populace that many times does not appreciate them. As well as the corruption and inner politics they must muddle through to get their jobs done.
I watch many cop shows and there are other excellent shows: Law&Order, Law&Order Criminal Intent, Prime Suspect, Vera, The Fall, Hinterland, and so many more on Peacock, Acorn and Brit Box. Cardinal is on Hulu! I'm not sure why Cardinal has stayed with me (so has Criminal Intent), and I watch those two over and over. There is something that touches a nerve in me in these shows and when they are well written with great characters and actors perfect for that character, I just wish they would never end. Highly recommend Cardinal if you love really good murder mysteries. As an addendum, we also discovered "Class of '09", an FBI thriller that takes place over 25 years last night and binged it. It is also on Hulu and highly recommended! But Cardinal is still my favorite. If you love a good, complex mystery cop show, watch Cardinal!