From Heather M. of TheTelevixen.com:
Kristin Lehman Talks Motive’s Final Season
“Part of the beauty [here] was that I had an intimacy with the material. I think that my way forward will be that. I do think directing will be something I always want to have in my arsenal. But usually for shows I have had the pleasure to help create or come onto as a producer or actress.†Continue reading.Â
All good things must come to an end, and Motive has been very, very good. Ever since the CTV cop drama burst onto the scene in February 2013, we’ve loved the writing, the characters and the stories. Now, sadly, it’s coming to an end, but rather than bemoan what could have been, let’s celebrate what Motive is: a great Canadian series that was given the chance to say goodbye rather than be cancelled without fanfare. Here are five things we’ll love—and miss—about Motive.
The storytelling
Begun by original executive producer Daniel Cerone and carried on by Dennis Heaton, what’s always set Motive apart from the rest of the drama pack has been unveiling the killer and victim within the first few minutes. The rest of each episode was spent showing their relationship as Det. Angie Flynn (Kristin Lehman), her partner Det. Oscar Vega (Louis Ferreira), Det. Brian Lucas (Brendan Penny) and Dr. Betty Rogers (Lauren Holly) pieced together why that person was guilty of the crime.
Kristin Lehman rocking her real hair … and the director’s chair
After three seasons wearing a wig, we’re loving it that Kristin Lehman has shed the fake stuff in favour of her real ‘do. We’re even more excited about her directing an instalment.
The guest stars
International talent in Jennifer Beals, Corbin Bernsen, Martin Donovan, Dylan Walsh, Alexis Bledel, Chris Klein, C. Thomas Howell, Ally Sheedy and Jason Dohring have dropped by, as have homegrown talent in Jessica Lowndes, Callum Keith Rennie, Luisa D’Olivera, Victor Garber and Niall Matter. We love seeing these folks interact with the regular characters, something that continues in Season 4 with Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite) in Tuesday’s return “The Vanishing Policeman” and the hunt for a cop killer; Will Sasso and Tommy Flanagan (Sons of Anarchy) appear in later storylines.
Vega and Angie’s relationship
It would have been easy for Heaton and his writing crew to make Angie and Vega an item. We’re very glad they didn’t, because it would have ruined the chemistry and connection these two have. Keeping them apart has meant plenty of quips and sarcasm, but also a deep respect that makes them stronger detectives. (And it left the door open for Vega and Betty to hook up.)
Motive airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CTV.
Listen, I never really thought that Mary was going to go home. Yes, she botched her attempt at making some succulent trout in Sunday’s Elimination Challenge, but that’s her first stumble of the season. So when I saw her standing next to Sean—who has suffered several gaffes since the season began—I was 90 per cent confident it was he who’d be instructed to take off his apron. My suspicions were correct, but Mary needs to be smarter.
It’s a common belief among MasterChef competitors that more complicated plates will win over the judges. But as Mary, Veronica earlier this season, and others in the past have learned, that’s not always true. Mary, who’d been given a trout as her protein, planned to complement the fish with a carrot sauce, cauliflower puree and other ingredients. But her plans were too ambitious; the puree was lumpy and the sauce never made it to the plate. Worse? She left bones in the trout, a major no-no. Luckily, Sean’s plating of sturgeon was 70s-era awful, sealing his fate.
Meanwhile, with five weeks into the competition, major plotting is taking place. Jennifer and Terry, winners of the Mystery Box challenge, served notice by assigning tough fish to players like Mary, Jeremy and April Lee in a bid to get them out of there. That didn’t work this time around, but the move did amp up the drama. Kudos to the producers for having the home cooks pair up for the Mystery Box so soon in the season; it not only forced competitors out of their comfort zones but revealed some interesting alliances. It also showed that Terry is a truly fearsome competitor with the skills to not only make it far but possibly take the title.
Next week, the remaining home cooks host a lavish meal for the fashion industry’s biggest names at Casa Loma and team leaders Veronica and Jacqueline have it tough.
MasterChef Canada airs Sundays at 7 p.m. ET on CTV.
Reality television is a heightened reality, not really “real” at all. Footage is filmed and then the storytelling is all done in the editing room. The result? What happened in Sunday’s episode of MasterChef Canada, where an open smoker door and open oven door was played up for dramatic effect.
Listen, I get that Sean likes to constantly check on food—he probably opens his front door in the winter—but there’s no way cracking the barbecue smoker lid for a few seconds to check on those ribs is the reason Team Red’s weren’t as tender as Team Blue. That is, unless Sean opened the smoker and walked away for five minutes. Now, he could have done that, except no one actually said how long the lid was open. Everyone was talking about how bad it was he’d done it, but there was no indication as to the time lapse. The outcome? The Blue Team won and Sean was blamed for the loss. (I also find it interesting that Matthew got to pick his “dream team” all at once, but no one mentioned the fact Michelle got an extra home cook in the deal.)
So it was the Red Team ended up in their first Pressure Test of this season. Matthew, rightly so, chose to save himself from cooking and picked best bud Jeremy to join him in the loft. That left Sean, Vince, Jacqueline and Mary to fend for themselves. Of those, I knew Mary would be safe as soon as Michael Bonacini revealed cupcakes were the challenge. Mary lives and breathes baking and her confections stole the show. The biggest surprise was Jacqueline, who didn’t let a little celiac disease stop her from creating wicked-good delights for the judges.
Meanwhile, the ham-handed Sean and Vince were in a neck-in-neck race for “clumsiest looking” cupcakes, something Vince won and was eliminated for.
MasterChef Canada airs Sundays at 7 p.m. ET on CTV.
With just three weeks of competition completed, we’re starting to see some trends from MasterChef Canada‘s latest group of home cooks. Sean can be counted on for enthusiastic yelling, timely quips and questionable wardrobe choices. Veronica supplies the cold confidence and seemingly unshakable opinion she’s the best. Matthew is creative and can somehow keep a hat precariously perched on his head while cooking. Dr. Shawn? Well, he might be Season 3’s winner.
The Montreal native set himself apart from the pack early on Sunday night during “At Home and Abroad” by winning the Mystery Box challenge. With key ingredients from all 13 provinces and territories at their disposal, Shawn decided to create a maple syrup cream tart. Shawn has never made a tart and never baked. Usually, admitting such a thing would has assured a quick exit from MasterChef, but Shawn wowed Michael, Alvin and Claudio with it, winning the test and saving himself from the Elimination Challenge. After choosing South American cuisine (Claudio’s background) as the theme of the week, Shawn also picked Terry and Vince to accompany him in the loft and be safe for the week. Shawn explained he chose them because they seemed like nice guys and hopes they’ll help him out in the future. Mary opined it’s because their friends.
Regardless of the reason, the Elimination Challenge proved to be devastating for three cooks. (Neither Mary nor April Lee were shown during judging, so I knew they were safe from elimination.) Jennifer, David and Veronica all felt the judges’ wrath, Jennifer for frittering away an hour of her time only to present churros, David for an un-Southern empanada and Veronica for bland stuffed tortillas. Jennifer was plagued by technical difficulties and David just plain admitted he had no clue what South American food looked or tasted like. Veronica, meanwhile, was confident her plate was a winner and seemed shocked things didn’t go her way. I’m sure Veronica is a nice person and all, but at this point in the competition I’d be happy if she went home. Her confidence comes off as arrogance and a lawyer background creates an unreadable poker face. As Chef Michael pointed out, she needs to cook from the heart to advance. Luckily for Veronica, she’ll get to do that for at least another week as New Brunswick carpenter David was instructed to pack up his tools and go home.
Next week, top home cooks Michelle and Matthew will be team captains as the squads prepare a barbecue meal for hungry firemen. From the looks of things, someone’s ribs gets burned. Who do you think has the best chance of winning? Comment below or via @tv_eh on Twitter.
MasterChef Canada airs Sundays at 7 p.m. ET on CTV.
