by Jake Bourgeois, Contributing Writer
The latest of the Obamas-produced projects has hit Netflix, and this one’s taking us to the Irish coast for a good old-fashioned true crime mystery.
Bodkin follows Dove (Siobhán Cullen), an investigative journalist who must consult on a podcast as she’s under investigation following a tragedy with one of her sources. She’s forced to tag along with a true crime podcaster, Gilbert (Will Forte), looking to uncover the truth behind a trio of disappearances decades earlier at a small-town festival, alongside his assistant, Emmy (Robyn Cara), eager to climb the ranks in the industry.
Though it took me an episode to get into it, by the end of the first episode I was ready to get the binge train rolling. A big reason why was the interplay between our main trio, and how it impacts each character. The dynamics at play are fascinating. On one hand, you’ve got the cynic, lone wolf reporter who’ll chase the story — no matter what the cost. A closed off individual who doesn’t need anybody else (for reasons slowly revealed) who thinks the world’s biggest affront to journalism is podcasters playacting as reporters while only being interested in exploiting the macabre. Over the course of the series, she learns how to open up a little bit. On the other hand, you’ve got Gilbert — a podcaster riding the rapidly fading coattails of a debut hit and in bad need of another. For him, the podcasts are more about the stories around the fringes with the murder as the backdrop, but realizes sometimes the story really worth telling (or not) is the actual story. In between the two, Emmy (who idolizes Dove) learns to find her own voice and not just be an assistant.
The other aspect that really hooked me was the feel of the show. Tonally, it’s like a mix of Only Murders in the Buildingand Hot Fuzz. Like the former, Bodkin starts and ends each episode with narration from Gilbert as he workshops the pod, and it was one of the aspects that helped hook me from one episode to the next. There was always a hook, a new revelation to spur me on. I also love how the music fits the tone — there’s a jauntiness that clashes with the underlying tension of something darker at play. The portrayal of the idyllic little town that is anything but when you scratch below the surface. It’s very provincial, mistrusting of outsiders, yet friendly and will talk, which makes for some fun, colorful ancillary characters.
The big negatives have to do with both our main characters’ backstories and baggage. With Dove, there’s an odd, trippy recurring wolf vision that has a payoff by the end that tracks, but does make it worth the previous episodes’ confusion over why I was seeing it. Likewise, there’s a subplot about why Gilbert really needs the podcast to work for his personal life that I didn’t find particularly necessary to tell a compelling story.
As far as the unraveling of the mystery, the highlight of the show comes at the midpoint with a Rashomon-style episode that really worked for me. The big reveal also works for me. As we get to the final episode, the ultimate conclusion is satisfying enough, though it perhaps lacks the impact I would have wanted from a mystery wrap-up, falling a little flat.
In the end, Bodkin is a solid murder mystery that is well-made, unique, and engaging enough to scratch the itch of fans of the genre.
Rating: Liked It
Bodkin is currently streaming on Netflix
You can read more from Jake Bourgeois, and follow him on Twitter and Letterboxd