I came across an unusual and enjoyable series on Netflix. It is a true crime thriller that has everything: drug selling Irish nuns, Irish mobsters, murder, mystery, baby eels, and you will never guess who produced it.
Bodkin
Bodkin is a dark Irish comedy thriller that was created by British writer, Jez Scharf. It is the first scripted show from Barack and Michelle Obama’s production house, Higher Ground. Bodkin’s seven episodes is a riff on true crime series. The story follows three journalists as they try to solve a mysterious disappearance that took place 25 years ago during the Samhain holiday. Samhain is a real event that takes place in Ireland on October 31. People wear costumes to confuse the dead spirits that return each year to cause havoc on the living.
Filmed in Ireland, the series stars Will Forte, Siobhan Cullen, Robyn Cara, David Wilmot, Chris Walley, Sean Og Cairns, Peter Bankole, and Kerri Mclean. The investigators, which include Gilbert (Will Forte), Dove (Siobhan Cullen), and Emmy (Robyn Cara) have some serious shit going on in their own personal lives as they hit the small Irish town of Bodkin with their recorders and cameras. Gilbert is a “One Shot Wonder” with his podcast, but his podcast is failing as is his marriage and he is hoping that his solving the Bodkin cold case will save both. Dove, who is originally from Ireland, is a London journalist who is running from the tragic death of one of her informers. Her boss assigns her to work with Gilbert while he tries to keep her out of prison. Emmy is Gilbert’s researcher. She does all the tech stuff as she tries to find her own place in the world of true crime journalism.
The Cold Case
Twenty-five years ago, during the Samhain holiday, three people vanished…one of the missing young adults is found days later, forever changed, and unwilling or unable to recall what happened. The townspeople are tightlipped about the incident. Gilbert’s team have to search for clues, which leads them to a convent where the nuns offer Yoga classes and magical mushrooms, lol.
Gilbert befriends a local fisherman, Seamus (David Wilmot) with a shady past and they become friends. Seamus was related to one of the missing people and in love with the other. Seamus and his young helper, Sean (Chris Walley) are also involved in an international crime concerning wildlife. Everything is connected to the disappearance.
Conclusion
Bodkins has enough twists and surprises that will keep you guessing until the very last episode. It starts off slow, but please be patient because by episode three, you are screaming out “Holy Hell!” Siobhan Cullen’s Dove is the glue that keeps this story so interesting. There is a reason that Dove didn’t want to return to Ireland. It has to do with her childhood, and the convent.
Give yourself a treat and watch Bodkin on Netflix. The acting is top notch, and the customs and beauty of the Irish Coast has me wanting to plan my next vacation to Ireland.
