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Comments and queries for the week of March 25

Murdoch Mysteries‘ Season 9 and what’s to come in Season 10

I very much enjoyed the season-ender and am very happy that it has been picked up for yet another season. I find the program to be most enjoyable and have followed the show for the nine seasons it has been on. I would like to see Murdoch and Julia with a child and their new home in Season 10. Their is a lot of garbage on TV and it is refreshing to be able to sit down and watch this show. I think you have done a great job. —Cathy

Shame on the people who criticized this episode for its lack of verisimilitude. I agree with the viewer who observed that this great show is fiction and not a documentary. As in all works of fiction, some suspension of disbelief is necessary. I watched this episode and absolutely loved it. This is a wonderful show and all of the actors (especially Yannick Bisson, Hélène Joy and Jonny Harris) are superb. The humour, smart dialogue and the perfect integration of historical fact and creative storyline are what keep the audience coming back each week. This season finale was riveting. You see the physical and emotional closeness between the two main characters and how that translates into interesting plot twists. I appreciate that Hélène is the one saving Yannick and demonstrates both physical and emotional strength. The power of the mind and the mental bond between Yannick and Hélène are repeatedly demonstrated throughout the episode. The spiritual and the unexplained have been incorporated in past episodes. I think the way that they are used in this episode just adds to the appeal of the perfect partnership between Murdoch and Dr. Ogden! To the writers of this show: Keep up the great work! —N

I personally loved the final episode and I love the show and can’t wait to see what Season 10 brings. Keep up the great work. —Deborah

My wife and I loved the last episode. Julia bursting awake, galloping the horse through the wilderness, dressed to hunt for her love, William, and save his life with the bow and arrows. WOW. Very stressful episode but thank the writer gods for a terrific happy ending. —Stevie

Here’s the issue. If we look at the progression of the series, there was a fine balance between events and the character, and there was a strong emphasis on the mystery aspect of the series. The series has lapsed into more soap opera and needs to get back to its roots and focus on, as the title says, Murdoch Mysteries (stressing the mysteries). Perhaps it is time to bring in some new writers who will focus on exploring Toronto/Canada’s history in a way that was accomplished in seasons 1-7. Without doubt, Season 8 was the worst season—Season 9 redeemed itself but some of the episodes remained a bit sketchy. We don’t expect a perfect season but focus on what has made this show great and listen to your audience. I love this show. —Raymond

Absolutely disgusting, a terrible way to end what had been so enjoyable. How could the writers think we are so gullible? If this is the way the show is going I won’t be watching it next season for sure!!! I felt very sorry for the actors, they must have cringed with the stupid plot. —June

I agree. It was totally unbelievable. I am not sure if I want to continue watching the show after this. I found that the entire season was much poorer than the previous ones. —Pat

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Heartland celebrates Season 10 news with a surprise

Every time I know a new episode is available I can’t wait to watch it. The ending to Season 9 was perfect and I’m ecstatic for Season 10. Although I do not agree with the above comment for Amy just because you’re pregnant does not make you disabled. I rode horses (including running them) halfway through my ninth month. Oh and my daughter was completely healthy; which is all I wish for Amy and Ty in the next season. I will be patiently waiting for Season 10. Keep up the GREAT work!! —Whitetail

The finale was great. I was very happy that Lou and Peter did not get back together, which would have been the easy way. I like Mitch’s character and hope Season 10 takes us that direction with Lou. Georgie will definitely have to pick up the reins, so to speak as with Amy’s pregnancy she will have to take a step back from the horses.
Great show. Have watched from the start and will continue to watch as long as it runs. —Nancy

I though the last episode of Season 9 was perfect! Absolutely amazing!! Keep up the great work and I’m so excited for Amy and Ty’s baby! —Alana

I really enjoyed the finale, it was perfect. I am actually glad Lou didn’t take Peter back, it was definitely the right call. Is there a future for Mitch’s character? I sure hope so. I think both he and Lou deserve some happiness and they look good together. Additionally, with Amy being pregnant, I guessing Georgie will be stepping in a bit more, helping Amy with the horses. —Felicia

 

Got a question or comment about Canadian TV? greg@tv-eh.com or via Twitter @tv_eh.

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Heartland celebrates Season 10 news with a surprise

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Heartland fans have a lot to celebrate. Not only was their favourite TV show renewed for Season 10, but Ty and Amy’s lives are about to take a huge step forward.

Yes, on their first wedding anniversary, Amy announced to Ty that she’s pregnant. (Congratulations to showrunner Heather Conkie and her writing crew for having Cassandra’s pregnancy throw us off the trail.) I assumed Sunday’s season-ender “Resolutions” would deal largely with Lou and Peter’s decision to get back together or not. It did, but Amy and Ty still stole the show from them.

And let’s not forget about Adam and Georgie, who are officially an item. I guess saving each other’s lives—him last week in the sanctuary fire and she this week with the diabetes sugar shot—was enough for Adam to stand up to his father (played by Cracked‘s Dayo Ade) and demand the young couple be given a chance. Seeing them hold hands under the aurora borealis was very sweet.

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Meanwhile, Peter’s return to Heartland was bittersweet. Despite his teary confession, a promise and a kiss on the lips with Lou, he’s leaving empty-handed. And, after everything Lou has been through this season, it’s the right call. Yes, it would have been easy to have happy-endings all around relationship-wise by the end of the episode, but Conkie has too much respect for the storyline and I applaud her for that. There are plenty of divorced couples in the real world, and Peter and Lou are determined to be great parents to their daughters. That’s more important than keeping others happy. (I was sad to hear Tim and Casey are on a break, but maybe things will be better next season.)

What did you think of Heartland‘s season finale? Are you hoping Ty and Amy have a boy, or a girl? What else do you want to see happen in Season 10? Comment below or via @tv_eh on Twitter.

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Lou’s love life brightens on Heartland

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Georgie’s right, once you open Pandora’s Box things will be changed forever. And, as the saying goes, it might seem like a small thing but it has far-reaching consequences.

In the case of Sunday’s new episode, “Pandora’s Box,” every small thing that happened on and off the ranch became bigger as the hour went on. And, I’m sure, will continue to loom larger as the season comes to a close. Lisa’s checkup turned into a medical scare that shadowed she and Jack until a follow-up phone call the next day relieved them both. But does Lisa’s pre-emptive plans to update her will hint at something sinister on the horizon?

Ty, who is seems has been gone from Heartland for weeks, was back and flip-flopping over whether to open the box his father had left for him. I knew he would eventually decide to take a peek inside and that cigar box held a flood of memories for Ty. His dad’s birth certificate confirming he lied about his age. A picture of Ty on the day he learned to ride a dirt bike. His mother’s engagement ring and a note explaining he’d scraped together enough money to buy it back after pawning it. Opening that plain paper wrapped parcel seemed small, but it held big significance for Ty: the man he’d painted as a criminal and scoundrel had tried to be a better person.

Georgie and Adam took a leap forward in their relationship. Yes, agreeing to “hang out” outside of studying appears to be minuscule, but it’ll change everything. Adam will be invited to those awkward family dinners that make me laugh out loud and Georgie will once again find herself under the gaze of Olivia, who I’m sure won’t be happy she lost Adam.

But perhaps the biggest box opened on Sunday was Lou, who took the plunge and made out with Mitch. The two have been bickering back and forth for weeks and I was silently thanking those guys for putting all of the dude ranch furniture on the roof because it forced Mitch and Lou to spend some time together. Once she realized he wasn’t a one-dimensional player, Lou dove in with both feet. After everything she’s been through, Lou deserves some happiness in the romance department. Of course, doing this opens up a can of worms. On the surface, how can they ever hope to keep their budding romance a secret from everyone? And in the larger scope, Lou’s decision affects Georgie and Katie, especially if she and Mitch get serious.

Speaking of serious, things get very serious next week when a suspicious-looking fire rages at the sanctuary, putting the animals and humans there in jeopardy.

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

Were you happy Lou and Mitch finally kissed? Think things will last between them? Comment below or on Twitter via @tv_eh.

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Heartland’s Michelle Morgan relishes Lou’s tough journey

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Lou Fleming has been through a lot over the past two seasons of Heartland. While she stood next to her sister, Amy, as she married long-time love Ty, her own marriage was crumbling. Now it’s completely kaput. Lou and Peter are divorced, he’s got a new girlfriend and Lou is dipping her toe in the dating pool while juggling being a single mom to daughters Georgie and Katie.

It’s been a challenging, but fun, journey for Michelle Morgan. The Calgary born actress wasn’t keen on her character’s current experiences and had to be convinced it was the right way to go story-wise. We spoke to Morgan while she was in Toronto visiting family and out for an audition.

What was your reaction when Heather Conkie came to you and described what Lou’s storyline was going to be?
At first, I was pretty against it. I never would argue with Heather because she always has the best interest of the show in mind. But I was really hesitant and nervous and it took me a few conversations with Heather and the producers for me to get on board.

I also spoke to Gabe [Hogan] about it, and he was really excited. He said, ‘This is great, Heather is going to give us lots of fodder and some great scenes.’ I hadn’t really thought of it in that way, but it’s true. As an actor, this has been a really fun, challenging season for me. And, as an actor, you always want to be challenged. It’s been great, but I was very hesitant at first.

Once you go down that road with Lou and Peter, you can’t go back. We’re past the point of reconciliation…
Are we?

Really? Do you think everything could be turned around?
Absolutely. People get back together. They can be divorced and be apart for years and then get back together.

But you don’t see it turning around this season…
Absolutely not, no.

Did you do any kind of research into couples or families who have been through this? You can’t go into a storyline like this lightly.
I’ve been playing Lou for so long and I have such a strong relationship with all of the other actors that, rather than do any kind of research into divorce, I really just stayed in the moment. I prepared for the scenes emotionally and then just was in the moment, telling my daughter, Georgie, that Peter and I were separating. I just went with what I was feeling. There was enough there that I didn’t need to sit and talk with people who were divorced. I have had hard breakups, and I looked back on those breakups.

“When you’re watching television that really resonates with you or is a reflection of your life and who you are, it’s comforting.”

Heartland is a family show. You’re very much showing the reality of many who are watching every Sunday. You want to represent that truthfully and without sugarcoating it.
Exactly. You don’t want to sugarcoat it and you don’t want to portray it as the end of the world. That was one of the ways that I was convinced this was a good idea. One of our producers, Jordy Randall, comes from parents who are divorced and said, ‘This will be good for children that are watching it.’ I think when you’re watching television that really resonates with you or is a reflection of your life and who you are, it’s comforting.

What kinds of discussions have you had with Alisha over the course of this season?
Alisha is such a visceral, natural actor, we don’t really talk that much about the material. We just hang out. We’re buddies. We may run scenes and our trailers, but she is just so in the moment … I don’t even think she has to prepare that much.

She’s really, really grown as an actress on this show.
Oh my God, it’s incredible. She started when she was only 12, right? You look back on her appearance when she started on the show, she was a baby. I think you’re going to be seeing Alisha in huge, box-office projects soon.

What have the fans thought about this storyline?
There has been a lot of negative feedback. There have been some hardline Christians commenting that this is a negative portrayal of marriage and that they don’t want to watch the show anymore. That’s their opinion and that’s fair, but we’re not trying to show Candyland. We’re trying to show reality and the real world. Some people don’t like that, but it’s their prerogative.

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Where does Lou go from here? She has been dating, which has lead to some funny moments.
Oh, it’s been so fun. As an actor, once you get married on a show you kind of get locked in. The romantic part of it is pretty much over. It’s been fun, because I didn’t expect Lou to be dating again. As a woman with children and recently divorced, you’re approaching dating from a totally different place.

I’ve enjoyed the comic moments you’ve been able to play up.
It’s been great playing with Kevin McGarry, whose Mitch is becoming a bit of a love interest for Lou.

Do you think Lou needs a boyfriend?
Needs? I don’t think so. But after what she went though in Episode 10, when she met Peter’s girlfriend, I think she needs a confidence boost and to feel attractive again.

Heartland airs Sundays at 7 p.m. on CBC. New episodes return on Sunday, March 6.

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Heartland’s rise of Llama Boy

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“Risky Business” dealt with some very serious horse and human issues on Sunday night, but can we take a moment to revel in the crowning of Llama Boy? Heartland has featured storylines about the evils of social media in the past, so it was nice have Georgie’s gaffe at allowing Olivia into her public mailbox turn out all right. Rather than let what I’ll call “The Spitting Incident” derail Adam’s quest for class president, he and Georgie turned it into a political success, giving him the win and handing Olivia a defeat. (Olivia’s cut eye at Georgie was so worth it.)

Of course, Georgie’s plot to turn spittle into votes wouldn’t have happened at all if not for the return of Tim’s former flame, Janice. Yes, she helped the grade-schoolers, but threw Tim and Casey’s whole relationship into the toilet. I’m glad her horse, Danger, is going to have surgery to cure Wobbler’s Syndrome, but it meant Casey and Tim had a sobering heart-to-heart. (That chat was preceded by one of the greatest family dinner scenes ever, when Casey and Janice double-teamed making fun of Tim.) By the end of the chat, Casey admitted she was afraid she couldn’t live up to Tim’s relationship expectations and it looks like he might take that job in Dallas. Will Chris Potter really leave Heartland? Doubtful, but the brake pedal has been put on Tim-Casey for the time being.

Janice’s visit threw Cassandra and Amy’s lives into disarray too. The pair teamed to diagnose Danger and in the process confirmed Cassandra is pregnant with Caleb’s baby. Unfortunately, the well-meaning Caleb thinks Amy is with child. I’m sure that’s going to lead to highly comic/dreadfully dramatic scenes in the future. Note to Amy: always throw out the pregnancy test ASAP. You never know who might find it.

Speaking of finding things, Katie found herself in hot water with Jack. With Lou away, the littlest Fleming scooped his cell phone and ended up breaking the screen. Luckily for her, she’s got the best grandfather ever; Jack used the opportunity to snag a plate-sized steak from Lisa after she accused him of losing the phone on purpose.

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

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