Common Sense Media Review
By Jenny Nixon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Quirky mystery set in Ireland has some drinking, language.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Bodkin
What's the Story?
The sleepy town of BODKIN in West Cork, Ireland is rattled when a team of investigators shows up to crack a decades-old cold case -- the disappearance of three strangers during their annual Samhain (think: old-school Gaelic precursor to Halloween) festival 25 years prior. The team is comprised of acclaimed American podcaster Gilbert (Will Forte), exiled investigative journalist Dove (Siobhán Cullen), and their ambitious, rule-breaking research assistant Emmy (Robyn Cara, Trying). Gilbert is a doggedly positive "nice guy" who ingratiates himself with the eccentric locals, while the cynical and sarcastic Dove feels pure disdain for his profession, considering the true crime genre as something akin to "necrophilia." Emmy looks up to both of them and just wants to figure this out, even skirting the law to do so. Learning to compromise and focus their efforts will be the only way to break through the town's wall of secrecy, and they may end up discovering more than they bargained for.
Is It Any Good?
It takes a smidge too long to get cooking, but if you can hang through for the first few episodes, the characters and storyline start to gel and make for an enjoyable, offbeat binge watch. Plus, Ireland is just lovely to look at! Bodkin's not a full-tilt thriller, nor a straight-up comedy, but Cullen and Forte make surprisingly good foils for one another and it's particularly nice to see the latter in a rare semi-dramatic role. Gilbert is enthusiastic and cheery but not naive, he's got depth and a compelling backstory. Despite a running gag of townspeople making smart-aleck comments about podcasting as a viable vocation and the ethics of telling true crime stories, the series doesn't seem entirely sure of its stance toward the genre -- but it does start the conversation.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the show's commentary on true crime as a genre. What does the popularity of podcasts and TV shows about real-life murders say about us as a society? Is there a respectful way to cover these topics, or is it always exploitative?
Why do so many stories center on unlikely pairings between people? How might the story have changed if everyone working on the Bodkin case had the same approach to researching a mystery? Would Dove and Gilbert have gotten to know each other so well without having a shared purpose like the Samhain case?
TV Details
- Premiere date : May 9, 2024
- Cast : Siobhán Cullen , Will Forte , Robyn Cara , David Wilmot
- Network : Netflix
- Genre : Drama
- TV rating :
- Last updated : May 14, 2024
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