Darrow and Darrow Mysteries (2017-2019)

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Since I started watching all of the Hallmark channels just a few years ago, there are a lot of movies I haven't seen. The Darrow and Darrow Mystery series was among them until recently. There are four movies in this series, all of which I watched last week. I'll share an overall review of the entire series, along with a ranking of each movie.

4. Darrow and Darrow (Episode 1, 2017)

The series opens with what ended up being my least favorite episode. Claire Darrow (Kimberly Williams-Paisley), an attorney, is a single mom to her 12 year old daughter, Louise (Lilah Fitzgerald). After Claire's mother, Joanna (Wendie Mallick), is let go from the law firm she worked for, she moves in with Claire and joins her at the law firm started by Claire's late father. 

Miles (Tom Cavanagh) is the district attorney. While Claire and Miles differ in their roles as attorneys, it's clear that they share a mutual interest in each other. I loved the dynamics between these two. They showed professionalism and respect for each other, despite seeing issues from different perspectives.

I also really enjoyed the character of Joanna, Claire's mother. She has a great rapport with her granddaughter, Louise, and I also loved the banter between Joanna and Claire. They are sometimes at odds with each other, but it's portrayed in a playful way.

The first case in this mystery series does not involve murder, but rather grand theft. It took me some time to get used to the fact that there wasn't going to be a murder, but it was fine. It was quite refreshing to see a different kind of mystery being solved.

The supporting characters were a touch too over-the-top funny for my taste, but the real issue I had with this movie was that it focused too much on subplots, which were weak, and not enough on the mystery. It's always a challenge to begin a new series since we are just getting to know the main characters.  I just wish their stories were woven into the movie more seamlessly, while keeping the main focus on the mystery.

Surprisingly, I really enjoyed the courtroom scenes. While not always believable, they were entertaining. I am not typically interested in courtroom drama, but these scenes were fun and easy to watch.

So, overall, I enjoyed this first movie, but I didn't mark it as a favorite on the Hallmark app.

3. Darrow and Darrow: Body of Evidence (Episode 3, 2018)

The third episode in the series has a much stronger mystery than the first one. Miles and Claire investigate a case where, a year ago, someone was convicted of murder. Claire believes the person convicted is innocent, while Miles believes she is guilty. They each work to prove their case. We again have Claire and Miles working on opposite sides, while maintaining mutual respect for one another. Once again, I enjoyed the courtroom scenes. The romance storyline is minimal, but it is still there. All of the returning characters from previous movies maintained their humor and charm.

2. Darrow and Darrow: Witness to a Murder (Episode 4, 2019)

Note: Some sources have this movie's title listed as Witness to a Murder: A Darrow Mystery.

In this episode, Claire defends someone from her mother's previous company who is accused of murder. Miles is the prosecuting attorney in this case. Claire and Miles each work to prove their cases, while their mutual interest in each other continues.

The runner-up in my ranking is the final episode in the series. This one had a slightly different vibe than the previous three, with some of the supporting cast not returning. Another supporting character was present, but his humor was toned down quite a bit. He was too serious for me this time. I would have preferred something in the middle. 

I appreciated that there was a strong focus on the mystery without too much emphasis on subplots. However, the courtroom scenes are not as strong in this episode. I figured out some of the whodunnit a little more than halfway through the movie, but there was still more to uncover that I hadn't solved.

1. Darrow and Darrow: In the Key of Murder (Episode 2, 2018)

My favorite movie in the Darrow and Darrow Mystery series is the second episode. All of the supporting characters returned. In this episode. Miles' half sister is accused of murder and Claire takes on the case to prove her innocence. I felt that the courtroom scenes and the overall mystery were strongest in this episode. It left me much more excited to see the rest of the movies in series than the first one did.

Final Thoughts:

Although some movies in the Darrow and Darrow Mystery series are stronger than others, I gave them all four solid mushrooms. Therefore, the series overall gets four solid mushrooms. Although I know the endings, I likely would watch most of them again (all except for the first episode) for the entertainment and to see if I can pick up on things I didn't before. I really enjoyed this series much more than I thought I would. I'd love to see more Darrow and Darrow Mysteries made, but if they're not, I'm satisfied with the way the series ended.