Bodkin is Only Murders in the Building re-located to County Cork with some hat tips to Father Ted thrown in. The Arcona is a distant memory replaced instead by scenic beauty in buckets, an endless array of eclectic townsfolk, and some age-old skeletons hidden away from prying eyes. Substitutions for Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez include a ragtag band of amateur sleuths headed up by American fish out of water Gilbert (Will Forte). Over from America and out of his depth, his podcasting wing woman Emmy (Robyn Cara) is also unprepared for the arrival of Dove (Siobhan Cullen), an Irish malcontent sent over to babysit them.
Brandishing her journalistic credentials like a blunt instrument, she wastes no time trashing their integrity, and upsetting the locals. With one taxi driver (Chris Walley) paid to drive this mis-matched trio around Bodkin as they attempt to question anyone they can, it takes some time before the series hits any sort of stride. In that time Siobhan Cullen does a decent job of alienating audiences and making it difficult to feel any empathy for Dove. However, that glacial demeanour soon evaporates as it becomes clear that this is not simply a babysitting assignment. Especially when Seamus Gallagher (David Wilmot) makes his way out of the Bodkin mist.
Bodies in a bog, off-kilter characterisations, and elements of Inisherin aside, this series really rests on the shoulder of David Wilmot (The Wonder). As a masterful keeper of secrets, under the radar rabble rouser, and agenda driven wheeler dealer around Bodkin, Wilmot does some excellent work. Decades after two people disappear during Ireland’s festival of the dead (Samhain) Seamus remains an enigma. Brittle and bruising, protective and nurturing, yet ready to inflict damage at the drop of a hat, this man ties the room together.
Other stand outs include Sergeant Power (Denis Conway), who has more than a little skin in the game, as he looks to protect his son Teddy (Ger Kelly). Charlie Kelly (Fintan) also deserves a mention for more than his ability to turn Emmy’s head after one too many pints down the local pub. As the plot threads expand and answers simmer beneath the surface, Fintan is key in shedding light on this mystery and offering audiences some sense of resolution. In truth, going deeper into the depths of this murder mystery would give the game away, so for the time being it is better that audiences step away from Baby Reindeer for a minute and dive into this underrated gem instead.
Bodkin is streaming on Netflix now.