All posts by Greg David

Prior to becoming a television critic and owner of TV, Eh?, Greg David was a critic for TV Guide Canada, the country's most trusted source for TV news. He has interviewed television actors, actresses and behind-the-scenes folks from hundreds of television series from Canada, the U.S. and internationally. He is a podcaster, public speaker, weekly radio guest and educator, and past member of the Television Critics Association.
Featured, Travelers

Travelers puts the future in jeopardy

What would you do if given the opportunity to go back in time and save the lives of others? It’s a well-worn trope that’s been discussed in literature, film and television. And it’s covered in Monday’s new episode of Travelers too. That’s not unexpected. Sure, this team has missions to complete, but they’re not robots. These people have feelings, and in the case of one, they buckle under the guilt of not being able to prevent the deaths of others and tries to protect one. That, of course, puts their team in danger.

Here are some other non-spoilery plot point we can tell you about Episode 3, “Aleksander,” written by Tara Armstrong (Mary Kills People) and Mika Collins.

We can’t help but love David
He’s a bit of a greek and super-awkward around pretty girls, so we’re naturally cheering for David and Marcy to become a couple. That aside, scenes are fun as heck when he’s in them, alternately trying to get information from Marcy or recoiling at her nakedness.

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Philip is feeling guilty
In all the excitement from last week’s first mission, I had totally forgotten about Steven, the drug addict who overdosed next to Philip in Episode 1. Future Philip has no clue how close he and his friend were, but Steven’s grieving mother certainly lets him know. If the travellers were hoping to interact with these present people and not be affected by them, they were sorely mistaken. For Philip this is doubly true: he inherited the need for heroin when his consciousness entered this body.

Grant shakes things up
Going tie-less to work? Choosing vegan for dinner? If Kat doesn’t suspect something weird is up with her husband then she’s just not that observant.

Is someone on to the travellers?
There is security footage of Marcy’s arrival and a character we’ve already met is linking it to someone he knows.

Jennifer Spence alert!
Although it hurt a bit to reminded of Continuum, we were thrilled to see Jennifer Spence in “Aleksander,” and involved in a pretty great storyline to boot.

Who is Aleksander?
Let’s just say he’s very important to one team member, but not for the reason you’d expect.

Travelers airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on Showcase.

Images courtesy of Corus Entertainment.

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Shoot the Messenger

Link: Lucas Bryant talks Shoot the Messenger

From Heather M. of The Televixen:

Link: Lucas Bryant talks Shoot the Messenger
“So often, you get a tease in an episode that suggests something you’re about to explore in a subsequent episode. There’s a little more information that comes out, but it’s something that’s kind of left alone. I thought that was nicely ambiguous and adult.” Continue reading.

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Featured, Heartland

Heartland proves itself with international storyline

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Story-wise, it was a pretty bold move of Heartland to have Ty go to Mongolia. That’s what immediately what struck me on Sunday night during “Something to Prove.”

At first, I’d assumed Graham Wardle had simply asked for time away from the series so he would work on a feature film or miniseries. Heck, they’d even gone so far as to set up a website, Borden without Borders, as a side story to what’s going on with him. But it looks as though Wardle really did spend time in Mongolia—something he posted about on Instagram—meaning either he wanted to really go there or the producers wrote it into the story. I’ll chase down Wardle in the coming weeks to talk to him about it, but I suspect it’s a bit of both. Regardless, having Ty in Mongolia isn’t just a B-plot for the character but a real-life scenario that’s being worked into Heartland and that’s an interesting way of storytelling.

Of course, his departure from Heartland has thrown everyone into a bit of a tizzy, especially Amy and Cass. After having a bad experience with Lex and some cramping, Amy not only needs to be more careful but needs to lean on her family for support. Cass, upset her workload suddenly gotten a lot heavier, was angling for a partnership from Scott and straining her relationship with Amy. By the end of the episode it had all been worked out—a raise for Cass and some peace of mind for Amy—but I’m betting the Amy-Cass partnership is far from over.

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Partnerships tested continued with Adam and Georgie, who were pulled apart to sub in and work with Jade and Clay when she refused to work with him during Tim’s orienteering challenge. I don’t know about you guys, but I think it’s a shame that Jade didn’t stand up to Clay the way Georgie did. By putting him in his place, Georgie immediately showed Clay she won’t put up with his bragging and arrogance, something Jade need to do too. Does anyone else get the feeling Clay and Jade are headed for romance?

The final partnership to be tested was Lisa and Jack when her aunt Evelyn (Kate Trotter) arrived at Heartland. What first appeared to be slight jabs at Jack about his age and the couple’s living arrangements grew into an all-out war at Maggie’s when Evelyn criticized her niece for becoming a “glorified babysitter” and settling for Jack. It was an uncomfortable scene, but I respected Lisa for standing up to her favourite aunt and defending her own decisions. The two made up, and kudos to Heartland‘s writers for giving Jessica Steen a tasty storyline to really sink her teeth into. Like Jack, Lisa isn’t given a ton to do on Heartland and I appreciate it when she’s given the chance to shine.

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

Images courtesy of CBC.

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Industry News

Link: APTN, a TV voice for largely ignored Indigenous Canadians

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From Dan Levin of The New York Times:

Link: APTN, a TV voice for largely ignored Indigenous Canadians
Better known as APTN, the network is mainly aimed at viewers in Canada whose cultures existed long before the first Europeans arrived. But its reach is far larger, available to more than 11 million Canadian cable and satellite subscribers with news and entertainment programs designed to reflect the values, spiritual traditions and political priorities of indigenous people across Canada. Continue reading.

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Second Jen

Link: If you like Broad City, you’ll love Canada’s Second Jen

From Jessica Robinson of Flare:

Link: If you like Broad City, you’ll love Canada’s Second Jen
One of the boons of the new golden age of television is the growing number of female and POC show runners. Samantha Wan and Amanda Joy, who are both just a casual 27 and 26 years old, respectively, are joining the ranks by creating and starring in their own comedy, Second Jen (premiering tonight on City). Continue reading. 

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