Editor's note: This story was updated on January 29 to reflect that Trickster will not come back for Season 2.
The first Trickster episode packed more elements than some shows do in 6 episodes. A lot to digest for the viewers but quality material.
Television likes to present glamour with people living in huge apartments. Trickster is not that. The Tasty Bucket felt extremely realistic, especially when Jared is serving up "extra salty fries." The fast food prices might have seemed high to the U.S. viewer but is consistent with a remote area such as Kitimat, British Columbia.
Joel Oulette plays Jared as someone who has gone through a lot in a short amount of lifespan. Crystle Lightning's portrayal of Maggie is intriguing in that Jared is more mature than his mother.
The only Indigenous actor in the show that I knew from before is Anna Lambe (Sarah). Lambe got a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for The Grizzlies.
Crashpad (Nathan Alexis) is one of the more compelling characters. Playing the best friend to Jared isn't easy but he has a purpose as an individual person.
Joel Thomas Hynes (Richie) plays a scuzzy guy, which has been the norm (mostly). We know Hynes is nothing like these characters in real life. The U.S. audience is likely getting a kick out of him on Trickster.
The U.S. audience isn't likely aware of the Michelle Latimer story. Can't tell any slight from what we've seen to this point.
Watching Trickster on the CW is a bit frustrating given the U.S. broadcast standards for language. There is a lot of muted content on the U.S. side to cover the swearing that is easily allowed on the CBC in Canada.
The CW audience is used to "supernatural" shows though Trickster is more complex than some of those shows. Maybe the audience is more savvy than we give credit for them.
Nurses is the latest Canadian TV drama to come to U.S. broadcast TV
Trickster coming to the U.S. on the CW in January
Transplant back on Tuesday this week on NBC and CTV
Nurses fits in well with the NBC audience. The post This Is Us timeslot is definitely appreciated for the Global TV show.
The show follows the 5 nurses: Tiera Skovbye (Grace); Natasha Calis (Ashley); Jordan Johnson-Hinds (Keon); Sandy Sidhu (Nazneen); and Donald Maclean Jr. (Wolf).
Nurses feels a bit like a Canadian show wanting to cross over to the American side. The Grace plot where the doctor who molested her in the operating room feels a bit contrived in presentation. Wolf's need for an expensive drug also feels forced. A lot of drama above the hospital drama.
Nazneen was geared to be the breakout but her character seemed to disappear for a couple of episodes. Grace is the focal point. Keon feels like the only one who might survive the initial phase at this hospital.
The choice to use the Yonge Street van killings for fodder in the pilot still doesn't sit well.
Nurses is not Transplant, the CTV medical drama that ran last fall on NBC. An unfair comparison, true. Transplant gave us good medical drama subplots with characters to root for doing well inside and outside the hospital.
Nurses has moments: Friday Night Legend (episode 3) has been the best through the first 5 episodes. Wolf's palliative care subplot in Chrysalis (episode 4) was rather cool. Aurore Browne and Sheila McCarthy are well-known Canadian actors who have been on the guest list.
U.S. television turns to Canadian TV shows to fill gaps due to COVID-19
CanadianCrossing.com Canadian TV coverage
CanadianCrossing.com television coverage
You might find Nurses more of what you usually watch and found Transplant or Trickster to be not your kind of drama. The beauty of Canadian television is the variety involved.
Trickster is running episode 3 of the 6-episode Season 1 tonight at 9 pm on the CW. Nurses is running episode 6 of the 10-episode Season 1 tonight at 10 pm on NBC. Both shows will have a Season 2 in Canada on CBC and Global, respectively.
photo credits: Trickster/CBC; Nurses/Global
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