[Warning: General spoilers ahead.]
Paul Campbell follows up Three Wise Men and a Baby by jumping into the mystery wheel universe with The Cases of Mystery Lane, staring opposite Aimee Garcia as Alden and Birdie Case (get it?), a couple who’ve been keeping secrets and living somewhat separate lives until a murder provides just what they need to reignite the spark that got them together in the first place.
Birdie is a successful second generation attorney navigating her rising career under the watchful eye of her mother, Eleonore (Jacqueline Samuda), who wants her to be hungrier and more aspirational than she is. Alden has just found his calling as a private investigator but has been hiding that discovery from Birdie, who thinks he’s enrolled in CPA classes at night. Instead, he wandered into a PI class and fell in love with that.
When a class assignment leads him to tail Birdie’s colleague, Kyle (Jesse Moss), he stumbles into a murder scene at their office. Suddenly Birdie finds out what he’s up to, and then, when certain facts don’t line up, she sees that he’s actually got a knack for getting answers and it doesn’t take much for her to go all in on the adventure.
It’s a super fun movie, and refreshingly current with its plot lines. Campbell and Garcia have a great vibe together as a loving couple who lost each other in there somewhere, becoming roommates instead of partners. They’re great as Alden and Birdie see each other in a whole new way and find their way back together. I hope this is the start of another franchise.
The cast also includes Jennifer Copping, who we last saw in Debris and just started an arc on Alaska Daily, as Paula, the office paralegal; Ryan Ma as Alden’s mentor, Tim; and Matt Hamilton as Newton, a police officer who’d rather the Cases stay away from crime solving. Mike Rohl directs a script by Joel Dovev and Margaux Froley.
The Cases of Mystery Lane premieres at 7 pm/6c on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries and Peacock. Here are a few sneak peeks.
Photos and videos courtesy of Hallmark Media.
Previewing The Cases of Mystery Lane
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