Houdini & Doyle - A Dish of Adharma - Review

'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 mystery was definitely more intriguing than last week. I found myself rather pulled in to the question of who this little boy really is. It was obvious that Lydia was involved somehow, especially after the peculiar way she acted following her recovery, though her motivations were less easy to figure out. Even more curious was the relationship between this boy and Lydia.

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 was not without his share of development also. The truth trade game between Houdini and Stratton provided some amusing banter, albeit devoid of much wit, as well as shedding light on the magician's darker side. The scene where Stratton says she sees a lonely man and questions his relationship with his father was quite a revealing moment. There is a lot to be explored in that area of Houdini's life and it certainly created some intriguing character depth.

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?

About the Author - Kollin Lore

Kollin is an entertainment writer and a film and television, in particular genre TV, freak having grown up during the 90s and early 2000s a dedicated fan of Buffy and Angel. Current shows like Person of Interest, Supernatural, Ripper Street, Penny Dreadful, Grimm, The Blacklist, Game of Thrones, and dozens of other shows are currently occupying Kollin’s nightly hours.

Recent Reviews (All Reviews)