Customer Reviews

The Border - Season Two (Boxset)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

OK, so yes this is a CBC (Canadian Broadcast Company) series and is to my knowledge not the easiest to find (AKA watch on a regular basis) or even purchase South of the border. However, I am shocked that even on the Canadian and UK Amazon sites that there is nary a review for season 1 or 2. Grace Park and Nazneen Contractor sharing the same frame (who "out hots who?") should almost be enough to watch and subsequently generate a few reviews. I am happy to report that the show is so much more than Ms. Park and Ms. Contractor in bed room scenes (though there are a few of those). There is a tag line for the show that reads "24 meets Spooks" in deference to the fine US/UK produced series. I generally don't find The Border as complex as either of the aforementioned series. Perhaps in time (I am pleased to report that CBC has approved a season 3) the characters can become layered with greater complexity. I recognize material improvement in season 2 when compared to season 1, which was not too bad in its own right. The writing is sharp and sometimes humorous (I wonder if they added a comedy writer for season 2 to help with the double entendres?). The topics covered range from human trafficking to terrorism (both fundamentalist and eco), immigration, narcotics and general border issues (including an episode where a home on the border of the US/Canada burned down, as a result of the Canadian Border Guard stopping a US fire truck from entering without checking all of the fire fighters passports - apparently there is actually some quid pro quo in general services for some of the smaller border communities). There is also an underlying love/hate relationship with the USA (which caused some criticism [unfounded in my opinion] that the show has anti-American tones), as well as an internal feud with the Canadian version of the CIA.

Perhaps I watched this series (season 2) at an opportune time consistent with that void in the US where the summer series have already wound down and the fall series have not yet started. Also, the simple fact that there is really good TV coming from North of the border with "Intelligence" having at least getting a handful of reviews and "Durham County" having made it to a somewhat assessable cable channel. So let's call it a 4 1/2 star rating with very high hopes for season 3!

Dont be put off by the horrible camera work in the first couple of episodes in series 1 of the series. This is fixed very fast and from then on it is comparable, and in many cases, better, to most US made submissions. The acting is outstanding, the stories are arresting and the characters intriguing. The best part is that the actors are "regular joes", not the standard Hollywood output of beautiful and very smart women without a hair out of place and male models. But, as with so many good series, it was cancelled after season 3, much to my, and many others, disappointment. Highly recommended for thinking people.