Streaming series review - Something Undone

Something Undone ** (out of 5) This crime drama from Canadian TV starts with an unusual premise. Farid and Jo (Michael Musi, Madison Walsh, who were also co-writers of the series), a pair of true-crime podcasters come across a 30-year-old sensational murder in a small Newfoundland town in the house of a family of five, with Satanic symbols scrawled on its walls. The case was closed as the father killing his wife, kids and self, but Farid and Jo suspect that’s not the whole story. Farid goes to the town and is met with hostility (and more) at every turn. Few are willing to answer his questions. The police chief takes a “nothing to see here” approach, claiming the old file can’t be found.

Meanwhile, Jo is obsessing over her own personal history and issues. She’s on medications for mental health problems including alcohol abuse, and digs deeply into the suicides of her mother and granny for answers to her own psychological state. She and Farid are at odds over the value of her treatment and the dangers of her drinking, further complicating both of their efforts. The action alternates between the two, linked by their erratic attempts at communication.

Farid concludes the heinous crime had been whitewashed, unfairly pinning the blame on the father. He learns there were similar killings in the area around the same time that were never solved. The town depended heavily on tourism, and didn’t want visitors to be deterred by any perceived dangers. Dredging up the old story is seen as a new threat to that part of its economic base by most of the locals. An unseen hand appears to be keeping a lid on the facts.

The story stays suspenseful throughout its 10 hourlong episodes, but empathy for the protagonists is hard to maintain. As Farid and Jo clash and fail to support each other’s burdens, they grow more annoying than sympathetic. One saving grace is the excellent performance by Billy Campbell as a local religious do-gooder with a questionable past.

Those of us who crave closure should consider this caveat. The series aired in 2023. Though there aren’t big cliffhangers, it leaves dangling plot points most would want resolved. As of this writing, it’s unknown if a second season or follow-up telefilm are in the works. I hope either will come to pass.

(Something Undone (Season 1?) streams on MHz Choice as of 7/8/25)