Streaming series review - Pretty Hard Cases: Season 3

Pretty Hard Cases: Season 3 ***1/2 (out of 5) I must open with the disclaimer that I hadn’t seen the first two seasons of this Canadian cop/buddy comedy, though I did watch several episodes to get some sense of ongoing character and plot backgrounds in these 10 hourlong episodes. I got much of it, but would have understood everyone and everything better had I seen more from before. I recommend starting from the beginning, since the show is worthy for those who enjoy series like Frankie Drake or Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries. This one emphasizes the comic side more than those others.

Meredith MacNeill and Adrienne C. Moore star as Toronto police detectives who follow genre tradition by hating each other at first, before bonding over time as partners and then becoming besties. MacNeill’s Sam is uptight and by-the-book; Moore’s Kelly is more street-savvy and less constricted by “the rules”. A distaff Murtaugh and Riggs, respectively. Their cases run mostly in the drugs arena, but a number of other felonies - including murders – pop up along the way.

I suspended my usual policy of not reviewing a series I haven’t seen from the get-go on account of MacNeill, who was brilliant as co-creator and co-star of another favored series from our northern neighbor, the Baroness Von Sketch Show. She brings the neurotic energy that defined many of her roles in those bits, but doesn’t get as much chance to deploy her considerable gifts for physical comedy. Sam’s nervous chattering goes a bit over-the-top at times, but mostly defines her persona with a solidly comedic quirkiness. Some scenes can be frenetic, but the comedy never seems forced into the plotlines.

The scripts include more romantic and familial sidebars than many, some of which overlap organically with their cases. They also flesh out a large supporting cast with distinct personalities among the cops, lovers, friends and perps to bring comedy and suspense from many sources in addition to the two stars. Much of the dialog and plot movements are fast-paced. The on-screen gory stuff is fairly mild, but there’s a healthy amount of action and suspense to keep the pot stirred. The faint of heart need not fear grossouts.

This is apparently the finale for the series. Unlike Frankie Drake, which ended with the betrayal of several major cliffhangers (producers presumably surprised by non-renewal), this one leaves the characters in a good enough place for closure, while teasing a basis for further outings if the Gods of Financing smile upon them. If they do, I would join in the smiling.

(Pretty Hard Cases: Season 3, streams on Freevee as of 11/29/23)