Hallmark Mysteries: Mysterious Small Town Hijinks Ensue - General Discussion

[nokat]

On 4/3/2024 at 10:14 PM, LuvMyShows said:

One Bad Apple: a Hannah Swensen Mystery

I am watching past episodes and I like Hannah. I find her more likable than Aurora. It is still check off the boxes Hallmark mystery, but I'm looking forward to it.

[MerBearHou]

I really enjoyed One Bad Apple.  It was great to see Hannah and her sisters again and Norman was great in this movie.  Victor Webster is always enjoyable and I thought he was a terrific addition.  Didn’t miss Cameron Mathison one bit.  That’s not saying that I don’t like Cameron in the previous movies (I like him a lot) and didn’t enjoy watching the development of their relationship because I did — but for me, the Hannah Swensen movies are about the script and mysteries.  I am always glad to see Alison Sweeney (except in Jane Austen Hallmark movies).  In One Bad Apple, there was a bit of humor here and there which was welcomed and I would watch future movies with this cast so I hope they continue them.  

[Irlandesa]

I liked that we got the original sister back.  The one thing I don't miss is the romantic triangle shenanigans.  I liked that Mike and Hannah being engaged kind of ended those but now that he's gone, we're back. 

I enjoyed the character of Bradford and was bummed he was the victim. 

[chitowngirl]

One Bad Apple was written by Alison Sweeney!

[MerBearHou]

1 hour ago, chitowngirl said:

One Bad Apple was written by Alison Sweeney!

Nice job!!

[susannot]

Has Cameron been written out of the series?

[MerBearHou]

4 minutes ago, susannot said:

Has Cameron been written out of the series?

He has.  They said Mike got an incredible opportunity to join the FBI and he’s now in Quantico.  I haven’t read the books but I’m gathering they break up in the books + Cameron has moved from HM to GAF and he’s going to host a game show.

Edited April 7 by MerBearHou

[Irlandesa]

1 minute ago, MerBearHou said:

He has.  They said Mike got an incredible opportunity to join the FBI and he’s now in Quantico.  I haven’t read the books but I’m gathering they break up in the books + Cameron has moved from HM to GAF and he’s going to host a game show.

I suspect they would have kept Mike it weren't for Cameron's GAF deal.

I only read one of the books but from what I understand:

Spoiler

The books are still ongoing.  She marries someone else, but I don't think that lasts and it's not the character Victor Webster is playing.  I don't even know if that's a book character or someone the movies made up when Cameron left.

 

[HyeChaps]

IMO, as much as this series stretches believability, the whole mother storyline was just too much.

[LuvMyShows]

14 hours ago, HyeChaps said:

IMO, as much as this series stretches believability, the whole mother storyline was just too much.

The vast majority of states, with only a few exceptions, require a license to be a private investigator. IIRC, she gave no indication of having done anything like that, although I think she did talk about having spent time researching it. At least she acknowledged that her clients at this point are wives looking to find out if their husbands are cheating, rather than getting some great intriguing cases...but that's probably next!

[Badsamaritan]

I'm not a fan of the Hannah movies, I've tried multiple times to watch them but everyone just seems so immature for their actual ages and it's very annoying for me. I never liked Cameron Mathison as an actor so I decided to try the series again now that he's gone and Victor Webster is on board (I do like him), and I still couldn't get through the new movie. It feels like the writers are writing for 20-30 something aged characters and Alison is almost 50. So their actions and dialogue don't match with the real-life ages of the actors and that is throwing me completely out of the series. Victor's character was the only one who's demeanor matched their age for me. Now, I am 56 and as silly as they come, so it's not the humor. Hannah, her sister, and her mom all act like they're fresh out of college or something and the immaturity is just too glaring for me. 

On another note.....do the Hallmark movie channel programmers have some kinda side deal with the convicted criminal known as Lori Loughlin?  Because they have been showing those damn Garage Sale movies like Lori has their kids tied up in her basement. 😒

[Irlandesa]

I remember seeing an interview a while back by the head of Hallmark programming that hinted at this but now the news is official:

Hallmark Mysteries is filming 2 more Signed Sealed Delivered movies.  The main four are back. 

[Badsamaritan]

Well I tried again to watch the new Hannah movie last night, and got annoyed all over again. What's the deal with the Norman dude and why is he emotionally cheating on his long term girlfriend with Hannah? Why does Hannah lead him on and rope him into helping her when she's completely aware of how he feels about her and knows he's supposed to be in a committed relationship with someone else? Someone that she apparently knows but doesn't give enough of a crap about to stop using her man? It doesn't in any way endear either character to me, it makes her look like a selfish asshole and extremely immature, and Norman looks like a trash ass man. I didn't think this was supposed to be Days of Our Lives for Hallmark. 😒

On another note, I'm looking forward to the new Curious Caterer movie. I like the Goldy character a lot. 

[KaveDweller]

On 4/9/2024 at 12:27 PM, Badsamaritan said:

On another note.....do the Hallmark movie channel programmers have some kinda side deal with the convicted criminal known as Lori Loughlin?  Because they have been showing those damn Garage Sale movies like Lori has their kids tied up in her basement. 

Maybe she bribed them?

[Lugal]

On 4/9/2024 at 9:27 AM, Badsamaritan said:

On another note.....do the Hallmark movie channel programmers have some kinda side deal with the convicted criminal known as Lori Loughlin?  Because they have been showing those damn Garage Sale movies like Lori has their kids tied up in her basement.

There's a lot of hours in a day they need to fill and they're hoping that the furor has died down enough to let it slide and those movies aren't making any money in the Hallmark vault?

[geekgirl921]

On 4/6/2024 at 6:52 PM, Irlandesa said:

I suspect they would have kept Mike it weren't for Cameron's GAF deal.

I only read one of the books but from what I understand:

  Hide contents

The books are still ongoing.  She marries someone else, but I don't think that lasts and it's not the character Victor Webster is playing.  I don't even know if that's a book character or someone the movies made up when Cameron left.

 

I mostly stopped reading the books because they just became too silly but I do keep up. One of the most frustrating things was the author spent book after book after book, talking about Norman vs Mike, which one will Hannah choose? And then they brought in some random guy that was never talked about and claimed he was the love of Hannah's life and she married him. It was not the Victor Webster character, he is a movie created character.

[LuvMyShows]

If you missed the premiere of Curious Caterer: Foiled Plans (like I did!), it will be shown again as follows:

• Sunday April 28, 7:00
• Wednesday May 1, 7:00
• Saturday May 4, 9:00
• Friday May 17, 7:00

[chitowngirl]

It’s also available on Peacock for a few more days….

Loved the costumes! I really like this cozy mystery series. I like that Goldy and her ex get along like adults. They don’t snipe at each other. 

[Badsamaritan]

1 hour ago, chitowngirl said:

It’s also available on Peacock for a few more days….

Loved the costumes! I really like this cozy mystery series. I like that Goldy and her ex get along like adults. They don’t snipe at each other. 

Yes, this. It's nice to see. Both have moved on and the ex actually likes Tom, and Goldy liked the ex's new squeeze, until she got strangled and then blowed up. Goldy and Tom have really good chemistry and I'm glad they finally kissed. When Track's father showed up unannounced and then told Tom his dad escaped, I knew he would end up being the actual bad guy. It didn't prevent me from enjoying the story though. I liked the 'Clue' nature of it all and as someone else said, the costumes were beautiful. And Olive is growing up before our eyes, aww. Will definitely watch this again. 

[LuvMyShows]

On 4/28/2024 at 9:30 AM, chitowngirl said:

It’s also available on Peacock for a few more days….

I had no idea that Peacock was showing it!! Do they show all Hallmark Mysteries? And how do you know when a movie will be disappearing from Peacock?

[blackwing]

On 10/1/2023 at 8:14 PM, LuvMyShows said:

Quoting myself, since I watched the new mystery. The ending was clever, but ultimately a disappointment in my opinion. I wasn't wild about the format...I guess I like one with more a 'naturalistic' premise. Also, I'm uncertain how the police were able to corroborate that the other woman died as the result of an accident. All they had to go on was the word of the other woman who was with her.  I don't recall the details of how she said the woman fell, but it was on a beach, so it's unlikely that she fell just from having slipped.  And I don't recall there being any rocks big enough to have done enough damage to kill her, so that would mean it wouldn't have been accidental.

 

On 10/1/2023 at 8:46 PM, Irlandesa said:

I do agree it was probably difficult to prove or at least let go so easily but the person with her said she was reaching for the proof she was blackmailing her with, they struggled over it, and Lucia fell backward and hit her head on a rock.  If she hits it just right, a rock doesn't need to be big to cause damage.

Ultimately, I thought Mystery Island was kind of fun even if the ending became predictable the minute we discovered the deceased's secret. 

 

On 10/1/2023 at 11:01 PM, Snow Child said:

I thought Mystery Island was very entertaining and well done.  Like the friend, I love murder mystery games but I can never figure out the killer.

I love Elizabeth Henstridge from Agents of Shield, and she was very good here.  I didn't realize that Charlie Weber was from How To Get Away With Murder.  He looks even more handsome now and especially good in tux.  The only dark spot for me was the actress who played Morgan.  She was not good.

I kept it on my DVR to watch again.

I really enjoyed Mystery Island, I like murder mystery games and the concept of one being set on an island was great.  I loved the house with the secret door and I liked all the puzzles.

I loved Elizabeth Henstridge on AoS.  Her character here was good, and I liked that the detective welcomed her help.  My only complaint about her was that she was always squinting.  I'm not sure if that was a character quirk or not but it always looked like she was either looking into the sun or on the verge of tears.

I don't think this movie was based on a book series, so I'm wondering if this is a one-off movie or if there will be more.  The ending certainly left it open to have more movies since the island is staying open for the murder mystery game business.  I also thought that a future mystery could be set at one of the castles owned by Lady Whatshername in England.

On 4/28/2024 at 10:19 AM, Badsamaritan said:

Yes, this. It's nice to see. Both have moved on and the ex actually likes Tom, and Goldy liked the ex's new squeeze, until she got strangled and then blowed up. Goldy and Tom have really good chemistry and I'm glad they finally kissed. When Track's father showed up unannounced and then told Tom his dad escaped, I knew he would end up being the actual bad guy. It didn't prevent me from enjoying the story though. I liked the 'Clue' nature of it all and as someone else said, the costumes were beautiful. And Olive is growing up before our eyes, aww. Will definitely watch this again. 

Have not read any of the books but I am a sucker for anything medieval, and I saw a preview and liked the idea of a medieval costume party.  I had not seen any of these movies before so I was a little lost at the beginning on who all these people were and how they were connected to each other.

I really enjoyed it.  Since this series is based on a food cozie, I wish there had been at least a little attention given to the food, particularly what she cooked for a medieval feast.  Cookies are hardly medieval!

I've set my DVR to record the three previous installments airing on Saturday.

[LuvMyShows]

On 4/28/2024 at 11:19 AM, Badsamaritan said:

Goldy and Tom have really good chemistry and I'm glad they finally kissed. 

Finally saw Curious Caterer: Foiled Plans, and I have to agree! I actually thought the lead actor and actress were another of those married couples, like the PenaVegas. The plot got a little convoluted, but I still enjoyed it. It was a little odd that they made a point of having someone say that Tom's eyes look just like his father's, but their eyes looked absolutely nothing alike, especially since Andrew Walker has fairly distinctive eyes, so you'd need to have an actor for his father who also has such distinctive eyes, if you're going to go with that angle.

Edited May 9 by LuvMyShows

[LuvMyShows]

Watched the new movie, "Family Practice Mysteries: Coming Home". It was pretty good, but there were a few things that gave me questions:

• Do today's high school siblings really play Scrabble with each other in their spare time at home?
• What did her father do that had afforded him such a big, nice house?
• It seemed wholly and completely unrealistic that when the cheerleaders got a sudden opening on the team, that they would approach some random new girl with no cheerleading experience (and no apparent compensating value, like being super athletic, or super gorgeous/popular, or super wealthy/connected) and ask her to try out, when realistically they would have offered it to an alternate/runner-up from tryouts who didn't make the team. 
• I couldn't help but wonder how the veteran guy was going to afford the medicine and the doctor visit, and where he is going to be able to afford to live now, and did he get the cafe job?

[Shelbie]

I enjoyed it and would watch another but I had the same questions you did.

[chitowngirl]

I’m peeved that Hallmark Mystery keeps changing their schedule. Last time I checked the website, Gilded Newport Mystery was scheduled for 5/28 at 3:00. It is not now and I don’t see that it is on anytime soon. ☹️

It was never on at a convenient time and I missed the window on Peacock.

Edited May 26 by chitowngirl

[susannot]

I liked the Tipline mystery.  Liked the Detroit setting, the shout-outs to the Detroit Free Press, the young detective, and the cat solving and saving.  The young Tipline reporter was a bit too much but she helped solve the case.

[MerBearHou]

43 minutes ago, susannot said:

I liked the Tipline mystery.  Liked the Detroit setting, the shout-outs to the Detroit Free Press, the young detective, and the cat solving and saving.  The young Tipline reporter was a bit too much but she helped solve the case.

I’m so glad to hear this.  I like the two leads but missed it tonight.  Will catch it on repeat.  

[david gideon]

On 6/7/2024 at 11:03 PM, susannot said:

I liked the Tipline mystery.  Liked the Detroit setting, the shout-outs to the Detroit Free Press, the young detective, and the cat solving and saving...

I liked it too, and was pleased they used a real newspaper and its logo instead of making one up. But if they want to make people think they're in a US city, they shouldn't shoot in front of a building that says 'Business Centre'.

[Badsamaritan]

I really enjoyed Tipline mystery too, enough that I'll watch it again when it's on. I like Holland Rodan as an actor and Chris McNally is good too. I liked the setting of a real newspaper, I liked that Beeks's boss didn't treat Maddie badly (as the police captains are wont to do in these types of shows) and gave her props on her knowledge. Honestly, most of the time it's the leads and their chemistry that will keep me entertained so I hope Hallmark uses Holland in more things cuz I like her way better than some of these newer actresses that I've never ever seen before and can't act their way out of a paper bag with a flashlight and map. 🤷🏽‍♀️

[MerBearHou]

10 minutes ago, Badsamaritan said:

I really enjoyed Tipline mystery too, enough that I'll watch it again when it's on. I like Holland Rodan as an actor and Chris McNally is good too. I liked the setting of a real newspaper, I liked that Beeks's boss didn't treat Maddie badly (as the police captains are wont to do in these types of shows) and gave her props on her knowledge. Honestly, most of the time it's the leads and their chemistry that will keep me entertained so I hope Hallmark uses Holland in more things cuz I like her way better than some of these newer actresses that I've never ever seen before and can't act their way out of a paper bag with a flashlight and map. 🤷🏽‍♀️

I haven't seen Tipline Mystery yet just due to my own timing issues, but I had to weigh in on Holland Roden and Chris McNally.  I like both of them very, very much -- she was, to me, the best with Tyler Hynes in one of those Time for Him to Come Home series.  Her chemistry was the best I have ever seen with Tyler.  And Chris McNally is just great in everything I've seen him in.  Plus I tend to enjoy all of the Hallmark Mystery series, much more than I enjoy the romance ones that are so hit-and-miss.  So Tipline Mystery is high on my list to watch when I can.

[hiisa]

I just watched Carrot Cake Murder and currently have Zest playing. I had no idea I was so behind! First, I honestly hate everyone's names in this series, except for Hannah. I know it's stupid but every time anyone says "Norman" I cringe. I hate that name. And I hate that Hannah and sisters call their mom Mother. I have no idea why but those things BUG. And for some reason Hannah herself REALLY got on my nerves. It wasn't the fight between Hannah and Mike I literally do not care which horse she rides. But something about her really annoyed in this one. 

 

 

 

Also, I don't remember when or where (or even what media--video, read?) but I consumed something that pointed out how in interracial couples on TV (with one party being black) it's typically a black man and anyone other than a black woman. It's really changed how I view some of my favorite shows. I tried watching some mystery on Hallmark and in the first few minutes there was a white woman making eyes at some POC guy and it just made me think how rarely we see a black woman in these shows unless it's a sassy sidekick (or the Morning Show Mysteries). And then in the Hannah mysteries the sister (why does a 20 somethingish woman need a 4 bedroom 2 bath house?) is dating the only black person (has there ever been a black woman in this series?) after Eugene/Ellis is proven to be not who he said he was. I almost turned it off then and there. The lack of black women representation is bananas to me. 

 

Anyway. The last mystery I remember liking is the one with whatshername Stephanie Tanner from Full House as some blues/jazz singer. Has there been a second one? The series I really enjoyed was the Murder 101 mysteries. And to end on a cliffhanger. Bleh 

[MerBearHou]

I finally caught Tipline Mystery and as I expected, I thoroughly enjoyed it, due to the leads of Holland and Chris.  Fun vibe and the Hallmark mysteries are my favorite part of the network (with an occasional gem in the rom-com and / or Christmas genres).  

[LuvMyShows]

I can't help it...I'm a sucker for SSD (and the tissues were for my allergies that suddenly started acting up as I watched the newest movie)!

Edited July 14 by LuvMyShows

[Badsamaritan]

On 7/12/2024 at 11:12 PM, LuvMyShows said:

I can't help it...I'm a sucker for SSD (and the tissues were for my allergies that suddenly started acting up as I watched the newest movie)!

Somebody broke into my house and was cutting onions while I watched. And then left after. Rude. 

[chitowngirl]

I love the SSD movies and series. That said, Shane-no matter how much of a procrastinator you are, you don’t wait to get your wedding dress cleaned and preserved for over 6 months! Especially if it was “that important” that it had to go to a specific place.

[LuvMyShows]

6 hours ago, chitowngirl said:

I love the SSD movies and series. That said, Shane-no matter how much of a procrastinator you are, you don’t wait to get your wedding dress cleaned and preserved for over 6 months! Especially if it was “that important” that it had to go to a specific place.

Oliver taking the dress to a cheapo cleaner was actually a disconnect. Given his love of old houses and the aspect of preservation, and his burgeoning sentimentality, he would instinctively have probably taken more care with the act of preserving her dress than she would have!

While I appreciated the angle that the therapist was going for, I wanted her to specifically tell them to speak up when something is occurring in their marriage that is affecting them negatively, even if it seems small, rather than letting it fester until it turns into something bigger. 

[Snow Child]

So happy the Postables are back.  I love all the SSD movies (and the series) and I really liked that they showed that marriages are not happily ever-afters, especially with two adults who have lived very separate lives and married quickly.  It takes lots of work, compromise and communication.  And there's nothing wrong with getting some outside help via therapy.

Well done show!  Can't wait for the next one where Oliver must lose his mind over the unpredictability of a newborn.

[Irlandesa]

The one thing I didn't love is the surprise pregnancy.  Both of the actors are about 50.  (Eric a little over, Kristin a little under.) 

[LuvMyShows]

Overall I enjoyed the new franchise movie Jazz Ramsey: A K-9 Mystery, in spite of the gaping plot holes and lack of any real involvement of Zeus. But there were far too many problems, and I just have to vent!

• The most glaring problem was that after over a year, the stench from the dead body would have been overpowering, especially since there was open air access through the grate and the body was apparently in a vent area (which would be the ceiling area for the second floor, which was used by the school). Even dead mice within walls have smelled up entire houses, so this would be a zillion times worse. And how did Miss Quinn get the body into that complicated space, with no one seeing her or hearing a commotion, in such a short amount of time before the end of the day?
• The timeframe was unclear, because at one point Jazz said Miss Quinn had been missing a little over a year. So since we know that the disappearance/"killing" occurred at the very end of one school year, that means she would have been missing for that summer plus the whole next school year, and since we know that she was found during an active school year, that means another summer and some more months into that next school year, which is well more than "a little over a year". 
• IIRC, after they had found the body, the detective/her ex said that they had identified it as Miss Quinn via dental records and fingerprints. At the end, they explained away the dental records by saying Miss Quinn had hacked into the dental records for Deirdre and changed them, but didn't say anything about the fingerprints. Further, hacking into dental records to do that would be very very hard: First Miss Quinn would have to find out Deirdre's dental provider. Then she would have to hack that provider's database to get a copy of Deirdre's records. Then she would have to hack into her own dental provider's database to upload the false records. All from someone who we have no indication had any such  specialized IT experience or ability.
• Even though it was a small private school, I cannot imagine that in this day and age, the entrance had such lax security. They mentioned sign-in procedures, but clearly there was no one there to enforce it, and people could and did just walk in any time.  
• At the end it was laughable, when Miss Quinn (the teacher), armed with just a fireplace poker (I think) yet facing a detective with a gun, says "No one is going to stop me now!"
• It was either a plot hole, or I got confused, when Zeus barked at and chased Eddie (the custodian) through the school, with Eddie ending up running into the closet where he had stashed the clothes that he attacked Jazz in the woods with.  And they commented something about Zeus having picked up on the scent or something. However...Zeus hadn't been at the scene when Jazz got hit, and so Zeus didn't know of that scent nor know that it was something he was supposed to be tracking.
• Again, there was something that was either a plot hole or I got confused. At the end, when Jazz went to the house where Miss Quinn had the girl, it looked like we saw Jazz get ready to knock at the door but then heard yelling so she went in through the (unlocked or ajar) door. But when she got in, Miss Quinn had been upstairs and the girl was downstairs, with no interaction between them. And further, since Miss Quinn was upstairs, why didn't the girl flee, especially since Miss Quinn clearly had no weapon (or she would have tried to use it in the showdown with the detective)?  And how did she kidnap the girl in the first place?
• When Jazz got hit in the head, and the detective/her ex came over, there was no conversation about what exactly happened, who might have done it, and why. 
• Her ex wasn't much of a detective if he didn't even think of it on his own to check property records and utilities. And there was very little chemistry between the two leads.
• It was not cutesy that her ex let himself in to her place with the key she had given him back when they were dating.
• It was odd that the mom requested to take Zeus for an overnight, and that Jazz let her, when it seemed clear from the conversation about "finally being a grandmother" that this hadn't ever happened before, and therefore the mom would have no food for him, and they didn't discuss any particulars about how to take care of him. Plus I forget what happened near the end, when Jazz had brought Zeus to the school, but something came up and she had to leave so she just left the dog at the school without saying anything about him to anyone.
• When Jazz recognized that the guy at the graveyard (Miss Quinn's brother) was the guy she had seen at the school, and she accused him of following her, what reason did he have for either being at the graveyard on his own or following her?  Plotwise, she was not a person that he would have had any reason to follow.
• The brother specifically said there was no other family besides him and Miss Quinn. He also said that he would see her every summer at the family cabin and said that at one point he became unhoused. Yet a family cabin with only two people left in the family would be somewhere he could stay.
• They also never explained how he was paying for the upkeep of Miss Quinn's house during the time since she disappeared. And where was she staying during the time she had disappeared? She would have had financial expenses such that there would be something reflected in her bank accounts (or maybe credit card statements) that the detective could have looked at. 
• And finally, by only knowing the name "Robert", how did Jazz contact him to arrange for him to be at the lunch with her mom? (I don't recall, but maybe the mom had said where she met Robert, and so Jazz went there and found him?) 

[LuvMyShows]

Did anyone ever watch the 2013 Hallmark Mystery "Mystery Cruise"? It has 2 female best friends on a Victorian-era-style riverboat mystery cruise. I just watched it on Pluto, and it was terrible. So I was curious if anyone else had watched it.

[Badsamaritan]

On 8/5/2024 at 1:36 PM, LuvMyShows said:

Overall I enjoyed the new franchise movie Jazz Ramsey: A K-9 Mystery, in spite of the gaping plot holes and lack of any real involvement of Zeus. But there were far too many problems, and I just have to vent!

• The most glaring problem was that after over a year, the stench from the dead body would have been overpowering, especially since there was open air access through the grate and the body was apparently in a vent area (which would be the ceiling area for the second floor, which was used by the school). Even dead mice within walls have smelled up entire houses, so this would be a zillion times worse. And how did Miss Quinn get the body into that complicated space, with no one seeing her or hearing a commotion, in such a short amount of time before the end of the day?
• The timeframe was unclear, because at one point Jazz said Miss Quinn had been missing a little over a year. So since we know that the disappearance/"killing" occurred at the very end of one school year, that means she would have been missing for that summer plus the whole next school year, and since we know that she was found during an active school year, that means another summer and some more months into that next school year, which is well more than "a little over a year". 
• IIRC, after they had found the body, the detective/her ex said that they had identified it as Miss Quinn via dental records and fingerprints. At the end, they explained away the dental records by saying Miss Quinn had hacked into the dental records for Deirdre and changed them, but didn't say anything about the fingerprints. Further, hacking into dental records to do that would be very very hard: First Miss Quinn would have to find out Deirdre's dental provider. Then she would have to hack that provider's database to get a copy of Deirdre's records. Then she would have to hack into her own dental provider's database to upload the false records. All from someone who we have no indication had any such  specialized IT experience or ability.
• Even though it was a small private school, I cannot imagine that in this day and age, the entrance had such lax security. They mentioned sign-in procedures, but clearly there was no one there to enforce it, and people could and did just walk in any time.  
• At the end it was laughable, when Miss Quinn (the teacher), armed with just a fireplace poker (I think) yet facing a detective with a gun, says "No one is going to stop me now!"
• It was either a plot hole, or I got confused, when Zeus barked at and chased Eddie (the custodian) through the school, with Eddie ending up running into the closet where he had stashed the clothes that he attacked Jazz in the woods with.  And they commented something about Zeus having picked up on the scent or something. However...Zeus hadn't been at the scene when Jazz got hit, and so Zeus didn't know of that scent nor know that it was something he was supposed to be tracking.
• Again, there was something that was either a plot hole or I got confused. At the end, when Jazz went to the house where Miss Quinn had the girl, it looked like we saw Jazz get ready to knock at the door but then heard yelling so she went in through the (unlocked or ajar) door. But when she got in, Miss Quinn had been upstairs and the girl was downstairs, with no interaction between them. And further, since Miss Quinn was upstairs, why didn't the girl flee, especially since Miss Quinn clearly had no weapon (or she would have tried to use it in the showdown with the detective)?  And how did she kidnap the girl in the first place?
• When Jazz got hit in the head, and the detective/her ex came over, there was no conversation about what exactly happened, who might have done it, and why. 
• Her ex wasn't much of a detective if he didn't even think of it on his own to check property records and utilities. And there was very little chemistry between the two leads.
• It was not cutesy that her ex let himself in to her place with the key she had given him back when they were dating.
• It was odd that the mom requested to take Zeus for an overnight, and that Jazz let her, when it seemed clear from the conversation about "finally being a grandmother" that this hadn't ever happened before, and therefore the mom would have no food for him, and they didn't discuss any particulars about how to take care of him. Plus I forget what happened near the end, when Jazz had brought Zeus to the school, but something came up and she had to leave so she just left the dog at the school without saying anything about him to anyone.
• When Jazz recognized that the guy at the graveyard (Miss Quinn's brother) was the guy she had seen at the school, and she accused him of following her, what reason did he have for either being at the graveyard on his own or following her?  Plotwise, she was not a person that he would have had any reason to follow.
• The brother specifically said there was no other family besides him and Miss Quinn. He also said that he would see her every summer at the family cabin and said that at one point he became unhoused. Yet a family cabin with only two people left in the family would be somewhere he could stay.
• They also never explained how he was paying for the upkeep of Miss Quinn's house during the time since she disappeared. And where was she staying during the time she had disappeared? She would have had financial expenses such that there would be something reflected in her bank accounts (or maybe credit card statements) that the detective could have looked at. 
• And finally, by only knowing the name "Robert", how did Jazz contact him to arrange for him to be at the lunch with her mom? (I don't recall, but maybe the mom had said where she met Robert, and so Jazz went there and found him?) 

This is exactly how I felt. But I did feel really duped with the title and the extreme lack of involvement of Zeus. It felt like they were trying to shove in way too much for one 2-hr movie. I wonder if some of Zeus' scenes got deleted in favor of more ridiculous plot points. Miss Quinn became a super villain, able to hack dental records and keep her entire existence secret for a whole year while she plotted and planned. I could've done without the backstory of the exes, they should have made them strangers or maybe just acquaintances. But then they couldn't have him inappropriately show up in her apartment uninvited with the key he kept after they broke up. 😒

[LuvMyShows]

I watched "A Fatal Engagement" from the new Nelly Knows Mysteries franchise, and I'm not quite sure what to think. I definitely enjoyed the fake out at the end, cycling us through two not-the-killers before giving us the actual killer. But now, the next day, I can't remember what the motive was for the actual killer, so that's not good. And they were playing a background music, especially near the beginning, that was like a madcap/caper type of music, which I think was trying to create that type of vibe, but it really wasn't there.

Seeing Nelly take so freaking much time away from her job was annoying. And what was actually the most bothersome, even though it was for such a small amount of screen time, was how the sheriff reacted so unprofessionally at the initial crime scene, in terms of her insistent wrong pre-judging of the cause of death. I also thought the casting just didn't ring true for that part. And finally, how would Nelly have known how much money was in that wad of cash?

On 4/9/2024 at 12:27 PM, Badsamaritan said:

It feels like the writers are writing for 20-30 something aged characters and Alison is almost 50. 

That quote was about the Hannah Swensen mysteries, but I feel the same could be said about how Nelly's character was written. In the first several scenes, I got so annoyed when her character kept going "Oh!" in this super annoying way, that I started tracking how many times it occurred, and then I got exhausted by it. I'm not sure if it stopped as the episode progressed, or if I stopped noticing, but I don't remember it at all for the remainder of the episode.

It all just makes me nostalgic for Mystery 101 and Martha's Vineyard Mystery, in terms of seeing adults acting like adults, and having adult relationships. Although from what I can recall, the Curious Caterer mysteries have been pretty good in that regard.

In this one, I thought the two leads had a pretty good friendship vibe, and was surprised to find that they're a long-standing couple on When Calls the Heart.  I cannot see anything romantic between them, though, and I don't find the detective character to be good-lucking, let alone hunky, like Nelly's co-worker was drooling over.

[kathyk2]

On 7/22/2024 at 1:50 AM, Snow Child said:

So happy the Postables are back.  I love all the SSD movies (and the series) and I really liked that they showed that marriages are not happily ever-afters, especially with two adults who have lived very separate lives and married quickly.  It takes lots of work, compromise and communication.  And there's nothing wrong with getting some outside help via therapy.

Well done show!  Can't wait for the next one where Oliver must lose his mind over the unpredictability of a newborn.

I was surprised that Oliver didn't try therapy after his first marriage ended. The counselor was right that they married quickly they should have discussed their living situation before the wedding. It was nice to see adults disagree without breaking up.

[Irlandesa]

The Cases of Mystery Lane was fun again. I never knew how much I needed Salsa Dance Teacher Paul Campbell in my life until now.  That scene was so much fun.

And even though the guilty party became pretty obvious very early on because the culprit did something that I just knew would become a clue later on, the way they caught the guilty party was delightfully unhinged and surprising so I didn't care so much about figuring it out. 

 

Edited September 14 by Irlandesa

[chitowngirl]

Miracles of Christmas preview with 9 movies

Edited Thursday at 08:07 PM by chitowngirl

[Maelstrom]

Sad to say I was disappointed in the Cases of Mystery Lane sequel. I think the mystery could have been a pretty good one but IMO the zany hijinks were annoying and distracting and undercut the seriousness of the original murder mystery (Rockvale Killer). I've always enjoyed Paul Campbell but this time I think they gave him too much leeway with the silliness and it didn't work for me at all. (Probably didn't help that I had a mouse problem of my own this summer, and a few cheap humane traps from Amazon and a bit of peanut butter took care of them no problem, so all of his over the top schemes just grated). PC and Aimee Garcia work well together, and clearly both have great comedic chops, but the tone just didn't work for a murder mystery IMO.