Shoot the Messenger expands its world in Episode 3

I’ve been pleasantly surprised by Shoot the Messenger. When I made an on-location visit during production on Season 1, I learned it was about a rookie news reporter named Daisy who landed a big story. Though Daisy was excited to write it, she needed help and that was where her co-worker, Simon, came into the picture. I also knew a cop named Lutz was having a relationship with Daisy and corruption within levels of government was involved.

But man, Shoot the Messenger is so much more than that, something evident by the time Episode 3 had closed. Daisy got a crash course in just how delicate the information she’s gotten is to some people. It did feel like she was a little blasé about everything last week and she’s certainly been reminded of that after the man from the car followed her into Hassan’s apartment and demanded the cell phone. When Hassan said he didn’t have it, the masked man gunned down Avril. Guess that was the wrong answer.

Much of the episode was spent following Daisy’s descent into an alcohol-induced haze. Prior to that she’d met with Anthony Telpher (Rick Fox), a friend she made in rehab when they were both addicted to cocaine. And though the talk with him seemed to do good, Daisy promptly went back to Chloe’s and drank a bottle of booze while surfing the Internet and seeing the type of kid Khalid used to be. Daisy’s actions not only estranged her from Chloe but Lutz too, especially after he advised he’d be distancing himself from her because she knew the men he was investigating the deaths of.

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And then Shoot the Messenger curved off in another direction that involved Sam Charles being feted for the Prime Minister’s office and Eric Lawson’s involvement with gangs discussed. Lawson has got a stink on him and Phil Hardcastle (Maurice Dean Wint) doesn’t want any of it rubbing off on Sam.

The stink of another sort—sex—was front and centre by episode’s end, as Simon and Daisy discovered Orlandio’s penchant for sleeping with older women. The revelation he bedded Judge Reeves not only takes Daisy’s story into even more dangerous territory but it pretty much guarantees Kevin’s warrant won’t be approved.

Last night’s episode boasted oodles of slow-motion movement set to music and a particularly strong, deeply emotional sequence as Khalid was being prepared for burial. It lends a feature film feel to Shoot the Messenger‘s gritty storylines.

Shoot the Messenger airs Mondays at 9 p.m. on CBC.
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