'A Dish of Adharma' begged the question of whether reincarnation exists. Of course, the titular characters beliefs on this matter fell on opposite ends of the spectrum. Doyle believes without a doubt the boy was a reincarnation of Martin, while Houdini was quick to find logic behind every odd twist that this case brought to light.
The reveal that the boy was reading the diary of his father, Martin, and imagining himself as his deceased dad when attempting to exact revenge on Lydia was an interesting reveal. I like how they have reasonable explanations behind these mysteries, yet the possibility of the supernatural continues to remain open. It will be interesting to see if the show ever goes the other way and something unexplainable by the laws of nature actually occurs.
As much as an improvement the mystery was, this show is about the characters and how they grow together and individually as they investigate each case. I can say with a definitive yes that after a lackluster pilot, the chemistry between our titular characters is starting to show through, though there is still much more room for growth.
First off, individually there was some strong character development. Doyle's relationship with his daughter was explored more, as well as the impact of his wife's declining health on himself and his family. The side story for this week is that Doyle's daughter is skipping school for unknown reasons, to the expressed frustration of Doyle, and we find out at the end that she skipped because it was take your mother to school week. There is a certain anger and frustration to Doyle's character stemming from his experiences and Stephen Mangan does a great job making this felt. He also shines in more tender moments when he is talking heart to heart with his daughter
Houdini and Stratton seem to have a budding relationship growing between them after this episode, and it has so far, in these beginning stages, been handled well. Hopefully, the relationship between them does not take away from what matters most - the relationship between Houdini and Doyle.
In this episode there was balance in exploring both relationships. The banter between Houdini and Doyle continues and, though getting a bit exhausting, I did find myself amused in parts.
Overall, 'A Dish of Adharma' is a marked improvement over the pilot. The show is taking a bit longer than it should to develop the chemistry between the titular characters, but on the plus side, there has been considerable growth. Definitely though, Houdini & Doyle continues to be entertaining enough to want to tune in next week.
7/10
What did you guys think? Did you think it was an improvement over last week, as well? Will you be tuning in to see more Houdini & Doyle adventures?
