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drbobbi · 1 year
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My review of Heartland
I keep hearing a lot of hype about Heartland, since apparently it's about to break a record for number of seasons for a CBC drama. I wondered if maybe I should give it another shot--my stepdaughter just loves it but every time I've tried to get through an episode I eventually have to stop to go watch paint dry instead.
I think there's three things that make a show viewable: it has to be funny, extraordinary in some way, or relatable. So I guess if you're like me and you spend all day listening to peoples both mundane and shocking life dramas, it's relatable but not extraordinary--but by the end of the day I'm good. Obviously this show isn't funny (or wait, is it supposed to be? I did laugh--sardonically--a few times). So unless they throw in some time or space travel it won't be that appealing to me personally. If you find typical life stressors combined with horses fascinating, well I guess they have the magic formula there.
OK let's get into it. Spoilers ahead, so be warned as I'm about to reveal the shocking plot twists. This is my first time watching the show so I don't have all the names yet. Not sure if I'm watching it again yet. The show starts off with Amy (young blonde mom) being asked to do various things and with a quiet resigned sigh, agreeing to them. She is apparently both working with troubled horses and running some sort of kids' horse camp. She is excellent at both and not replaceable. Some dead guy started the kids' camp and it 'has his name on it' so she must help it live on even though the other guy helping her run it is doing a fine job. The show then reminds us in various follow up scenes that this chick is too busy, and spread too thin. Every character including her arch nemesis points this out. Wise grandpa says she has to come to the realization herself. At one point he sagely says that 'our dreams have kept us apart'. I really like how the show makes sure we get the point by repeatedly having every character voice concern this lady is too busy. Several scenes in we've discovered they just refuse to have a subplot; this is it. Or wait--just be patient, once we get the idea that this lady is too busy rammed into our heads they gently introduce some subplots (while still slipping in that Amy is too busy).
Everyone is clearly a victim of their own success in this show; including the chick who is the mayor of the town and she has a prize-winning race horse. She has to keep going to Vancouver for weekends and she brings her teenage daughter who is annoyed that she is being kept away from her friends, even though Vanouver is a fun place that has the seawall and sushi. Surprisingly they didn't mention Gastown. She kept hinting at this awesome sushi restaurant but never revealed which one it was. I'm guessing Miku. At any rate one would hope a Canadian show would not have such a cliche version of Vancouver but I guess not.
Daughter of mayor lady is upset she still needs to share a room with some other girl, which sucks because she has to study, being a 'Grade A student' (who says that?). This is Grandpa's fault (see below).
Cranky gay mayor's assistant (I think his name is Rick) is upset that the mayor (Lou) is going to Vancouver every weekend to eat sushi and watch her horse win races. Maybe he's jealous because let's face it Vancouver is more fun than being around all these rednecks. He 'hints' that he will not always be around to bail her out. Lou frets about this all weekend because he is also indispensable. No people on this show are replaceable at their jobs (except young blonde horse whisperer Amy who we find out later conveniently is replaceable at the job that isn't her 'true passion') and if they leave then everything will fall apart. Like the plumbing for the loft which can only be fixed by Grandpa. Everyone looks and Grandpa meaningfully when mentioning that the plumbing isn't fixed yet and that's why everyone is overcrowding the main house. Maybe they could pay for a plumber; they don't seem to be paying Grandpa any rent.
I'll cut to the chase and tell you that Rick isn't quitting his job; he just needs some 'time off' which after some dramatic pauses and 'suspense' we discover that he and his partner are planning to adopt a baby so he needs a paternity leave. I think this is something meant to show us how 'woke' Heartland now is which is why they tried to create some suspense and mystery around it, which they wouldn't have done if it was just a male and a female procreating. The good news is he seems less cranky when sharing these plans; let's see how he does with sleep deprivation.
This show sure is white. I think the producers are aware of this, so they put in some background actors at the preschool who are not white. There! All fixed. There's more to say about this but I already have a lot to process here. Finally I have an angry raging feminist comment to make. I asked my partner 'what happened to Grandma?' he tells me she was killed off in the first episode. How convenient. So we don't have to look at any women over the age of 35. Come on, even Dallas had Miss Ellie for a while.
I will watch another episode because I want to know if they're going to continue with the 'I'm too busy' theme or move on to a new theme.
Ultimately I can't help but feel this show is aimed at people who don't want to think too hard, or can't. Funny then that it's so successful. Hey if you want a 'country' feel like this which includes some horses maybe watch Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman which assumes a little higher IQ of their average viewer. Maybe the Lone Ranger? Mr. Ed? Mr. Ed doesn't require the horse whisperer though because he just tells you how he's feeling. Can you tell I'm not really a horse person.
If any of this comes across as insensitive, I'm not sorry. If you disagree with me you're wrong. I made the effort to write this so I win.
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