My Life is Murder

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            The title My Life is Murder could be taken in several different ways.  I certainly thought it would be a show more on the dark side of things.  When you say your life is murder, that is not exactly a hard leap to take.

                Yet, when I watched this show, I found it wasn’t dark at all!  Yes, there are murders to solve.  While they are being investigated, though, what you have is a light, fun show.

                Alexa Crowe (Lucy Lawless) is retired from the police force.  At least she’s supposed to be.  The problem is her friend, Detective Inspector Kieran Hussey (Bernard Curry), keeps bringing her cold cases to look into.  Having been a detective while on the police force, Alexa knows how to investigate a case.  She could turn Kieran away every time he shows up, but her natural curiosity drives her to help.    

                While Alexa does all the street investigations, she relies on a young technical expert, Madison Feliciano (Ebony Vagulans), to do all the computer research.  She does this in some very manipulative ways, forcing Madison to work at all hours.  Alexa is fortunate Madison admires her and wants to learn from her, or else the manipulations might not work so well.  Still, everyone has their limits.  Despite her admiration, Madison does reach a point where she feels the need to confront Alexa about her manipulating ways.

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               From what I have just written, one could easily think Alexa is a terrible person.  She really isn’t.  Alexa just has a tendency to be single-minded and do whatever she wants to get what she wants.  Even breaking and entering.  Does she need to make some changes about how she treats people?  Yes.  Is Alexa a horrible person?  No.

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              Part of the reason Alexa may act the way she does is because she is still grieving the death of her husband.  He was killed five years ago, and she still misses him greatly.  It is a state of being that could easily lead Alexa to live her life cold, distant, and alone.  She doesn’t, partly because of who she is herself, but also because of Kieran, Madison, and café owner George Stathopoulos (Alex Andreas).  They are her friends and want to see her get out of the house and experience the world.  Each one is willing to help her do that, in one way or another.

                In some ways this show is not really about the mysteries Alexa has to solve.  Most of the time she gets on the right track pretty quickly, making the case more about collecting the clues.  Otherwise the show is about Alexa herself and the relationships around her, including the cat who adopted her.  
             I’m saying he adopted her because the cat showed up one day out of the blue, and now decides to hang around Alexa’s apartment doing whatever he wants.  Despite Alexa’s declarations to the contrary, she does quickly come to care for him.  Although, I don’t know if he ever gets a name.

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                There are two puzzling things about this cat, though.  First, where is its original owner?  And second, in one scene Alexa has salmon on the counter and leaves the room.  When she comes back, everything is where she left it.  The cat hasn’t tried to steal even a bit of the fish.  What kind of cat is that?!

                Another person I should mention from Alexa’s life is her doctor, Dr. Suresh (Dilruk Jayasinha).  He is hilarious as he refuses to put up with Alexa’s manipulative and avoidance behavior.  Dr. Suresh has great one-liners, usually shocking Alexa our of her attempt to get something over him.

                All through the season (there is only one so far), there is the question of Alexa and Kieran’s relationship.  Throughout all the episodes it is a platonic relationship.  Kieran is married, but is then revealed to be separated from his wife.  Still, a romance does not develop between him and Alexa.  Which I am perfectly fine with.  It is good to see not every male/female pairing end up in romance.  But I do have to wonder if that is the direction the show will go if there is a second season.  I could easily see things going the romantic way.

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                I have the same curiosity about Madison and George.  Nothing seemed to be going on between them until the last episode.  Then suddenly George took an interest in Madison, much to her surprise.  Now, was he just being flirty, or does he have actual feelings for Madison?  I don’t know.

                While I currently don’t know if there will be a second season, I must say I certainly hope there is.  It’s nice to have a light mystery show to mix in with all the dark ones.  During hard times or when facing something difficult, it is good to see lightness and laugh.