There are a couple of things I hate. The first is being given a title to review of a show in its second season.
The second, and more frustrating, is finding the show excellent and discovering that it’s cancelled and a third season isn’t coming. Intelligence lives up to its name, but alas season two is all there is going to be.
Jimmy Reardon (Ian Tracey) is a family man, but he’s also a member of another “family.” He’s the head of a Vancouver multigenerational crime syndicate and his business partner is Ronnie Delmonico (John Cassini).
His opposite is Mary Spalding (Klea Scott), the director of the Vancouver organized crime unit but is promoted to head of the Asian Pacific region for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.
Jimmy has become an informer to Spalding about his criminal family and knows if they discover his “infidelity” that he’ll be fitted for a cement overcoat. In season two, Reardon finds that he’s caught on the wrong side of a Drug Enforcement Administration raid and on the run and framed as a cop killer.
Mary is convinced of Jim’s innocence, but the director of OCU, Ted Altman (Matt Frewer), still wants to take down Jimmy and Dante Ribiso (Fulvio Cecere), the leader of an outlaw motorcycle gang. Jimmy’s problems also extend to his other family as his addicted ex-wife Francine (Camille Sullivan) and teenage daughter Stella (Sophie Hough).
Intelligence is a thrilling Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) television program and won best drama series at the Gemini Awards, the Canadian Emmys. However, that accolade was not enough to save the series from cancellation. Season two would be the last for the expertly acted series.
The rumor is that the show was cancelled for an anti-American bias as the CIA and DEA are given their chops, but the Canadian government isn’t exactly given a free ride either. Corruption and incompetence knows know nationality.
However, it’s the acting that will keep you coming back for more, well at least for the two seasons the show lived. Both Ian Tracey and Klea Scott are excellent as the two main characters in the series. They’re given ample support from the rest of the storylines and performances. That Gemini was well deserved and the cancellation was not. It’s made especially more annoying since the series ends on a cliffhanger.
Intelligence is presented in anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1) and is enhanced for 16x9 televisions. Disc four contains the special features. They include 18 minutes of behind-the-scenes interviews with series creator Chris Haddock and 12 minutes of the crew at work. There are also character biographies, cast filmographies, a Chris Haddock biography, and a 4 minute “Steppin’ Razor” music video.
Intelligence lives up to its name, but unfortunately has to join the heap of excellent television shows that were cancelled before their time. It’s not a malady that is reserved for we Americans it would appear. We Americans can now catch up on the excellent Canadian series, but sadly it’s probably the last we’ll see of it.
Intelligence: Season 2 is now available at Amazon . As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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