‘Bodkin’ tries bringing ‘Twin Peaks’ into the podcast era, with an Irish accent

Review by Brian Lowry, CNN

(CNN) — The latest Netflix project falling under the Obamas’ production deal, “Bodkin” initially possesses an intriguing “Twin Peaks”-like vibe with a touch of “Local Hero,” the classic 1983 film about a young executive dispatched to a Scottish village. Here, it’s an American podcaster invading a quirky Irish town, nosing around a cold case that yields a steadily diminishing drip from this Irish spring.

Said podcaster Gilbert (Will Forte) comes with his share of baggage, as does Dove (Siobhán Cullen), the investigative reporter grudgingly assigned to accompany him. They’re joined by Emmy (Robyn Cara), a bright-eyed young researcher who looks up to Dove, which doesn’t make the more seasoned journalist’s treatment of her any less frosty.

Indeed, Dove makes clear she feels like she’s slumming in pandering to this request (order, actually) from her bosses to squire Gilbert through his mission, at least until they begin to chip away at the layers surrounding what might have happened to three people who disappeared a quarter-century earlier.

As with “Twin Peaks” and “Local Hero,” there’s an odd quaintness to the town Gilbert finds charming, but as is so often the case, the cheery exterior for tourists and rubes hides a darker underbelly. That includes guardedness toward outsiders that introduces a pinch of “An American Werewolf in London” into the stew as well.

Gilbert approaches the whole exercise from a very different perspective than Dove, who becomes engaged by the prospect of cracking the case, while he simply wants to put on a good show, prompting her to liken his work less to journalism than pornography.

“He thinks Ireland is some kind of Disneyland,” she grumbles, which is understandable given the “Darby O’Gill and the Little People” setting, with even more heavy drinking and pounding hangovers.

Forte is happily more subdued than he often tends to be, but Gilbert is still a reluctant sleuth, which makes Dove (played with a nicely crusty edge by Cullen, an Irish actor) the true driver of this story. Over the seven episodes, that arc becomes increasingly convoluted and a trifle far-fetched – not fatal flaws, but not helpful ones either.

The Obamas’ Higher Ground production company has become a prolific supplier to Netflix, from movies like “Leave the World Behind” to award-winning documentaries.

Created by Jez Scharf, “Bodkin” represents a low-key addition to that slate, but still makes for a passable binge; still, what looks like a distinctive show gradually blends into its saturated genre – less a commentary on true-crime podcasts than a reminder that even with series that start out well, there’s not always a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

“Bodkin” premieres May 9 on Netflix.

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