Tag Archives: Republic of Doyle

Review: Republic of Doyle revs for the last time

Jake Doyle has a way of attracting a lot of attention, and it’s mostly bad. So, as Republic of Doyle sets a course for its series finale, it’s no surprise that Jake is surrounded by danger and uncertainty.

“Dirty Deeds,” written by Allan Hawco, threw everything but the kitchen sink into the mix–and I believe there would have been one involved in the prison fight if it was possible–by having Jake in prison and surrounded by men he and Malachy had helped put in there over the course of their careers. Kudos to Hawco and the producers for snagging Jason O’Mara in the role of dim bulb but oh-so-good-looking Seth Rankin. Last seen on The Good Wife, O’Mara was able to flex his comedic muscles as he elicited Jake’s help in a tit-for-tat agreement: if Jake helped keep Seth’s girlfriend, Molly, safe outside of prison then Seth would hand over some of the diamonds he had stolen to pay for Jake’s bail.

Throw in Taylor Gossad (who wants Jake dead), a prison superintendent (played by Megan Follows) who wants Jake to find out how drugs are getting into the prison, and Jake’s plate is pretty darned full. Add in the fact no one knows where Sloan has gone with all of the Doyles’ money and Leslie is in a coma and things are looking dire for the bestubbled P.I.

Speaking of Leslie, she may have ultimately been saved from Taylor’s long, deadly reach, but what was the deal with the gift-wrapped box the killer was carrying when he entered her hospital room? Tinny was there to put the collar on him before he cut Leslie’s throat, but no reference to the package was made before the episode ended. I can only imagine it pops up in the coming weeks.

Placing Leslie in a three-week long coma was a ballsy move and I’m glad it didn’t last longer. That means things will move at a brisk pace; she’s awake and can finger Blake Brogan for the death of Mayor Clarke, so he’ll need to move fast to keep her quiet. Speaking of brisk pace, fingers crossed Jake gets out of prison soon too. Having him in there is a nice departure setting-wise, but a contained Jake is a less entertaining Jake. It means he’s tooling around St. John’s in the GTO.

Favourite quotes

  • “Seth Rankin, of the Rankins. Not the band.” Oh Seth.
  • “I had to hide the key in my bum to get it in here.” Oh, Seth!
  • “Stay out of trouble, which I know is like asking you to take a vow of silence.” Malachy knows his son all too well.
  • “Des, we’re not making out in front of a coma-striken Leslie.” Tinny, always the voice of reason.

Republic of Doyle airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on CBC.

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Doyle stars reveal their Canadian TV faves

“Oh yeah!” is the common refrain on Republic of Doyle, but a more apt one for fans may be “Oh no!” since word came down earlier this year that the series’ upcoming sixth season will be its last.

Yup, Jake Doyle (Allan Hawco) is hanging up the keys to his GTO after driving his way into our hearts. Hawco and the rest of the cast told me that it was his plan to have the series he co-created with Perry Chafe and Malcolm MacRury go out on top rather than fizzle out (or, one supposes, be part of CBC’s recent cull that saw the cancellation of Arctic Air, The Ron James Show and Cracked).

Republic of Doyle‘s action-packed hours of crime solving and witticisms will be missed, but so will the weekly sojourns in St. John’s, a city that’s pretty as a postcard and boasts memorable real-life characters. Doyle is a unique and memorable series, and one that  ranks among viewers’ favourite Canadian series of all time next to programs like Corner Gas, Due South, The Beachcombers and even The Littlest Hobo. As we count down to Doyle‘s final season on the air, we got the stars of the East Coast drama to name their favourite home-grown series of all time.

Allan Hawco (Jake Doyle)
Quentin Durgens, M.P.  Gordon Pinsent played an M.P. in Ottawa.”

Krystin Pellerin (Leslie Bennett)
Mr.  Dressup.”

Mark O’Brien (Des Courtney)
Codco.”

Marthe Bernard (Tinny Doyle)
“I was going to say The Kids in the Hall, but I feel like I should say Codco because my dad worked on it, but he also wrote for The Kids in the Hall, so I’ll say that.”

Sean McGinley (Malachy Doyle)
Due South.”

Lynda Boyd (Rose Miller)
“It’s a toss-up between The Beachcombers and Mr. Dressup, because I grew up with both.”

Republic of Doyle returns to Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET this fall on CBC.

Which is your favourite Canadian TV show of all time? Comment below to let me know!

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