Houdini & Doyle Archives - TV Fanatic https://www.tvfanatic.com/shows/houdini-and-doyle/ Your Home for TV Show Reviews, Opinions, Spoilers, and News! Tue, 02 Aug 2016 20:00:15 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6 https://cdn.tvfanatic.com/uploads/2024/05/favicon-1-150x150.png Houdini & Doyle Archives - TV Fanatic https://www.tvfanatic.com/shows/houdini-and-doyle/ 32 32 Houdini & Doyle: Canceled After One Season at Fox https://www.tvfanatic.com/houdini-and-doyle-canceled-after-one-season-at-fox/ https://www.tvfanatic.com/houdini-and-doyle-canceled-after-one-season-at-fox/#respond Tue, 02 Aug 2016 20:00:15 +0000 https://www.tvfanatic.com/2016/08/02/houdini-and-doyle-canceled-after-one-season-at-fox/ A Past Life - Houdini & Doyle

Fox has canceled the buddy crime drama based upon real life characters, Houdini & Doyle after one season. Find out what we know after the jump.

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Even Harry Houdini can't save this one.

Fox canceled Houdini & Doyle after airing only one season of the interesting and unusual drama.

A Past Life - Houdini & Doyle
(FOX)

Houdini & Doyle starred Michael Weston and Stephen Mangan as Harry Houdini and Arthur Conan Doyle, respectively.

Yes, they were THAT Houdini & Doyle, the magician and the writer.

The story was that at the turn of the 20th Century, there were a lot of crazy cases turning up with a supernatural bent, and these two learned fellows were chosen to help the New Scotland Yard to solve them.

Unfortunately, the series was reviewed poorly out of the gate and eyes were subsequently averted.

There's always good and bad news about critics being given a chance to see a series ahead of time for review.

There are several ways things can go down as a result.

If only a pilot is released, it's a toss up. A pilot can sometimes be the very best episode of a series or the very worst. Either of those scenarios isn't good for one party or another, whether the viewer or the production company.

If several episodes or an entire series are given out for review, there is a better chance for critics to get it right, but even then if they're looking for the next Fargo and you're looking for the next Rizzoli & Isles, there is going to be a rift.

So Houdini & Doyle was initially reviewed poorly. People looked away. The ratings tanked.

Others, however, stuck with the show. They were entertained. They even, kind of, almost, fell in love.

Because as the characters were given a chance to find their groove, and as the quirks were ironed out, Houdini and Doyle were funny.

Houdini: Your dead husband shows up begging you to drop the case. Why? Because he cares about you? This coming from a man who let you find him hanging from a rafter.

🔗 permalink: Your dead husband shows up begging you to drop the case. Why? Because he cares about you?…

The cases were interesting and not seen on other procedural programs. As the season drew to a close, fans started hoping it would live to see another day. 

Today, those fans were disappointed. 

There is still the smallest, microscopic chance that Houdini & Doyle could live on outside the U.S., as it's produced internationally and airs on an ITV network in the U.K., but it's on life support there, too. 

So say your goodbyes. Perhaps Houdini & Doyle will find their way back in a seance, or at least when you watch Houdini & Doyle online here at TV Fanatic.

Freaks and Geeks

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https://www.tvfanatic.com/houdini-and-doyle-canceled-after-one-season-at-fox/feed/ 0 A Past Life – Houdini & Doyle A boy claims he was murdered in a past life on Houdini & Doyle. "A Dish of Adharma" is the second episode of the show's first season. Rosewood Season 2: Eddie Cibrian Replacing Newcomer Brian Austin Green in Surprise Recast
Houdini & Doyle Season 1 Episode 10 Review: The Pall of LaPier https://www.tvfanatic.com/houdini-and-doyle-season-1-episode-10-review-the-pall-of-lapier/ https://www.tvfanatic.com/houdini-and-doyle-season-1-episode-10-review-the-pall-of-lapier/#respond Tue, 05 Jul 2016 05:18:50 +0000 https://www.tvfanatic.com/2016/07/05/houdini-and-doyle-season-1-episode-10-review-the-pall-of-lapier/ Investigating in a Small Town - Houdini & Doyle

On Houdini & Doyle Season 1 Episode 10, the team investigates when a reverend wakes to find everyone in town dead with no sign of violence on the season finale.

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Death, betrayal and insanity all played their part on Houdini & Doyle Season 1 Episode 10, but so did friendship, bravery and loyalty. 

With 50 people shockingly dead, this season finale certainly had its twists and turns, and the mystery of it reminded me of some of my favorite stories from The X-Files, when the show didn’t have to be horrifyingly dark to grab our attention. 

But Houdini & Doyle has a flavor all its own, from the landscape to the costumes to the characters. It’s definitely the characters I’ve grown to love over the course of the season, with my favorite being Harry Houdini.

Houdini reminds me a lot of one of my favorite all-time TV characters, Patrick Jane from The Mentalist.

They both used their keen sense of observation and inherent skepticism and intelligence to debunk supernatural theories and the people who perpetrate them. They also generally say whatever is on their mind…

Houdini: Alright, so you’re a bigot. Is there anyone credible we can talk to?

🔗 permalink: Alright, so you’re a bigot. Is there anyone credible we can talk to?

In Houdini’s case, his task is a little more difficult as their was less science in his time to come up with more plausible explanations. Still, I enjoyed hearing Harry scoff at Adelaide and Doyle as they worried the devil had descended on the town. 

Yet, despite their openness to otherworldly theories, it was Adelaide and Doyle who figured out that the gas coming from the mine was what killed most of the town and watching them follow the breadcrumbs through the maze of clues was fascinating and fun. 

I was actually surprised how intrigued I was in the case considering I went into this episode only really caring about how Adelaide would react to the revelation that Benjamin was still alive. 

I was relieved that she told them both the truth, although I wish the dialogue had spent a little more time on that revelation. But both Houdini and Doyle reacted with what felt like the right amount of concern for their friend and skepticism over Benjamin's motives.

As Harry himself pointed out in this Houdini & Doyle quote…

Houdini: Your dead husband shows up begging you to drop the case. Why? Because he cares about you? This coming from a man who let you find him hanging from a rafter.

🔗 permalink: Your dead husband shows up begging you to drop the case. Why? Because he cares about you?…

That was the point that kept niggling the back of my mind as well.  Benjamin kept insisting that he loved her, but would someone who truly loved her put her through that kind of agony? Not only allowing her to believe he was dead but letting her find his body hanging after a supposed suicide. That’s just cruel. 

But I guess assassins aren’t generally kind. Benjamin being a killer instead of an undercover agent made so much sense that it was hardly a shock when it was revealed. 

The surprises came right after that when he shot Doyle and was then killed by Adelaide. Oddly enough, Adelaide killing Benjamin was a weak spot in the story for me; not that she did it, but that I wanted there to be more emotion surrounding it. 

In the end, our intrepid threesome sailed back to England. Adelaide, now single although I’m certain she won’t be quick to trust anyone romantically for quite some time, Doyle, who decided to resurrect Sherlock Holmes, and Houdini who has begun to question his own sanity. 

I’ll admit I wasn’t the biggest fan of Houdini & Doyle Season 1 Episode 1 but the series has steadily grown on me throughout its run. Over the last few weeks, I have become well and truly hooked and am rooting for FOX to grant us a second season. 

The series doesn't originate in the United States, so ratings may not play the part they play in most renewals and cancelations. Fingers crossed!

Just out of curiosity, who is your favorite character on Houdini & Doyle?

If you want to see more, you can always watch Houdini & Doyle online here at TV Fanatic. 

Abby's Men - Ray Donovan

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https://www.tvfanatic.com/houdini-and-doyle-season-1-episode-10-review-the-pall-of-lapier/feed/ 0 Abby’s Men – Ray Donovan Ray appears to be getting closer to the Dog on Season 4.
Houdini & Doyle Season 1 Episode 9 Review: Necromanteion https://www.tvfanatic.com/houdini-and-doyle-season-1-episode-9-review-necromanteion/ https://www.tvfanatic.com/houdini-and-doyle-season-1-episode-9-review-necromanteion/#respond Tue, 28 Jun 2016 04:43:55 +0000 https://www.tvfanatic.com/2016/06/28/houdini-and-doyle-season-1-episode-9-review-necromanteion/ The Haunted House - Houdini & Doyle

On Houdini & Doyle Season 1 Episode 9, Thomas Edison believes he can hear the dead and Houdini, Doyle, and Adelaide investigate a haunted house in Canada.

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Do you believe in ghosts? I don’t, but I love a good ghost story, especially one that’s not really a ghost story at all. 

Houdini & Doyle Season 1 Episode 9 fit that criteria well, and gave me a whole lot more to enjoy.

With every episode, this series gets better and better, and this installment was the best yet. 

Houdini, Doyle, and Adelaide boarded a ship to travel from the UK across the pond to Canada, but Harry’s first stop was his mother’s funeral in New York. 

Harry’s pain was understandable. Watching all of those sorrowful people dressed in black just didn’t fit with the image of his vibrant mother who loved life, so he fled to Canada to work on the case instead. 

I never once believed that the house was really haunted, but the moving chair did have me stumped. I also enjoyed how Adelaide, Houdini, and Doyle all worked together to figure out the mystery. 

The moment Clara mentioned that their baby boy had died, I knew that would play into this somehow, but finding his grave in the basement still surprised me. 

Thomas Edison was embroiled in this murder mystery, and I was surprised to learn that the real life Edison really did hope to find a way to talk to the dead…

Thomas Edison: With the invention of the lightbulb I conquered the darkness; with the necrophone I shall conquer death.

🔗 permalink: With the invention of the lightbulb I conquered the darkness; with the necrophone I shall…

The bits and pieces of history that are wrapped into these stories always make them even more intriguing. 

Everyone reacted differently to the idea of being able to speak to the dead. Doyle kept referring to being able to communicate with his wife…who is still alive, though in a coma. Harry’s frustration with Doyle obviously stemmed from the fact that Doyle could still hold out hope that his wife could come back to him.

Houdini: Stop planning for her death. You claim you love your wife so much, then fight for her.

🔗 permalink: Stop planning for her death. You claim you love your wife so much, then fight for her.

But as even Harry pointed out later, hope can be both a blessing and a curse. 

Harry’s reaction to his mother’s death had my heart aching. Losing her will leave a hole that will never be filled. Watching him quietly cry over her gravesite had me in tears. 

And yet it was Adelaide for whom I felt the most sympathy, especially after this Houdini & Doyle quote…

Adelaide: But if we know our loved ones are there just on the other side, watching us, talking to us, waiting for us, how will we ever be able to move on?

🔗 permalink: But if we know our loved ones are there just on the other side, watching us, talking to us,…

What could be worse? How about knowing the person you loved faked their own suicide and is still out there?

I know that Benjamin did what he did to save himself and Adelaide, but how does she deal with knowing he’s still alive? That he put her through such pain for so long? That she may never have known the truth if she hadn’t kept digging?

How is she supposed to just hang on in the hopes that he’ll come back… and should she? She obviously never really knew Benjamin. How does she trust him again?

Not to mention the fact that she just kissed Harry, who has fast become her best friend. 

I’m curious to find out if she shares the truth with Houdini. I hope so and I’m curious as to what his reaction will be if she does. 

As if that wasn’t enough, there’s some mystery woman who appears to be following Harry all the way to Canada and back to his mother’s grave. 

There’s only one more episode left and I truly hope that FOX renews this show for a second season because I’m completely hooked!

Check back next week for my review of Houdini & Doyle Season 1 Episode 10 and if you want more, you can watch Houdini & Doyle online here at TV Fanatic. 

Vanessa and Ethan - Penny Dreadful Season 3 Episode 9

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https://www.tvfanatic.com/houdini-and-doyle-season-1-episode-9-review-necromanteion/feed/ 0 Vanessa and Ethan – Penny Dreadful Season 3 Episode 9 Vanessa Ives and Ethan Chandler say a final goodbye.
Houdini & Doyle Season 1 Episode 10 Recap: The Pall of LaPier https://www.tvfanatic.com/houdini-doyle-season-1-episode-10-recap-the-pall-of-lapier/ https://www.tvfanatic.com/houdini-doyle-season-1-episode-10-recap-the-pall-of-lapier/#respond Sun, 26 Jun 2016 20:14:38 +0000 https://www.tvfanatic.com/houdini-doyle-season-1-episode-10-recap-the-pall-of-lapier/ Investigating in a Small Town - Houdini & Doyle

On Houdini & Doyle Season 1 Episode 10, the team investigates when a reverend wakes to find everyone in town dead with no sign of violence on the season finale.

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Adelaide tells Houdini and Doyle about her meeting with Benjamin. Houdini wonders if she hallucinated the entire thing. She insists that she didn’t plans to find Benjamin. Houdini wonders if she wants to find him because she’s worried about him or because she doesn’t trust his story. 

Houdini, Doyle and Adelaide investigate 47 deaths in one town. Everyone in town literally dropped dead at about 7am, except Reverend Jasper Farley who had fallen asleep in the bell tower while fixing the bell. They also find a 12-year-old girl, Libby Carter, who was being treated at the doctor’s office and is miraculously still alive, despite the doctor and his dog being dead. 

They suspect the water supply may be poisoned by the mine and travel to the Native Americans who live further down stream to see if it has affected them. It hasn’t but three more people die upriver. Doyle thinks the entire valley needs to be evacuated. 

When Adelaide realizes that the birds didn’t die, she and Doyle figure out that a wave of carbon dioxide gas flowed out of the mine and killed everyone in it’s path and that some of it is still leaking out of different areas of the mine. The reverend was above the gas in the belfry and Libby survived because her illness affected her breathing. 

Adelaide finds that a message written in her husband’s copy of Tom Sawyer matches what’s written in a newspaper ad for Warbridge’s Hardware store. They think it might be some sort of a cypher. Adelaide cracks the code and figures out that the anarchist group is going to try to kill King Edward in two days. 

Benjamin shows up at Adelaide’s hotel room. He says he’s trying to stop the plot to kill the king. The two end up in bed together but then she wakes, realizing it was all a dream. Houdini also dreams that he captures the mystery woman following him and it turns out to be his mother. 

Houdini figures out that the target isn’t the King of England but the President of the United States who will be staying in the King Edward hotel the next day in Buffalo, NY. They run to stop the assassination when Doyle runs into Benjamin and realizes that he is the assassin. Benjamin shoots Doyle but Adelaide shoots and kills him before he can shoot the President. 

Houdini, Adelaide, and a recovering Doyle take a ship back to England. On board, Adelaide mourns Benjamin, Doyle begins to write about Sherlock Holmes again and Houdini worries for his sanity when he begins to see his mother.

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Houdini & Doyle Season 1 Episode 9 Recap: Necromanteion https://www.tvfanatic.com/houdini-doyle-season-1-episode-9-recap-necromanteion/ https://www.tvfanatic.com/houdini-doyle-season-1-episode-9-recap-necromanteion/#respond Sun, 26 Jun 2016 20:10:55 +0000 https://www.tvfanatic.com/houdini-doyle-season-1-episode-9-recap-necromanteion/ The Haunted House - Houdini & Doyle

On Houdini & Doyle Season 1 Episode 9, Thomas Edison believes he can hear the dead and Houdini, Doyle, and Adelaide investigate a haunted house in Canada.

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Houdini, Doyle, and Adelaide travel by ship to America. Adelaide hopes to gain answers about her husband’s murder and Harry is bringing his mother’s body back to New York. Also they are investigating the murder of Mr. Emmit Reid. Mrs. Clara Reid is accused of the killing but she says the poltergeist who is haunting their house killed him. Emmit Reid was seen hitting his wife in public. Also, Clara says that their one month old son recently died of influenza. 

The Turner family, the original residents of the home, all died tragically. Mr Turner killed his family and himself. Thomas Edison is involved with the case. He claims he has an invention that allows you to hear dead people. They think that Mr. Turner’s spirit may have killed Mr. Reid. 

As Houdini deals with his mother’s funeral, Doyle and Adelaide work the case but Houdini quickly decides to catch up with them. 

Later that night, Adelaide dreams that she speaks to her husband through the necrophone. When she wakes up, she sees a chair move on its own. Houdini thinks she was still dreaming until he and Doyle witness it move too. 

They hear the necrophone running. It recorded the words “Falcroft Point” which is the cliff where Mr. Turner killed himself. When they investigate they find Edison’s assistant, Mr. Avari, dead at the bottom of the cliff. Doyle thinks he was killed by the poltergeist. Houdini doesn’t agree but then he thinks he hears his mother’s voice on the necrophone. 

Adelaide checks in on Houdini and he realizes that she never sent the telegram to find out about her husband finding firearms because she fears the answers she’ll find. The two share a kiss but Doyle interrupts. Later Harry apologizes and says it won’t happen again. 

Doyle leads them to a secret room in the basement where they find a pool of blood, where they believe Avari was actually killed before being thrown off the cliff. Houdini also finds electromagnets he believes were used to move the chair in Adelaide’s room. 

They also find the baby’s grave in the basement. The boy didn’t die of influenza. The baby was murdered. Mr. Reid killed him after finding out that his wife had an affair. Turns out it was Mrs. Reid’s lover who killed her husband and Mr. Avari when he uncovered the truth.

When too many voices come through the necrophone all at once, Edison thinks he’s opened the gates of Hell and destroys it. Houdini thinks he destroyed it because it didn’t work but still longs to hear his mother.

Adelaide gets a telegram back from Mr Warbridge asking her to meet. When she gets there, she finds her late husband, Benjamin, is still alive. He was working as an agent and had to fake his death. He tells Adelaide to stop looking into the case before she is killed. He promises to close the case and come back to her. 

Harry goes to his mother’s grave to mourn her. He sees a mysterious woman he’s seen several times throughout the episode. 

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Houdini & Doyle Season 1 Episode 8 Review: Strigoi https://www.tvfanatic.com/houdini-and-doyle-season-1-episode-8-review-strigoi/ https://www.tvfanatic.com/houdini-and-doyle-season-1-episode-8-review-strigoi/#respond Tue, 21 Jun 2016 03:06:58 +0000 https://www.tvfanatic.com/2016/06/21/houdini-and-doyle-season-1-episode-8-review-strigoi/ Adelaide and Harry - Houdini & Doyle

On Houdini & Doyle Season 1 Episode 8, vampire hunters stalk Doyle's friend, Bram Stoker, and rival cults with fake vampires put everyone's lives in danger.

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Many of my childhood nightmares were incorporated into Houdini & Doyle Season 1 Episode 8, so it’s a bit odd that this turned out to be my favorite installment of the series thus far. 

First off, I always get nervous when a show starts off in a butcher shop because it’s a rare thing that someone in a crime procedural actually just drops in to buy a steak. There’s generally something nefarious going on, and this time it was author, Bram Stoker, buying a pint of blood. 

Adelaide and Harry - Houdini & Doyle
(FOX)

I was expecting the purchase to be for some sort of story research, but the reason turned out to be far more gruesome, and sad. 

Despite the gorgeous turn of the century costumes, sometimes I have to remind myself that this story takes place at the beginning of the 20th Century.

Stoker couldn’t just see his doctor for a shot of antibiotics to cure his syphilis. He knew that eventually it would kill him, and he’d lose his mind before he’d lose his life. 

It was a twist that left me with sympathy for a man who wrote a character who has scared the heck out of me since I was about 8 years old!

It also reminded me how much I enjoy the fact that this show tries to anchor itself in reality, even as it ventures farther into the supernatural. 

But most of my favorite scenes involved Houdini. 

He and Doyle have formed a fun bromance with banter that keeps me smiling, as in this Houdini & Doyle quote where Houdini laments his crazy fans…

Houdini: The number of times I’ve come back to my hotel and found a woman in my room.

Doyle: They’re called housekeepers.

🔗 permalink: They’re called housekeepers.

Then there’s Harry’s relationship with Adelaide.

Adelaide: Who’s there?

Houdini: Your best pals in the whole, wide world.

🔗 permalink: Your best pals in the whole, wide world.

For as much as he has a crush on her, Harry seems content, for the time being, to pursue their growing friendship. He even listens intently to her stories about her late husband and their courtship.

Where other men might feel threatened, Harry hangs on every word, partly to help solve the mystery involving Benjamin’s death and partly because he’s learning more about Adelaide along the way. 

As much as I saw it coming, my heart still broke for Harry when he found his mother had died in her sleep. For all of his confidence and bluster, he’ll always be her little boy, and losing her will inevitably change him. It will be interesting to see how he moves forward without her.

The climax of this episode, with Doyle trying to save Bram while Adelaide desperately searched for Houdini who was buried alive, had my heart racing. The way these scenes were intercut kept the suspense at its peak until the end. 

Are Harry and Adelaide off to New York soon? Will Doyle accompany them? 

Check back next week for my review of Houdini & Doyle Season 1 Episode 9 and if you need more, you can watch Houdini & Doyle online here at TV Fanatic.

How to Get Away with Murder Season 3 Books Two High Profile Guest Stars

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https://www.tvfanatic.com/houdini-and-doyle-season-1-episode-8-review-strigoi/feed/ 0 Adelaide and Harry – Houdini & Doyle Adelaide and Harry investigate her husband's death on Houdini & Doyle. "Strigoi" is the eighth episode of the show's first season. How to Get Away with Murder Season 3 Books Two High Profile Guest Stars
Houdini & Doyle Season 1 Episode 8 Recap: Strigoi https://www.tvfanatic.com/houdini-doyle-season-1-episode-8-recap-strigoi/ https://www.tvfanatic.com/houdini-doyle-season-1-episode-8-recap-strigoi/#respond Mon, 20 Jun 2016 04:05:16 +0000 https://www.tvfanatic.com/houdini-doyle-season-1-episode-8-recap-strigoi/ Adelaide and Harry - Houdini & Doyle

On Houdini & Doyle Season 1 Episode 8, vampire hunters stalk Doyle's friend, Bram Stoker, and rival cults with fake vampires put everyone's lives in danger.

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Bram Stoker, author of Dracula, runs to Doyle when he believes someone is out to hurt him. Doyle brings him home and they find his maid dead. Turns out Bram is anti-social, doesn’t enjoy public appearances and doesn’t like touching, A man upset about Dracula broke into Bram’s home days earlier and threatened him but he doesn’t know who it was.

Houdini moves Bram into suite near him and Doyle hires a guard for his friend. Adelaide finds a letter the maid wrote to a friend that implies she had a more personal relationship with Bram and that he’d turned hostile towards her. Adelaide realizes that Bram was paying the maid an exorbitant amount of money each month, far more than her salary should have been. Bram admits that she learned a secret and when she threatened to go public, he paid her to keep her quiet. 

Houdini’s mother thinks she sees Bram sneaking out late at night but when Houdini checks, he’s still in his room. She admits she’s homesick for New York but refuses to go back without Harry. Later she says she dreamt that Harry left her forever.

Doyle speaks with a vampire expert to try and find the crazed fan who broke in. Doyle, Houdini, and Adelaide go to a cemetary where they find supposed vampire hunters but not the crazed fan. Later, a woman named Liliana sneaks into Doyle’s and tells him the man they seek is Lockland McBride. 

They find McBride’s home. He’s dead with two puncture wounds to his neck. Turns out Bram slipped his guard and is no longer in his hotel room. They find Bram hiding and drinking blood. He says he has a medical condition and is anemic. Drinking cow’s blood helps. He also has strangely formed teeth and is sensitive to sunlight but he’s not a vampire. He has a type of syphilis. 

Bram is held in a cell but escapes. Doyle thinks the vampire cult broke him out. They head back to the cemetery where Houdini finds Liliana beheaded. Doyle finds Bram sealed in a tomb, saying a strange woman locked him inside. The Professor that Doyle spoke with earlier shows up, planning to kill Bram. He says he won’t turn over Houdini until they turn over Bram. He’s buried in a grave. 

The Professor ends up falling into an oven and dies during a struggle with Bram. Adelaide and Doyle save Houdini. 

Adelaide shares the threatening knot she got about dropping the investigation into her husband’s death with Houdini and Doyle. She realizes that her husband was within 50 miles of 7 assassinations committed by the anarchist group. She thinks he was trying to stop them. Houdini wonders if he was involved. 

When Harry escorts Adelaide home, they find it ransacked and all of her husband’s possessions stolen. She had just spoken to someone in Buffalo, New York who had talked to her husband before he died about buying guns. Harry says he’ll go to Buffalo with her, especially since he plans to escort his mother back to New York, but when Harry goes home, he finds his mother has died in her sleep. 

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Houdini & Doyle Season 1 Episode 7 Review: Bedlam https://www.tvfanatic.com/houdini-and-doyle-season-1-episode-7-review-bedlam/ https://www.tvfanatic.com/houdini-and-doyle-season-1-episode-7-review-bedlam/#respond Tue, 14 Jun 2016 02:00:00 +0000 https://www.tvfanatic.com/2016/06/14/houdini-and-doyle-season-1-episode-7-review-bedlam/ Doyle's Nightmare - Houdini & Doyle

On Houdini & Doyle Season 1 Episode 7, when victims are literally scared to death, Doyle believes he's been drugged with a potentially deadly hallucinogen.

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The mind of Arthur Conan Doyle is many things but rarely has it been “Bedlam,” until now. Houdini & Doyle Season 1 Episode 7 was one of the darker and more personal installments of the series thus far.

Doyle was struggling with writer’s block and looking depressed and haggard, and being incredibly observant, Harry noticed. 

Doyle's Nightmare - Houdini & Doyle
(FOX)

But first there was a murder to solve…or should I say a suspicious death? Because on the surface, Molly’s death appeared to be the work of a demon. From the tone of her confession, I really didn’t expect Molly to attack the priest, so when it happened it was a bit of a shock. 

Almost as much as her falling over dead. 

The death made for some great discussions such as in this Houdini & Doyle quote between Houdini, the non-believer, and Adelaide.

Adelaide: I believe in God, why shouldn’t I believe in Lucifer?

Houdini: Just because you believe in one fairy tale doesn’t mean you have to believe them all.

🔗 permalink: Just because you believe in one fairy tale doesn’t mean you have to believe them all.

Adelaide and Doyle were quick to buy into the deaths being the work of the demon Abadon, who fed on people’s fear, but I enjoyed how the conversation seamlessly shifted to Adelaide’s backstory.

Houdini: Why does our Addie have a big book of creepy symbols?

🔗 permalink: Why does our Addie have a big book of creepy symbols?

Good question! I’m enjoying these small insights into her husband’s death and how she believes it was murder; however I have to agree with Harry, just because her husband was a romantic doesn’t mean he couldn’t have been a gambler too. 

I’m truly enjoying how these two are forming a friendship over her case. This week, she didn’t even bother to keep Harry out of it, and she openly shared information with both him and Doyle, but it’s obvious Harry is the most interested. 

But the main focus of the story was on Doyle. On Houdini & Doyle Season 1 Episode 6, we’d learned that Arthur had never truly experienced the effects of discrimination but that didn’t mean he didn’t know fear and hate. 

It’s no wonder that his depression appeared to intensify when he visited Bedlam as it was the place where his father died. 

As scary as mental illness can be today, I can’t even imagine how horrifying it was to live with or suffer through treatment for it at the turn of the 20th Century. When insane Sherlock told the doctor, “Excuse me, please don’t drill into my friend’s brain,” it was hard to know whether to laugh at the deadpan retort or cringe that lobotomies were once a common medical solution.

I completely expected Harry to make it back to the hospital in time to deliver the antidote, so I literally yelled, No! when he stumbled and the vial broke. I’m sure my expression was similar to his. 

Doyle has been carrying around an intense amount of fear: Fear of going mad like his father, of never being able to write again, and perhaps the worst, of having to watch his wife die. 

Thankfully, the euphoria of a hug from his deceased father, even an imagined one, was enough to bring him back.

Although this episode was darker in tone than some of the others, I appreciated it for the way it gave us true insights into Doyle’s life, and I’m looking forward to what’s to come for our threesome next.

If you need to catch up, you can watch Houdini & Doyle online here at TV Fanatic.

How to Get Away with Murder Season 3 Books Two High Profile Guest Stars

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https://www.tvfanatic.com/houdini-and-doyle-season-1-episode-7-review-bedlam/feed/ 0 Doyle’s Nightmare – Houdini & Doyle Doyle believes he's been drugged with a deadly hallucinogen on Houdini & Doyle. "Bedlam" is the seventh episode of the show's first season. How to Get Away with Murder Season 3 Books Two High Profile Guest Stars
Houdini & Doyle Season 1 Episode 7 Recap: Bedlam https://www.tvfanatic.com/houdini-doyle-season-1-episode-7-recap-bedlam/ https://www.tvfanatic.com/houdini-doyle-season-1-episode-7-recap-bedlam/#respond Mon, 13 Jun 2016 02:59:16 +0000 https://www.tvfanatic.com/houdini-doyle-season-1-episode-7-recap-bedlam/ Doyle's Nightmare - Houdini & Doyle

On Houdini & Doyle Season 1 Episode 7, when victims are literally scared to death, Doyle believes he's been drugged with a potentially deadly hallucinogen.

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A woman attacks a priest in a confessional after claiming that the darkness had overtaken her. She fights off several men before collapsing and dying for no apparent reason. Doyle says her strength most likely came from adrenaline and her death was from stress induced ventricular fibrillation. He thinks she was literally scared to death. 

The victim, Molly Morgan was just released from a mental hospital, nicknamed Bedlam. She had a weak heart and a history of delusions. She was friends with Simon, who was also released. He’s found catatonic after a priest attempts an exorcism.

Both Molly and Simon have the same pattern of dots on their necks. Doyle thinks it could be a pentagram left by the demon Abadon, which they find in one of Adelaide’s books. Houdini questions why Adelaide even has such a book. Turns out her husband wore a ring with an odd symbol which was used by a violent Polish anarchist group. Adelaide thinks her husband was trying to stop them and they killed him and left him hanging in his study for her to find.  

A defrocked priest, Nathaniel, residing at Bedlam, claims that Molly and Simon were his followers. Nathaniel tells Doyle that Doyle’s deepest fear is to be condemned in a place like Bedlam. 

Dr. Pilson tries to use the patients fears to make them accept God. Doyle tells Dr. Randall that he plans to investigate Bedlam. The two discuss it over tea. Later Doyle recalls his father being dragged away while telling him to stop whining. Turns out Doyle’s father was institutionalized and Dr. Pilson was his doctor and the files show he tortured him to death. Doyle gets drunk and goes after Dr. Pilsen, who commits him. 

Doyle is set up for Nathaniel’s murder in the asylum. Dr. Pilsen uses it as a reason to perform a lobotomy but a man with delusions of being Sherlock Holmes saves him. Unfortunately they end up back in their cell. 

It turns out that Doyle isn’t institutionalized at all. It’s all a drug induced nightmare. Suddenly he’s spending time with his wife and she doesn’t want him to go back. His other fear is having to watch her die back in the real world.   

Houdini and Adelaide realize that Doyle never made it home and they find him unconscious and dying. Houdini figures out he’s been poisoned but they have to find an antidote. They believe that Dr. Randall poisoned him. When he refuses to hand over the antidote, Houdini poisons his tea. Randall claims he was only trying to cure madness by inducing fear to better understand it and hands over the antidote to save himself.

Houdini rushes to save Doyle before it’s too late but he trips and falls and the vial breaks. 

Inside the dream, Doyle figures out that his darkest fears have to do with his father. He talks to his father in the dream, about how he hated him. HIs father explains that he hated his son’s writing because his brilliance made him feel even more of a disappointment. When his father finally hugs him in the dream, the euphoria he feels helps combat the poison and he lives. 

Adelaide shares with Houdini that the police believed that her husband lost all of his money gambling but she believes the money was embezzled. She continues to look into her husband’s best friend’s murder, Nigel Pennington. The evidence shows he was strangled. Later that night, Adelaide finds a note on her desk that say, “Drop this or die.”

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Houdini & Doyle Season 1 Episode 4 Review: Spring-Heel’d Jack https://www.tvfanatic.com/houdini-and-doyle-season-1-episode-4-review-spring-heeld-jack/ https://www.tvfanatic.com/houdini-and-doyle-season-1-episode-4-review-spring-heeld-jack/#respond Tue, 24 May 2016 02:31:39 +0000 https://www.tvfanatic.com/2016/05/24/houdini-and-doyle-season-1-episode-4-review-spring-heeld-jack/ A Demon Eyed Phantom - Houdini & Doyle

The boys investigate a demon who feeds on fear on Houdini & Doyle Season 1 Episode 4. Houdini believes there is no demon. Is he right? Read on!

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This was definitely the most obvious case we've had so far. 

I pretty much guessed it was the reporter the moment I saw him on Houdini & Doyle Season 1 Episode 4

The guy was such an obnoxious jerk who was clearly out for a great story.

A Demon Eyed Phantom - Houdini & Doyle
(FOX)

Just as obvious was finding out that Stratton was married. I don't know if they intended for that to be surprising, but what else were we supposed to think when Houdini found that man's ring?

The real mystery surrounds who the guy is, where he is, and why they aren't currently together. There also must be a reason why she's keeping it a secret. As Houdini said, if she's divorced or separated, why not just tell them?

Of course, being "concerned" about her well being does not give the guys the right to snoop and pry. Breaking into her home, following her, questioning a stranger about their conversation…these are serious stalker tendencies. 

I know they have her best interests at heart, but still, mind your own business boys!

Doyle: Oh, very understated.

Houdini: I know. It needs to be flashier. Come on, “His most incredible escape yet?”

Doyle: How about “death defying?”

Houdini: Ooh. Well done. You ought to consider writing.

🔗 permalink: Ooh. Well done. You ought to consider writing.

So, can I just say, that poster of Houdini was incredibly creepy. It doesn't matter what slogan is on it, his face still looked creepy. 

I kind of love that Houdini carries around tickets to his sold out shows though. He made that doorman's day by whipping those out. 

It was also super cute watching him perform magic tricks for Doyle's kids, and it was funny that he actually took whatever that thingy was home with him.

He's still obsessed with betting, and I'm still not really seeing the point of these wagers in every episode. I don't really feel like they add anything to the humor or their relationship, especially since Doyle is pretty indifferent to them, too.

Houdini: Every time I lock myself in that tank my heart is pounding. And every beat reminds me that I am never more alive than when I’m scared half to death. But, it’s only when you admit that you’re afraid that fear loses it’s power over you.

🔗 permalink: Every time I lock myself in that tank my heart is pounding. And every beat reminds me that I…

So the supernatural element of the week was a phantom called a "Spring-Heeled Jack" that feeds on fear. A demon who feeds on fear is not exactly a new concept, but it was an interesting take on it. I may have Googled it after the episode and read a little bit about the folklore behind it.

I was definitely worried that little Kingsley would end up being attacked by it, but was glad that it was just his imagination (probably). The kids are cute, and I like these little moments we've been getting of Doyle growing as a parent. 

Again, we are left with a logical explanation and a human killer, but also with questions supporting the supernatural. The reporter admitted to hiring the gymnast, but claims he had nothing to do with the death of the first man, Underhill. 

I'm still not sure I really like this concept of a series that attempts to take place in both the real world and the supernatural, basically letting us choose which one we want to believe at the end of each episode. 

It's odd, but I can see why some might find it more intriguing than I do. 

I'm mostly in it for the relationship between Houdini and Doyle, which has been improving each week. They're getting closer and learning to read each other. Stratton may be able to keep secrets from them, but they won't be able to keep them from each other nearly as easily. 

I liked that Doyle called him out on his opium use, not just spotting the biological signs such as his sweating, but also questioning the reasoning behind it. 

I also liked that Houdini asked Doyle about his wife, and told him he didn't need to keep his lip stiff all the time. They're letting each other know they are not alone. 

All in all, I'm still finding this series to be "just okay." It's probably not going to turn into anything mind-blowing, but it's certainly not painful to watch, either. The actors do their part to make it enjoyable. 

So where do you guys stand four episodes in? 

Next up on Houdini & Doyle Season 1 Episode 5, Houdini is baffled when he can't debunk a psychic's tricks. Doyle, of course, believes she's the real deal. 

If you need to catch up, you can always watch Houdini & Doyle online!

The Last of Caskett? - Castle

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https://www.tvfanatic.com/houdini-and-doyle-season-1-episode-4-review-spring-heeld-jack/feed/ 0 A Demon Eyed Phantom – Houdini & Doyle The team investigates when a demon eyed phantom appears to have committed murder on Houdini & Doyle. "Spring-Heel'd Jack" is the fourth episode of the show's first season. The Last of Caskett? – Castle Will this be the last fans see of Caskett? "Crossfire" is the 22nd episode of the eighth season of Castle.