I watched it when it first came out and now i'm binge watching it on Amazon Prime. This is the only reason I am extending my Hulu Plus subscription - to see all 39 episodes of this wonderful series. Like The Mentalist - the hit series on CBS since , the main character has 2 cases to solve each episode - the current case and the background, that of the murder of his wife. Wonderful script writing - As the case develops, it is fun to see the logical deductions played out by the actors in various scenarios in the main character's Belagan mind.
If it has been canceled it is a problem of marketing or "getting the word out" - certainly not the wonderful scripts or their execution. Wouldn't be the first time a wonderful series was canceled. Only place you can watch this in the US is through Hulu Plus. This is a fun show, good acting, main character is a bit zany but very likeable and I enjoyed all of the episodes.
A great binge candidate. I was nearly mortified when I finished the show and realized it was only one season, but yet so many episodes. Makes little to no sense. It would be awesome but obviously highly unlikely that anyone would revive the show so many years later. I came across this little gem of a series on Hulu after it advertised it about a million times and I'm certainly glad I did; it's one of a handful of shows you watch with bittersweet enjoyment since you know right away it has already been cut before its prime.
The detective setup is reminiscent of a chess game in that it starts the same. There's the quirky, somewhat impaired detective and the patient supporting cast who put up with his antics.
Doyle , the mysteries are actually mysteries there's room to guess, but it isn't dumped in your lap , and the stories got better and better. Here and there the dialogue doesn't seem to strike the right chord, but that isn't the actors so much as the scripts.
All in all this bit of television is well worth your time if you like detective shows. Why oh why was this show not renewed? WAY more interesting than The Mentalist.
A very interesting original concept with excellent acting. YoureAllRavingMad 4 November I found this on Amazon Prime and watched all 13 episodes in a very short space of time. It's the perfect light-entertainment detective show for a rainy day, and I'm pretty bummed there aren't more episodes.
It took me about half an episode to get what the tone of the show was, as they mix some serious dramatic stuff death of his wife, kidnap of a child, etc. Once I got the particular sense of humour, I really started to enjoy this.
Arkady Balagan is a chess champion who is something of a Sherlock-type character the TV show anyway , except while Sherlock lacks in empathy and people skills, Balagan is actually quite good at connecting with the various people who he comes into contact with despite acting aloof and cynical , which helps him solve the cases he works on. It's also one of the rare shows filmed in Vancouver that's actually supposed to take place there! The acting is good all around - Shawn Doyle's portrayal of the chess master is likeable and energetic, but with enough vulnerability to make it believable that he is genuinely traumatised by his wife's death.
The Russian accent isn't exactly spot-on, but it was always easy to understand what he was saying and it never took me out of the story. The supporting cast is all likeable, and they never overstay their welcome I usually find too many supporting characters annoying, so this counts as high praise.
The stories are fun and exciting, with a few standout episodes - the one with his cosmonaut pal, and the one with the highest-stakes computer chess game ever immediately come to mind - and there are no episodes that really fall flat. The over-arching plot about his wife's death is interesting though using basically the same flashback every single episode got a bit dull towards the end - unfortunately, as the series was cut short, we will never fully know what happened, though the last episode answers some questions.
All in all, I would highly recommend this series to anyone who likes a fun detective show! A very fun, creative show with exceptionally likable characters and a very unique premise!
Like other reviewers said, the season ended with a lot left to be revealed about the main character and the central mystery. I would have loved to see a second season! October Review On my spare time over the summer, I came upon a show that caught my eye. Endgame, a Canadian drama that focuses on a chess grandmaster Arkady Balagan. As soon as I saw the poster for it, I was excited because I was fascinated with chess at the time. I loved watching it and analyze it move by move.
Fear of places that cause panic, hopelessness or embarrassment. Because of this Balagan is forced to stay in the hotel and not leave. He is also running out of money and need to find a way to stay at the hotel no matter what. Balagan becomes a detective using his analytical skills. He has his 'pawns', friends as well. The hotel security manager, Hugo, tries to stop Balagan every chance he gets.
The usual plot is that some sort of conflict occurs that needs a brilliant brain to analyze the situation which is Balagan, the ultimate detective. He employs his main strengths which are remembering things and creating a scene with the things and information that he has already analyzed.
He must then lead forward onto another topic. Sam does his spying outside the Huxley hotel and collects information to report back to Balagan. It's really cool to get an insight into a chess player's head and how they think. All the memorizing and analyzing he does is unbelievable, thus incredible.
The moral for me I think that, When life throws you under the big bus and crushes you, be resilient but also find answers and build on everything as you go along; do what your good and then charge for it while still earning a profession and a title. Something awesome happened to me with this series. After the first episode i must say i was a little disappointed with it, but then, i saw second episode and everything changed.
The characters got more deep, the story changed for the good and i could really understand what this series was going to be about. It may take a while to introduce trough your senses, but, it will sure get to you after a little while seeing the genius of the master chess player in action reveling the mysteries of crime. Follow my advise and i assure you one hell of a ride. This would be an interesting concept but still very mediocre show if not a rehash of already done ideas. The fun and ridiculous garbage that is The Mentalist, Castle, Lie To Me and other similar shows that are done SOOOO much better and if you are going to spend time with this genre, spend your time with better quality.
Everything else just ends up mediocre, or less than mediocre. I just watched this accidentally and geez this is one thing i might have regretted my whole life if missed! From start to end, this series will keep you tight and unpredictable like no other. If i am not wrong "Shawn Doyle" does a very fabulous job with his role.
Which of course will cause lots of laughter and plot twists which i admit "like never before seen on a drama" you might prefer CSI already did this kinda job, but NO! In fact, Watching an episode of this drama will sink the time faster just like watching an episode of "Game Of Thrones" Trust me, This will be the "Thing" that you seek on to be in a plot solving series if i am not wrong Did you know Edit.
Trivia In Russian, "Balagan" means "travelling circus, light tent for traveling show" or "temporary light building for trade at a fair". Quotes Arkady Balagan : Some people boldly go into the world to create art, play sports, do science, even warfare, but if you want to do all four, you play chess. User reviews 27 Review. Top review. This show reminded me a little bit of House. I was first introduced to it when I read the general plot of the show on a weekly TV review magazine.
It was intriguing, and I am always willing to give shows that attempt to imbue intellectual pursuits creatively a shot like, Numb3rs or Big Bang Theory. When I first watched the pilot, I was hooked. Shawn Doyle portrays his character beautifully, and it almost reminded me a bit of Dr.
The connections to chess the game are sometimes a bit contrived, but as the show goes on, you gain a deeper appreciation of the producers' visions. I like it the same reason way I was drawn to the original CSI.
Its cast of characters and the exposure to new concepts and ideas have created a small revolution in my own way of thinking, and I greatly appreciate the show for accomplishing this.
I did not give this show a 10, because it is not "The Wire". Details Edit. Release date March 14, Canada. Official Facebook Official Twitter. Jaque mate. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Technical specs Edit. Runtime 1 hour. Dolby Digital. Related news. Join our Newsletter. Share on Facebook. Filling the gap, Global through Showcase did commission the worthy Callum Keith-Rennie multiple-personality detective series Shattered which aired last fall and now the Shawn Doyle brilliant-recluse detective series Endgame which premieres this spring.
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