I've watched all eight episodes of the first season, and I'm so glad I stumbled upon "Fortunate Son" on CBC Gem. I was intrigued by the show's premise of the draft dodger experience in Canada during the Vietnam War. I feel like this is a story that hasn't been told before. I grew up next door to a draft dodger and his family, but I was always too polite to ask about their experiences and why activism was so important to them. Now that I'm much older, I have a greater understanding of what they must have gone through. What made me fall in love with the show was the writing. It was very clever to write a spy/thriller series with an American family as its focus and to show how activism puts a strain on their relationships with one another. I also appreciated how the characters are written smart--they sometimes make poor decisions, but I never questioned their intelligence. The actors also give topnotch performances. Stephen Moyer plays menacing so well, and Kari Matchett's Ruby is the heart and soul of the show. Darren Mann (Travis) and Kacey Rohl (Ellen) are young actors to watch, and I was impressed by the intensity they brought to their roles. The two cops played by Patrick Gallagher and Ty Olsson also inject some much-appreciated humour into the show with their witty asides ("Hippies--what did we do to deserve them?"). I also loved the attention to detail, from the episode titles based on songs of the sixties to the props (hey, I recognize those coffee cups). The ending was kind of left open (Ralph, watch out for those redheads!), so I hope CBC picks the show up for a second season. If you're on the fence about watching it, I say give it a try. The retro vibe of the sixties is fun to watch (the clothes, the music, the vintage cars), but it will be the writing and the characters that'll make you want to stay along for the ride.
Review of Fortunate Son
