All posts by Greg David

Prior to becoming a television critic and owner of TV, Eh?, Greg David was a critic for TV Guide Canada, the country's most trusted source for TV news. He has interviewed television actors, actresses and behind-the-scenes folks from hundreds of television series from Canada, the U.S. and internationally. He is a podcaster, public speaker, weekly radio guest and educator, and past member of the Television Critics Association.

Review: Silent treatment on Heartland

Communication is a big thing, whether it be between family, friends, business partners or horses. That was driven home on several fronts during Sunday night’s newest episode. And while the episode may have been called “The Silent Partner,” the subtitle could have been “The Silent Treatment,” especially when it came to Peter and Lou.

It’s no secret that the couple’s marriage has been rocky of late, with him quite happy to be jetting to Vancouver for work, something that gives him a much-needed respite from life on the ranch. And who could blame him? It seems like Lou has got a new bee in her bonnet every week. This time around it was pressuring Peter to find a job in Calgary so he would be closer to home. I thought she was crossing the line by having Amy serve as the go-between to land Peter a job with Tanner Gunn (Patrick Gallagher, Endgame). In the end her plan backfired in a major way. Not only did she fail to communicate her feelings to Peter directly, but she learned the worst news of all via Amy: Tanner offered Peter a lucrative job that he turned down. Now Lou (and we) can only wonder what Peter has planned. Is he leaving Lou, or has he got a business plan cooked up to keep him at home and he’s just getting ready to surprise his wife with the news?

Speaking of surprises, Caleb had a big one for Ty (and Amy). Despite Ty’s advice to the contrary, Caleb is in business with Jesse, which led to windfall of cash for Ty in the form of his initial investment and profits to the tune of over $41,000 in cash. What will the the engaged couple do with all that green? They could certainly pay for their wedding with it, but I’m suspecting a business of their own is in the cards. After all, Amy could train horses and Ty could care for them. It’s the perfect business idea.

Communication was the word of the week for Jack and Georgie too, the former between he and Lisa over planning Amy’s wedding and the latter regarding letting Steven ride Phoenix to take some of the pressure off her mounting responsibilities at school and Heartland.

But back to Lou and Peter for a second. I may complain a lot about Lou’s meddling in everyone’s affairs, but I don’t like to see her hurting. Sunday’s final scene—preceded by a weepfest with Jack—found her the odd (wo)man out, witnessing Peter and her two kids watching Phoenix ride while she wondered where her marriage was headed. Do you think it’s over between she and Peter? Let me know below or via @tv_eh.

Notes and quotes

  • Hey Heartland fans, does anyone know how far Calgary is supposed to be from Heartland ranch?
  • “Can’t a man spend some time in his own home with people thinking there’s a crisis?!”—Jack
  • I could watch Heartland‘s horse riding footage all day long

Heartland airs Sundays at 7 p.m. on CBC.

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Link: ‘Open Heart’ a teen mystery, soap, medical show all in one

From Bill Harris of the Toronto Sun:

I was thinking just the other day about how American TV and movie audiences are obsessed with big, wealthy, dynastic families.

It’s a tradition of story-telling that goes back many decades. There’s a fascination with watching a rich family fight amongst themselves. And in recent years the trend has moved into reality TV as well, making celebrities of the Kardashians and their ilk. Continue reading.

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Link: 19-2 season opener on Bravo tackles school shooting

From Amber Dowling of The Toronto Star:

19-2 isn’t your average cop drama. It’s a gripping (and often heartbreaking) social commentary on the real life of a beat cop working the streets in Montreal, shot in a documentary style.

That tradition is upheld in Monday’s Season 2 opener (Bravo at 10 p.m., repeating Tuesday at 10 p.m. on CTV) with an episode that includes 60 of the most breathtaking minutes on television as stars Jared Keeso and Adrian Holmes, and the rest of the cast, enter a school where a shooter is on the loose and targeting random kids. Continue reading.

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Link: 19-2 star Adrian Holmes talks ‘intense’ school shooting premiere

From Melissa Hank of O.Canada.com:

Bravo’s elegant and tense police drama 19-2 returns for its second season Monday with a school shooting episode that was both emotionally and technically demanding to film. The premiere, titled School, contains countless casualties (most of them students) and a 13-minute single-camera tracking shot that’s a tour de force.

19-2, which is based on a French-Canadian TV series and is set in Montreal, has been praised by critics and drew an average of nearly 200,000 viewers per episode in its first season. It centres on hardened beat cop Nick Barron (Adrian Holmes) and his new partner Ben Chartier (Jared Keeso). Continue reading.

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