Mystery 101 - Episodes 1-7 (2019-2021)

🍄🍄🍄🍄

For my detailed, but spoiler-free, review of the pilot episode for Mystery 101, click here.

To see the ratings I gave each movie in the series, click here.

Well, I finally did it. Over the past couple of weeks, I binged-watched what is arguably the most talked about mystery series on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries. Instead of reviewing all seven movies in the Mystery 101 series individually, I'll post an overall review. When (not "if"...I'm hopeful) there are more movies, I'll review them individually.

Let's recap the premise of this series. Amy Winslow (Jill Wagner) is a college professor who teaches

crime fiction. She assists Detective Travis Burke (Kristoffer Polaha) in solving real (in the world of Hallmark) murder mysteries. Unlike most other cozy mysteries I've watched and read, Detective Burke recognizes she has what it takes and he welcomes her help. 

While this is a cozy mystery series, it does have a slightly more serious tone than other mystery series I've seen on Hallmark. There's even an explosion in one of the movies, which is very uncharacteristic of Hallmark movies. None of this bothered me. In fact, it's part of what sets it apart from others. Having a variety is good.

It's no secret that Kristoffer Polaha is a talented actor. He's no stranger to Hallmark, but this is my favorite role he has played so far. I can also say he's my favorite detective in all the mystery series I've seen so far.

Of course, this being Hallmark, there is a romance brewing throughout the series. In the pilot movie, it felt forced to me, but as the series progressed, I felt their romantic chemistry. It isn't a significant part of the storyline in that the romantic cheese is kept to a minimum. Their budding relationship, however, is an important part of the series.

The mysteries in each episode are more complex than what I'm used to seeing on Hallmark. They are well-crafted and usually not easy to untangle. Unfortunately for me, I was able to identify the culprit in six of the seven episodes soon after they were introduced. It wasn't because I had the mystery all figured it. It was because I've started to notice a pattern with the whodunnits in Hallmark mysteries. It was still fun to see how each mystery unfolded, though.

While I enjoyed all of the movies, my favorite was Playing Dead. This mystery was filled with so many twists and turns. I was suspicious of someone from the beginning of the movie, but the end still surprised me. Watching this movie felt like being on an amusement park ride while still sitting on my couch in the comfort of my own home. That's the best kind of amusement park ride in my book!

Fans of Mystery 101 have been begging and pleading for an eighth movie and after watching the seventh episode, I now know why. I cannot comprehend what the thought process was regarding the direction of this series, but it made no sense to me. It felt completely out of place and while this is not my favorite Hallmark series (Murder, She Baked/Hannah Swensen still wears that crown), I wholeheartedly agree that we need at least one more Mystery 101 movie. 

I look forward to the day when we get some questions answered. I would be happy to revisit the core characters, including Graham Winslow (Robin Thomas), who along with Amy and Travis, has appeared in every episode so far. I also really liked the supporting cast, specifically Bud (Preston Vanderslice) and Claire Tate (Sarah Dugdale). I'm hopeful we'll get a new movie in due time. In the meantime, be sure to catch up on the first seven episodes so you can be ready for the eighth one when Hallmark Movies and Mysteries decides it's time to end the wait!

Have you seen the Mystery 101 series? If so, what are your thoughts on it?