It’s not a whodunit, it’s a whydunit. The Canadian crime show “Motive,” returning for its second season Wednesday night, sets itself apart from the herd of murder procedurals by naming both the killer and the victim right off the bat.
In Wednesday’s premiere, detectives Angie Flynn (Kristin Lehman) and Oscar Vega (Louis Ferreira) take on the case of a man (Shawn Roberts) who’s found dead by what appears to be suicide — or is it? Well, no, because we already know who did him in: a newly-engaged photographer (David Alpay) who seems to have it all, in a doting fiancee (Amanda Crew) and her 6-year-old son.
The perky Lauren Holly shows up, as Dr. Betty Rogers, to make a vampy assessment of the deceased — I’m pretty sure most coroners don’t deliver their results perched seductively in a low-cut dress, but maybe things are different up north.
Meanwhile, Flynn must adapt to the arrival of the the handsome Mark Cross (Warren Christie), the team’s new sergeant; they share a mysterious past that she’s not keen to revisit.
Moving right along with the efficiency of a veteran cop, the show closes in on a connection between killer and victim; it might not be the world’s most shocking conclusion, but it’s well-executed enough.
If you’re a genre fan, “Motive” is a satisfyingly different way to get your murder-mystery fix.