Harrow - General Discussion

[starri]

What if Greg House was a medical examiner?

If you're not watching a great Australian mystery series, you're missing out.

Available on Hulu in the US.

[pootlus]

I'm just over half way through Season 1 and really enjoying it.  Ioan Gruffudd (who is the reason I started watching) is as solid a leading man as he ever was and ageing like a fine wine to boot.

Despite living here I tend not to watch a lot of Australian drama because it takes itself way too seriously but this has the right blend of humour and drama, and has a great supporting cast.

It also makes me miss my adopted home town Brisbane, but at least I can thoroughly enjoy all the location spotting!

[Happy Harpy]

I also began to watch for Ioan Gruffudd, and this show delivers the finest Ioan Gruffudd.

I need to talk about S2 (until the last episode that aired, 2x08).

Spoiler

Rant ahead!

The writing is nowhere as interesting as in S1. There's nothing more tedious for me, as a viewer, than a plot where an invincible supervillain manipulates everything and everyone without a hitch. This one is "back from the dead", on top of it. Of course, no one believes Harrow*, not even himself at times. After 8 episodes, this is so frustrating.

*In that respect, Fern of all people is the saving grace this season. Her character improved leaps and bounds. She isn't ungrateful and she trusts her father now. She's also much more proactive and she doesn't let her mother (who once more isn't with it, sigh) deter her from looking for the truth. She refuses to be passive or victimized again.

Maxine's shady doings have potential, too. Unfortunately there's been little to no progress on that front since they were revealed mid-season.

There were cast changes and they're also quite unfortunate.

With his film career taking off, I imagined that Remy Hii wouldn't stay for too long. However, he left a big void and I already sorely miss the Harrow/Simon relationship.  It was obvious who would replace Simon, and I liked the idea since she "popped" in a good way as a guest. Yet weirdly, she didn't work for me at all in 2x08. Maybe it's because she was mostly stuck with Grace, though.

I don't know why Mirrah Foulkes/Dass is gone -without as much as a mention, I hate when shows do that- but it's another mistake, imo. I know that Jolene Anderson is extremely popular in Australia and she's very pretty. Unfortunately, Grace is also pretty unlikeable, with a huge chip on her shoulder whereas she isn't even very competent. The Instant Love Interest thing is a fail. She and Harrow don't even really like each other, they don't share uplifting moments and don't seem to "get" each other; Grace in particular comes off as resentful or threatened by Harrow's brilliance. So I don't see why I should root for an out of the blue bar hookup without much chemistry to become more. 

I have a feeling the writers kept everything for the last two episodes. I hope so, because as I said this show delivers the finest Ioan Gruffudd, he's just fantastic as Harrow and I'd like a third season...if only to redeem this sophomore slump.

Edited July 3, 2019 by Happy Harpy

[MrsSerega]

Having watched all Season 2, some of the episodes were just too frustrating ! I felt like shaking everyone, Harrow included! He completely lost his cool and made so many dumb mistakes. I hope others watch so we can discuss all this together. 

And I hope there's a season 3! 

[starri]

The second season has finally appeared on Hulu in the US.  I can tell I'm going to miss Soroya.

[dargosmydaddy]

Was doing a month of Hulu to watch the new season of Veronica Mars, and discovered Harrow... just finished season 2.

Overall I didn't think there was that huge of a drop in quality between seasons one and two. Season one had its issues, and season two ramped them up. And of course Simon was definitely missed in the second half of season two. The Harrow/ Simon relationship was definitely the best on the show. I also loved the episode in season one where Harrow and Jack are solving the mystery at the nursing home and Harrow is in the Simon role.

Observations overall...

-I liked Soroya (and she and Harrow had great chemistry), but considering how things went down, I'm glad she didn't come back for season two. It would have been unrealistic for them to continue their relationship, and she wouldn't have fit in well with the new mystery.

-Nichols was the biggest idiot in both seasons, and it really got annoying. Not sure how he managed to get and hold his job.

-Harrow getting away with the murder in season one relied on a lot of coincidences and bad police work. All it takes is a two second look at the antique medical kit by Nichols, and Harrow is off the hook? Really? Also, that fight between Harrow and Quinn looked brutal-- none of his co-workers noticed Harrow looking all beat up and put two and two together once the body was found? Also Jack's suicide/ faked alibi seemed like a lot for him to put together based on a single conversation with Soroya.

-These eyebrow-raising coincidences and oddities were even more present in season two. Firstly, Simon's death-- how does one get away with disposing of a body on the world's smallest ferry? Seriously, that boat looked TINY. You would think that either there would be barely any passengers and these few people (and/or crew) would notice if one less person got off than on, or there was a decent crowd and there would be a huge chance of someone looking Chester's way as he did it.

-Then there was the GINORMOUS kitchen where Callan and Chester worked... seriously huge during their long run through it, yet no one else was working there that day, and when Fern went to investigate, there was only the owner there. 

-Chester's dental records-- huge revelation, not only the actual records, but the dentist's recollections. Yet when Harrow presents them to Grace, he agrees with her when she says the records could easily be incorrect (i.e. filed wrong) and wouldn't convince anyone in court, and never mentions the dentist! I realize the dentist's recollections could also be shot down in court, but surely they'd be pretty good to convince Grace and Nichols-- give them the dentist's number, Harrow!

-But by far the biggest eyeroll-inducing episode was the buried alive one. First of all, we have the parallel case with the mummy casket, where Grace mentions the victim would have had about three hours' worth of air. That casket looked far roomier than the one Harrow was in, but fine, let's pretend they were the same. Grace and co. really solved that case in three hours??? Not to mention Harrow was digging up the grave in the middle of the night...even assuming it was nearly dawn by the time he was buried, the timeline doesn't really add up. But then we're supposed to believe Chester exhumed him in broad daylight in the middle of a cemetery AND NO ONE NOTICED?!?!?!

All that aside, I did greatly enjoy the series. Loved Harrow and Fern teaming up at the end, and that Harrow killed Chester for Simon rather than Fern. (Although again, I question that no one noticed the needle mark?) If there's a season three, I assume he'll end up killing someone for this third child of his? 

I do hope it gets renewed, though I will say this season's cliffhanger was a lot less heart attack inducing than season one's. 

[yourmomiseasy]

Season 2 relied too much on everyone being giant dicks for me.

[dgpolo]

On 7/2/2019 at 8:34 PM, Happy Harpy said:

In that respect, Fern of all people is the saving grace this season. Her character improved leaps and bounds. She isn't ungrateful and she trusts her father now. She's also much more proactive and she doesn't let her mother (who once more isn't with it, sigh) deter her from looking for the truth. She refuses to be passive or victimized again.

This was my thought on watching season 2 as well. When Fern put together all the 'coincidences' in a cogent and logical way, inside of 3 minutes! My thought was just to let her be the detective, she does better than anyone else on the show.

I really don't like shows/movies where the 'good' guy is a 'bad' guy but I will put up with a lot to watch Ioan Gruffudd. I believe they let some dangling clues for next season if someone wanted to investigate Chester's murder. The injection site, the missing hypo, the hypo itself in the drain.

I'm sorry Simon is gone I like him. I'm not sorry Soroya is gone, I did not like her. She seemed to poke her nose into things she had no right to even before she started suspecting Harrow. I don't mind Nichols. I'm beginning to love Fairley! Such hidden depths, since Pavitch is gone I wonder if he will move up or they'll get someone new in.

If there is a new season I will watch it, I'm still not happy about the murders. Oh, well!

[dargosmydaddy]

4 hours ago, dgpolo said:

I'm beginning to love Fairley! Such hidden depths, since Pavitch is gone I wonder if he will move up or they'll get someone new in.

Fairley definitely grew on me in season two, especially in the episode where he and Harrow were in his hometown. I think he's been the best developed character outside of Harrow, and I think it would be very interesting to see him as boss in series three.

Now they just need to hurry up and renew! 

[marieYOTZ]

Watching S2e3 now, about the girl bricked into the wall for 20 years. I have to say, I found Harrow’s impassioned rant to the guy who bricked her up regarding why he should turn himself in, given all the grief that he caused, to be a bit off-putting coming from someone who worked so hard to cover his tracks last season. 

[dargosmydaddy]

Sounds like there's probably going to be a season 3. Yay!

[Happy Harpy]

Officially renewed for S3.

https://deadline.com/2019/10/ioan-gruffudd-to-move-into-directing-as-abc-studios-internationals-harrow-is-renewed-for-third-season-1202756593/

[Happy Harpy]

On 9/16/2019 at 8:03 PM, dgpolo said:

I really don't like shows/movies where the 'good' guy is a 'bad' guy but I will put up with a lot to watch Ioan Gruffudd. I believe they let some dangling clues for next season if someone wanted to investigate Chester's murder. The injection site, the missing hypo, the hypo itself in the drain.

Yeah, not a fan of shows centered on weak narcissists, all of them criminals, to say the least.

I know that one could argue Harrow suffered some kind of PTSD or was in a state of shock in the S2 finale, but he starts to look like a Dexter more than a Brennan, if you see what I mean. 

Grace will be back. Ugh. I don't like it when I don't like a female lead, sigh. I can put up with it if they drop the romance (Not a Love Ew! person; I'm even a rather easy shipper) or I'll have to FF some Ioan Gruffud scenes. Again. I confess I did a couple of times in S2 because it just doesn't work for me, Laurel/Oliver levels of not working for me.  

I'd be glad, OTOH, if they're going to explore the S2 finale twist. I kind of hope the dead just had the ID on him and

Spoiler

Blessed Gene Pool a.k.a. Harrow's son is still alive.

Edited October 10, 2019 by Happy Harpy

[dargosmydaddy]

On 10/10/2019 at 6:37 PM, Happy Harpy said:

Grace will be back.

I, too, saw Jolene Anderson's name listed in the Deadline article, yet I also just read that she's about seven months pregnant... the Deadline article mentions filming starts in November, so it seems unlikely that Anderson would be available for at least some of that. I wonder what they'll do with Grace during that time. And I'm interested to see what the new dynamic at the morgue will be, either with a new boss or with Fairley as boss and a new pathologist.

[Writing Wrongs]

I enjoyed this show, but my God these people are idiots.

People keep investigating on their own, no one has their cell phones and no one ever leaves a fucking detailed message when they learn something important. I was seriously bitching at the tv all through it.

[krankydoodle]

The third season has started on Hulu. Harrow's endless family drama is becoming really tiresome.

[Writing Wrongs]

How long before new boss and Harrow bang?

[bybrandy]

I have no interest in Harrow's kid (supposed kid) especially as he is shady AF but hasn't done anything to make me want to like him.  

But Harrow and Brian and Fairly going camping?   I'd watch that all day every day.

[AngieBee1]

I was hoping the Harrow son arc would mean less Fern, but now I'm stuck watching two obnoxious Harrow children.  I would be happy if we lost Fern and  kept her boyfriend.  But this season has been a joy, nonetheless.

[dargosmydaddy]

The son is so annoying that Fern actually seems OK in comparison... though I agree Cal (the boyfriend) is the best of the younger set.

[Linderhill]

I fully agree with @dargosmydaddy, Cal has been the best one out of this group.  I will say that Harrow's  

Spoiler

baby momma showing up

surprised me big time.  But, at this point I'll be happy when the boy is dealt with and written off.  How many times can you say to the knucklehead that when the phone is in evidence, a mere medical examiner does not have access to it.

[Netfoot]

I don't usually comment, but I had to pop in to say that Fern is the DUMBEST person in Oz, if not the entire world. She could win the Stupid Olympics without breaking a sweat!

[orza]

Callen really is the only responsible adult in the room and Fern is dumber than dumb.

Well, that was predictable that James was not Harrow's son after all. So will Harrow be living with Fern and Cal next season since he is, apparently, letting James and his mom get away with stealing his boat?

[AngieBee1]

On 4/4/2021 at 12:59 PM, dargosmydaddy said:

The son is so annoying that Fern actually seems OK in comparison... though I agree Cal (the boyfriend) is the best of the younger set.

I thought no one could be more annoying than Fern and this season proved me wrong.   

But once again I'm faced with a Harrow hiatus.

[dargosmydaddy]

I have to say, this season was kind of a slog (though I did get through it). I still miss Simon. 

The finale definitely felt more like a series finale than the previous two. I'd be OK if it doesn't come back.