49 Reasons Why 2016 Wasn't as Bad as You Think

Republic of Doyle

Republic of Doyle Image by YouTube

By Wayne Robins December 27, 2016

My go-to streaming pleasure all year has been “Republic of Doyle” on Netflix. The series features a father and son private eye team in picturesque St. John’s, Newfoundland. The focus is cocky, impulsive Jake Doyle, played by show creator Allan Hawco. Jake takes more punches than he gives, though the violence and humor owe more to “Three Stooges” than to true crime. In a meta-moment, a Toronto mystery writer who shadows Doyle for inspiration brilliantly dubbed what they’re all doing as “Quaint Location Crime Fiction.” There’s no Yiddishkeit here, but plenty of head-butting and name-calling, all in the name of familial bonding. The show has so much charm that I plan to reach out to the Jewish Community Havura in St. John’s when I make aliyah to the Republic of Doyle.

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