Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Legitimate Businessmens Social Club TRS cleanup (clearing ZCE)
Deleted line(s) 69 (click to see context) :
* [[LegitimateBusinessmensSocialClub Legitimate Businessmen's Social Club]]: Jimmy has a strip club called the Chick-A-Dee, while the Disciples work out of a poolhall.
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Dewicked trope
Deleted line(s) 32 (click to see context) :
* BareYourMidriff: Francine, ''all the time''. Her classic outfit is in the page picture above.
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Heel Face Mole is no longer a trope
Deleted line(s) 60 (click to see context) :
* HeelFaceMole: Randy Bingham, one of Mary's moles, tries to pull this off, stringing her along and collecting a paycheck while keeping her in the dark about his latest weapons deal. Unfortunately for him, one of the other people she's spying on is his customer.
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Dewicked trope
Changed line(s) 72,73 (click to see context) from:
* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: You may need a scorecard to keep track of them all.
* ManipulativeBastard: Again, Mary.
* ManipulativeBastard: Again, Mary.
to:
*
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Changed line(s) 7,12 (click to see context) from:
Set in UsefulNotes/{{Vancouver}}, the show follows the escapades of Jimmy Reardon (Creator/IanTracey), a third-generation crime lord who specializes in smuggling and distributing marijuana throughout Canada and the Northwestern United States, and Mary Spalding (Klea Scott), the ambitious head of the Vancouver Police Department's Organized Crime Unit (OCU), who is eyeing a promotion to director of Asia-Pacific affairs for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), Canada's answer to the CIA. Seeing an opportunity to advance each other's interests, the two form an uneasy truce, with Jimmy serving as Mary's most important new source of gangland intelligence in exchange for protection from criminal prosecution.
But all is not well in Vancouver. Mary's Machiavellian deputy, Ted Altman (Creator/MattFrewer), looking to advance his own standing, conspires against her with CSIS director Roger Deakins (Tom [=McBeath=]), the man she is aiming to replace, and eventually decides that the easiest way to undermine her will be to have Jimmy busted by his contacts in the American Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Jimmy, meanwhile, seems pulled inexorably into open warfare with Dante Ribiso (Fulvio Cecere), the rapacious leader of a local biker gang, just as he has made a risky and expensive investment in a series of [=ATMs=] for a money laundering scheme.
Other subplots involve the discovery that a Chinese Triad has planted a mole (Rick Tae) in the OCU and the possibility that the CIA has planted another in CSIS, Jimmy's often futile efforts to deal with his vindictive ex-wife Francine (Camille Sullivan) and well-meaning but incompetent brother Michael (Bernie Coulson), a plot by an American agribusiness to steal Canadian trade secrets, and an arms deal between a fugitive cocaine smuggler (Hugo Ateo), a crooked stockbroker (Bill Mondy) looking to diversify, and a DEA agent (Aaron Pearl) who may or may not have gone rogue.
But all is not well in Vancouver. Mary's Machiavellian deputy, Ted Altman (Creator/MattFrewer), looking to advance his own standing, conspires against her with CSIS director Roger Deakins (Tom [=McBeath=]), the man she is aiming to replace, and eventually decides that the easiest way to undermine her will be to have Jimmy busted by his contacts in the American Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Jimmy, meanwhile, seems pulled inexorably into open warfare with Dante Ribiso (Fulvio Cecere), the rapacious leader of a local biker gang, just as he has made a risky and expensive investment in a series of [=ATMs=] for a money laundering scheme.
Other subplots involve the discovery that a Chinese Triad has planted a mole (Rick Tae) in the OCU and the possibility that the CIA has planted another in CSIS, Jimmy's often futile efforts to deal with his vindictive ex-wife Francine (Camille Sullivan) and well-meaning but incompetent brother Michael (Bernie Coulson), a plot by an American agribusiness to steal Canadian trade secrets, and an arms deal between a fugitive cocaine smuggler (Hugo Ateo), a crooked stockbroker (Bill Mondy) looking to diversify, and a DEA agent (Aaron Pearl) who may or may not have gone rogue.
to:
Set in UsefulNotes/{{Vancouver}}, the show follows the escapades of Jimmy Reardon (Creator/IanTracey), a third-generation crime lord who specializes in smuggling and distributing marijuana throughout Canada and the Northwestern United States, and Mary Spalding (Klea Scott), (Creator/KleaScott), the ambitious head of the Vancouver Police Department's Organized Crime Unit (OCU), who is eyeing a promotion to director of Asia-Pacific affairs for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), Canada's answer to the CIA. Seeing an opportunity to advance each other's interests, the two form an uneasy truce, with Jimmy serving as Mary's most important new source of gangland intelligence in exchange for protection from criminal prosecution.
But all is not well in Vancouver. Mary's Machiavellian deputy, Ted Altman (Creator/MattFrewer), looking to advance his own standing, conspires against her with CSIS director Roger Deakins(Tom [=McBeath=]), (Creator/TomMcBeath), the man she is aiming to replace, and eventually decides that the easiest way to undermine her will be to have Jimmy busted by his contacts in the American Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Jimmy, meanwhile, seems pulled inexorably into open warfare with Dante Ribiso (Fulvio Cecere), (Creator/FulvioCecere), the rapacious leader of a local biker gang, just as he has made a risky and expensive investment in a series of [=ATMs=] for a money laundering scheme.
Other subplots involve the discovery that a Chinese Triad has planted a mole(Rick Tae) (Creator/RickTae) in the OCU and the possibility that the CIA has planted another in CSIS, Jimmy's often futile efforts to deal with his vindictive ex-wife Francine (Camille Sullivan) and well-meaning but incompetent brother Michael (Bernie Coulson), (Creator/BernieCoulson), a plot by an American agribusiness to steal Canadian trade secrets, and an arms deal between a fugitive cocaine smuggler (Hugo Ateo), (Creator/HugoAteo), a crooked stockbroker (Bill Mondy) (Creator/BillMondy) looking to diversify, and a DEA agent (Aaron Pearl) (Creator/AaronPearl) who may or may not have gone rogue.
But all is not well in Vancouver. Mary's Machiavellian deputy, Ted Altman (Creator/MattFrewer), looking to advance his own standing, conspires against her with CSIS director Roger Deakins
Other subplots involve the discovery that a Chinese Triad has planted a mole
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 7,8 (click to see context) from:
Set in UsefulNotes/{{Vancouver}}, the show follows the escapades of Jimmy Reardon (Ian Tracey), a third-generation crime lord who specializes in smuggling and distributing marijuana throughout Canada and the Northwestern United States, and Mary Spalding (Klea Scott), the ambitious head of the Vancouver Police Department's Organized Crime Unit (OCU), who is eyeing a promotion to director of Asia-Pacific affairs for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), Canada's answer to the CIA. Seeing an opportunity to advance each other's interests, the two form an uneasy truce, with Jimmy serving as Mary's most important new source of gangland intelligence in exchange for protection from criminal prosecution.
to:
Set in UsefulNotes/{{Vancouver}}, the show follows the escapades of Jimmy Reardon (Ian Tracey), (Creator/IanTracey), a third-generation crime lord who specializes in smuggling and distributing marijuana throughout Canada and the Northwestern United States, and Mary Spalding (Klea Scott), the ambitious head of the Vancouver Police Department's Organized Crime Unit (OCU), who is eyeing a promotion to director of Asia-Pacific affairs for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), Canada's answer to the CIA. Seeing an opportunity to advance each other's interests, the two form an uneasy truce, with Jimmy serving as Mary's most important new source of gangland intelligence in exchange for protection from criminal prosecution.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 9,10 (click to see context) from:
But all is not well in Vancouver. Mary's Machiavellian deputy, Ted Altman (Matt Frewer), looking to advance his own standing, conspires against her with CSIS director Roger Deakins (Tom [=McBeath=]), the man she is aiming to replace, and eventually decides that the easiest way to undermine her will be to have Jimmy busted by his contacts in the American Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Jimmy, meanwhile, seems pulled inexorably into open warfare with Dante Ribiso (Fulvio Cecere), the rapacious leader of a local biker gang, just as he has made a risky and expensive investment in a series of [=ATMs=] for a money laundering scheme.
to:
But all is not well in Vancouver. Mary's Machiavellian deputy, Ted Altman (Matt Frewer), (Creator/MattFrewer), looking to advance his own standing, conspires against her with CSIS director Roger Deakins (Tom [=McBeath=]), the man she is aiming to replace, and eventually decides that the easiest way to undermine her will be to have Jimmy busted by his contacts in the American Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Jimmy, meanwhile, seems pulled inexorably into open warfare with Dante Ribiso (Fulvio Cecere), the rapacious leader of a local biker gang, just as he has made a risky and expensive investment in a series of [=ATMs=] for a money laundering scheme.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Deleted line(s) 1,2 (click to see context) :
'''Not to be confused with ''Series/{{Intelligence 2014}}''.'''
Added DiffLines:
Added DiffLines:
Not to be confused with the sci-fi drama Series/{{Intelligence 2014}}.
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None
Added DiffLines:
* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: Jimmy and Michael used to have a sister. She appeared in two episodes, introduced a plot about retrieving old whisky from the bottom of the harbor, and neither her nor the whisky ever appeared again.
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None
Changed line(s) 44 (click to see context) from:
* [[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass]]: When Jimmy is [[spoiler:forced to go on the run]] in the Season 2 premiere, Michael takes point.
to:
* [[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass]]: CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: When Jimmy is [[spoiler:forced to go on the run]] in the Season 2 premiere, Michael takes point.
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Deleted line(s) 33 (click to see context) :
* BlondGuysAreEvil: Agent Williams.
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None
Added DiffLines:
* BareYourMidriff: Francine, ''all the time''. Her classic outfit is in the page picture above.
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None
Changed line(s) 1,2 (click to see context) from:
'''Not to be confused with Intelligence, a [[Series/{{Intelligence 2014}} new CBS show]] airing as of January 2014.'''
to:
'''Not to be confused with Intelligence, a [[Series/{{Intelligence 2014}} new CBS show]] airing as of January 2014.''Series/{{Intelligence 2014}}''.'''
Changed line(s) 8,9 (click to see context) from:
Set in Vancouver, the show follows the escapades of Jimmy Reardon (Ian Tracey), a third-generation crime lord who specializes in smuggling and distributing marijuana throughout Canada and the Northwestern United States, and Mary Spalding (Klea Scott), the ambitious head of the Vancouver Police Department's Organized Crime Unit (OCU), who is eyeing a promotion to director of Asia-Pacific affairs for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), Canada's answer to the CIA. Seeing an opportunity to advance each other's interests, the two form an uneasy truce, with Jimmy serving as Mary's most important new source of gangland intelligence in exchange for protection from criminal prosecution.
to:
Set in Vancouver, UsefulNotes/{{Vancouver}}, the show follows the escapades of Jimmy Reardon (Ian Tracey), a third-generation crime lord who specializes in smuggling and distributing marijuana throughout Canada and the Northwestern United States, and Mary Spalding (Klea Scott), the ambitious head of the Vancouver Police Department's Organized Crime Unit (OCU), who is eyeing a promotion to director of Asia-Pacific affairs for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), Canada's answer to the CIA. Seeing an opportunity to advance each other's interests, the two form an uneasy truce, with Jimmy serving as Mary's most important new source of gangland intelligence in exchange for protection from criminal prosecution.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 1,2 (click to see context) from:
'''Not to be confused with Intelligence, a [[{{Intelligence2014}} new CBS show]] airing as of January 2014.'''
to:
'''Not to be confused with Intelligence, a [[{{Intelligence2014}} [[Series/{{Intelligence 2014}} new CBS show]] airing as of January 2014.'''
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None
Added DiffLines:
'''Not to be confused with Intelligence, a [[{{Intelligence2014}} new CBS show]] airing as of January 2014.'''
[[quoteright:325:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Intelligence_5348.jpg]]
->''"It's a complicated world now, eh, Jimmy? People changing sides all the time. You almost need a scorecard to figure who's f--in' who."''
A Canadian crime drama, running from 2006 to 2007, which blended elements of PoliceProcedural, CriminalProcedural, and SpyFiction. Written and produced by Chris Haddock, the creator of the acclaimed ''Series/DaVincisInquest'', it might best be described as ''Xanatos: The Series''.
Set in Vancouver, the show follows the escapades of Jimmy Reardon (Ian Tracey), a third-generation crime lord who specializes in smuggling and distributing marijuana throughout Canada and the Northwestern United States, and Mary Spalding (Klea Scott), the ambitious head of the Vancouver Police Department's Organized Crime Unit (OCU), who is eyeing a promotion to director of Asia-Pacific affairs for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), Canada's answer to the CIA. Seeing an opportunity to advance each other's interests, the two form an uneasy truce, with Jimmy serving as Mary's most important new source of gangland intelligence in exchange for protection from criminal prosecution.
But all is not well in Vancouver. Mary's Machiavellian deputy, Ted Altman (Matt Frewer), looking to advance his own standing, conspires against her with CSIS director Roger Deakins (Tom [=McBeath=]), the man she is aiming to replace, and eventually decides that the easiest way to undermine her will be to have Jimmy busted by his contacts in the American Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Jimmy, meanwhile, seems pulled inexorably into open warfare with Dante Ribiso (Fulvio Cecere), the rapacious leader of a local biker gang, just as he has made a risky and expensive investment in a series of [=ATMs=] for a money laundering scheme.
Other subplots involve the discovery that a Chinese Triad has planted a mole (Rick Tae) in the OCU and the possibility that the CIA has planted another in CSIS, Jimmy's often futile efforts to deal with his vindictive ex-wife Francine (Camille Sullivan) and well-meaning but incompetent brother Michael (Bernie Coulson), a plot by an American agribusiness to steal Canadian trade secrets, and an arms deal between a fugitive cocaine smuggler (Hugo Ateo), a crooked stockbroker (Bill Mondy) looking to diversify, and a DEA agent (Aaron Pearl) who may or may not have gone rogue.
And that's just the first season.
Despite widespread critical acclaim, culminating in a Gemini Award for Best Dramatic Series in 2007, the series was abruptly cancelled after two seasons, amid rumors that it was killed for political reasons over its negative portrayal of American intelligence agencies, law enforcement, and big business.
----
!!This show provides examples of:
* AbortedArc: The storyline involving [[spoiler:the DEA's arms deal with the Guatemalans]] goes down the memory hole after the end of Season 1.
* TheAlcoholic: Ted.
* AllBikersAreHellsAngels: A biker gang called the Disciples is a major antagonist. In a bit of a subversion, however, Dante, their leader, looks nothing like a stereotypical biker.
* AmericaSavesTheDay: Subverted about as hard as possible.
* AmoralAttorney: Jimmy's lawyer actively conspires in both his client's money laundering operations and his [[spoiler:flight from justice]].
* ArmouredClosetGay: Ted is all but stated to be one.
* AteHisGun: [[spoiler:Agent Williams]].
* BadGuysPlayPool: Dante owns and operates a poolhall.
* [[BadCopIncompetentCop Bad Cop, Incompetent Cop]]: Corruption and incompetence are systemic in every single law enforcement agency portrayed, much to Mary's chagrin. The Vancouver Police are riddled with {{Dirty Cop}}s on the take, CSIS leaks like a sieve, and the DEA are a bunch of criminals with badges.
* BaldOfEvil: Ted and Dante.
* BecomingTheMask: Martin is originally only working for Mary because she dangles a promotion in front of his nose. By Season 2, he has come to respect her so much that he offers to put his career on the line to protect her.
* BlackAndGrayMorality: When the most sympathetic, least ruthless character in the whole show is a gangster who smuggles and distributes drugs, you might say so.
* BlondGuysAreEvil: Agent Williams.
* BountyHunter: A former CIA agent brought in by Mary to consult for her turns out to be one, and is quite miffed when she refuses to let him collect on a particular bounty until she can identify all of the people the target is dealing with.
* ButtMonkey: Michael.
* CampingACrapper: The eventual fate of one of the small-time crooks who mugs Michael for the money he is couriering for Jimmy.
* TheChessmaster: Several, most especially Mary.
* ChessmasterSidekick: Agent Williams, who orchestrates a massive sting operation against Jimmy just for Ted's benefit.
* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: Ted is clearly a long-term sufferer.
* [[CIAEvilFBIGood CIA Evil, FBI Good]]: The CIA does come off pretty badly. On the other hand, the kneejerk belief that the CIA is evil causes Mary to miss the otherwise obvious conclusion that [[spoiler:Jimmy's people killed Richard Royden to protect him from exposure]].
* CityOfSpies: Who knew Vancouver was such a wretched hive of spies and international criminals?
* CleanupCrew: The Triads send one in after killing [[spoiler:Detective Lee]].
* {{Cliffhanger}}: Each season ends on one. Season 1's was resolved. Season 2...not so much.
* ClingyJealousGirl: Francine, when she's with Jimmy.
* [[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass]]: When Jimmy is [[spoiler:forced to go on the run]] in the Season 2 premiere, Michael takes point.
* CutShort: Damn you, CBC!
* DetectiveMole: Detective Lee.
* TheDon: Jimmy.
* TheDragon: Bob, Jimmy's top enforcer, who is ex-Special Forces.
* EnemyMine: When American drug dealers start making incursions into Vancouver, Jimmy and the Vietnamese team up with the Disciples, with whom they were on the brink of war a season earlier.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: Jimmy has a fairly strict code of conduct he expects his people to live by, while Ted finally draws the line at [[spoiler:arranging for Jimmy to be gunned down in cold blood]].
* FeedTheMole: A favorite OCU tactic.
* FrontOrganisation: [[spoiler:The Blackmire Group]].
* GambitPileup: There are gambits within gambits, connected to other gambits, with tenuous links to still more gambits.
* GenericEthnicCrimeGang: One of Jimmy's biggest customers is the head of a gang of Vietnamese emigres.
* GetOutOfJailFreeCard: Jimmy's reason for cooperating with Mary (in addition to occasionally extracting small crumbs of information out of her).
* TheHandler: Martin handles most of Mary's moles, although she runs a few herself.
* HeelFaceMole: Randy Bingham, one of Mary's moles, tries to pull this off, stringing her along and collecting a paycheck while keeping her in the dark about his latest weapons deal. Unfortunately for him, one of the other people she's spying on is his customer.
* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler:Roger Deakins]], for a given value of "face."
* HoneyTrap: One of Mary's most useful operatives is an escort service madam who helps her run a lot of these.
* IHaveYourWife: In the pilot, someone tries this on Jimmy using his daughter. Except they grab the wrong girl.
* IncrediblyObviousTail: Quite a few of the tails used, a rare lapse in realism for the show.
* TheIrishMob: Jimmy and his brother are Irish, although his two top associates have Italian and French surnames. Dylan of season 2 may be a more straight example.
* JackBauerInterrogationTechnique: Ted uses it on a gunrunner to learn who his most recent customer was in the series finale.
* JurisdictionFriction: An international flavor. One of the series' overarching themes is the proprietary view American agencies like the CIA and DEA take of Canada, treating it as though it were simply the 51st state. Naturally, their Canadian counterparts are displeased by this.
* KarmaHoudini: A wide variety of characters (it's that sort of show), but special mention has to go to Ted.
* KavorkaMan: Martin, Mary's right-hand man, seems to be very smooth with the ladies, despite being a plain-featured, middle-aged, middle-class, bald, and somewhat portly civil servant.
* KillerCop: The DEA agents are mostly portrayed this way.
* [[LegitimateBusinessmensSocialClub Legitimate Businessmen's Social Club]]: Jimmy has a strip club called the Chick-A-Dee, while the Disciples work out of a poolhall.
* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: You may need a scorecard to keep track of them all.
* ManipulativeBastard: Again, Mary.
* MightAsWellNotBeInPrisonAtAll: In the first episode, Michael is in jail after a drug deal he set up without Jimmy's knowledge goes sour. In typical Michael fashion, this doesn't stop him from setting up another one before he's even gotten out.
* MobWar: Each season has a major story arc involving Jimmy's attempt to prevent one. In Season 1, the troublemakers are the Disciples. In Season 2, it's a group of American dealers trying to take over.
* TheMole: Half the cast is a mole for somebody. Some are double- or even triple-agents.
* MoleInCharge: [[spoiler:Richard Royden]].
* NeighbourhoodFriendlyGangsters: The Reardons.
* OnlyInItForTheMoney: Mary's ex-CIA consultant.
* [[ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything]]: The Disciples are repeatedly described as "bikers," but are never actually shown riding motorcycles.
* PlayingBothSides: The basic premise of the series.
* PoliceBrutality: In the Season 2 premiere, the DEA [[spoiler:accidentally shoots their informant, an innocent bystander, and one of their own agents while attempting to kill an unarmed Jimmy]]. Later, Michael is brutally beaten by the RCMP.
* PrivateDetective: Mary hires one to spy on her husband when she suspects he's been cheating on her.
* ProperlyParanoid: Jimmy, full stop.
* [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections Screw The Rules, I Have Connections!]]: Mary is able to thumb her nose at her superiors with surprising frequency, because it turns out she has a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee in her corner. [[spoiler:Until she doesn't anymore. Oops.]]
* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism: One of the most cynical you will ever see.
* SpySpeak: Whenever Jimmy and his people do business over the phone, they always speak as though they were making deals for lumber or boats.
* TheSpymaster: Mary.
* StalkerWithACrush: Francine, when she's ''not'' with Jimmy.
* TheStarscream: Might as well be renamed "The Ted Altman."
* SuspiciouslyIdleOfficers: Ted seems to have nothing on his plate except plotting Mary's downfall, even though he's the OCU's second-in-command.
* TheSyndicate: In Season 2, Jimmy tries to form one to control all of the marijuana trade in Vancouver, in order to freeze out the American dealers.
* TheTriadsAndTheTongs: A major subplot of Season 1 involves Mary's discovery that a Triad has planted at least one mole in her unit.
* VerbalTic: Spalding's habit of ending orders or requests with "yeah?"
* VillainWithGoodPublicity: [[spoiler:Richard Royden]], big time.
* WhiteCollarCrime: In Season 1, a group of American businessmen are conspiring with Chinese diplomats to steal seed patents from a Canadian biotech company. In Season 2, an American conglomerate called the Blackmire Group conspires to illegally rig Canadian parliamentary elections and take over the Canadian water supply (it's kept a little vague).
* WhoWatchesTheWatchmen: As it turns out, no one.
* XanatosSpeedChess: Mary's chief job skill.
----
[[quoteright:325:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Intelligence_5348.jpg]]
->''"It's a complicated world now, eh, Jimmy? People changing sides all the time. You almost need a scorecard to figure who's f--in' who."''
A Canadian crime drama, running from 2006 to 2007, which blended elements of PoliceProcedural, CriminalProcedural, and SpyFiction. Written and produced by Chris Haddock, the creator of the acclaimed ''Series/DaVincisInquest'', it might best be described as ''Xanatos: The Series''.
Set in Vancouver, the show follows the escapades of Jimmy Reardon (Ian Tracey), a third-generation crime lord who specializes in smuggling and distributing marijuana throughout Canada and the Northwestern United States, and Mary Spalding (Klea Scott), the ambitious head of the Vancouver Police Department's Organized Crime Unit (OCU), who is eyeing a promotion to director of Asia-Pacific affairs for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), Canada's answer to the CIA. Seeing an opportunity to advance each other's interests, the two form an uneasy truce, with Jimmy serving as Mary's most important new source of gangland intelligence in exchange for protection from criminal prosecution.
But all is not well in Vancouver. Mary's Machiavellian deputy, Ted Altman (Matt Frewer), looking to advance his own standing, conspires against her with CSIS director Roger Deakins (Tom [=McBeath=]), the man she is aiming to replace, and eventually decides that the easiest way to undermine her will be to have Jimmy busted by his contacts in the American Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Jimmy, meanwhile, seems pulled inexorably into open warfare with Dante Ribiso (Fulvio Cecere), the rapacious leader of a local biker gang, just as he has made a risky and expensive investment in a series of [=ATMs=] for a money laundering scheme.
Other subplots involve the discovery that a Chinese Triad has planted a mole (Rick Tae) in the OCU and the possibility that the CIA has planted another in CSIS, Jimmy's often futile efforts to deal with his vindictive ex-wife Francine (Camille Sullivan) and well-meaning but incompetent brother Michael (Bernie Coulson), a plot by an American agribusiness to steal Canadian trade secrets, and an arms deal between a fugitive cocaine smuggler (Hugo Ateo), a crooked stockbroker (Bill Mondy) looking to diversify, and a DEA agent (Aaron Pearl) who may or may not have gone rogue.
And that's just the first season.
Despite widespread critical acclaim, culminating in a Gemini Award for Best Dramatic Series in 2007, the series was abruptly cancelled after two seasons, amid rumors that it was killed for political reasons over its negative portrayal of American intelligence agencies, law enforcement, and big business.
----
!!This show provides examples of:
* AbortedArc: The storyline involving [[spoiler:the DEA's arms deal with the Guatemalans]] goes down the memory hole after the end of Season 1.
* TheAlcoholic: Ted.
* AllBikersAreHellsAngels: A biker gang called the Disciples is a major antagonist. In a bit of a subversion, however, Dante, their leader, looks nothing like a stereotypical biker.
* AmericaSavesTheDay: Subverted about as hard as possible.
* AmoralAttorney: Jimmy's lawyer actively conspires in both his client's money laundering operations and his [[spoiler:flight from justice]].
* ArmouredClosetGay: Ted is all but stated to be one.
* AteHisGun: [[spoiler:Agent Williams]].
* BadGuysPlayPool: Dante owns and operates a poolhall.
* [[BadCopIncompetentCop Bad Cop, Incompetent Cop]]: Corruption and incompetence are systemic in every single law enforcement agency portrayed, much to Mary's chagrin. The Vancouver Police are riddled with {{Dirty Cop}}s on the take, CSIS leaks like a sieve, and the DEA are a bunch of criminals with badges.
* BaldOfEvil: Ted and Dante.
* BecomingTheMask: Martin is originally only working for Mary because she dangles a promotion in front of his nose. By Season 2, he has come to respect her so much that he offers to put his career on the line to protect her.
* BlackAndGrayMorality: When the most sympathetic, least ruthless character in the whole show is a gangster who smuggles and distributes drugs, you might say so.
* BlondGuysAreEvil: Agent Williams.
* BountyHunter: A former CIA agent brought in by Mary to consult for her turns out to be one, and is quite miffed when she refuses to let him collect on a particular bounty until she can identify all of the people the target is dealing with.
* ButtMonkey: Michael.
* CampingACrapper: The eventual fate of one of the small-time crooks who mugs Michael for the money he is couriering for Jimmy.
* TheChessmaster: Several, most especially Mary.
* ChessmasterSidekick: Agent Williams, who orchestrates a massive sting operation against Jimmy just for Ted's benefit.
* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: Ted is clearly a long-term sufferer.
* [[CIAEvilFBIGood CIA Evil, FBI Good]]: The CIA does come off pretty badly. On the other hand, the kneejerk belief that the CIA is evil causes Mary to miss the otherwise obvious conclusion that [[spoiler:Jimmy's people killed Richard Royden to protect him from exposure]].
* CityOfSpies: Who knew Vancouver was such a wretched hive of spies and international criminals?
* CleanupCrew: The Triads send one in after killing [[spoiler:Detective Lee]].
* {{Cliffhanger}}: Each season ends on one. Season 1's was resolved. Season 2...not so much.
* ClingyJealousGirl: Francine, when she's with Jimmy.
* [[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass]]: When Jimmy is [[spoiler:forced to go on the run]] in the Season 2 premiere, Michael takes point.
* CutShort: Damn you, CBC!
* DetectiveMole: Detective Lee.
* TheDon: Jimmy.
* TheDragon: Bob, Jimmy's top enforcer, who is ex-Special Forces.
* EnemyMine: When American drug dealers start making incursions into Vancouver, Jimmy and the Vietnamese team up with the Disciples, with whom they were on the brink of war a season earlier.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: Jimmy has a fairly strict code of conduct he expects his people to live by, while Ted finally draws the line at [[spoiler:arranging for Jimmy to be gunned down in cold blood]].
* FeedTheMole: A favorite OCU tactic.
* FrontOrganisation: [[spoiler:The Blackmire Group]].
* GambitPileup: There are gambits within gambits, connected to other gambits, with tenuous links to still more gambits.
* GenericEthnicCrimeGang: One of Jimmy's biggest customers is the head of a gang of Vietnamese emigres.
* GetOutOfJailFreeCard: Jimmy's reason for cooperating with Mary (in addition to occasionally extracting small crumbs of information out of her).
* TheHandler: Martin handles most of Mary's moles, although she runs a few herself.
* HeelFaceMole: Randy Bingham, one of Mary's moles, tries to pull this off, stringing her along and collecting a paycheck while keeping her in the dark about his latest weapons deal. Unfortunately for him, one of the other people she's spying on is his customer.
* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler:Roger Deakins]], for a given value of "face."
* HoneyTrap: One of Mary's most useful operatives is an escort service madam who helps her run a lot of these.
* IHaveYourWife: In the pilot, someone tries this on Jimmy using his daughter. Except they grab the wrong girl.
* IncrediblyObviousTail: Quite a few of the tails used, a rare lapse in realism for the show.
* TheIrishMob: Jimmy and his brother are Irish, although his two top associates have Italian and French surnames. Dylan of season 2 may be a more straight example.
* JackBauerInterrogationTechnique: Ted uses it on a gunrunner to learn who his most recent customer was in the series finale.
* JurisdictionFriction: An international flavor. One of the series' overarching themes is the proprietary view American agencies like the CIA and DEA take of Canada, treating it as though it were simply the 51st state. Naturally, their Canadian counterparts are displeased by this.
* KarmaHoudini: A wide variety of characters (it's that sort of show), but special mention has to go to Ted.
* KavorkaMan: Martin, Mary's right-hand man, seems to be very smooth with the ladies, despite being a plain-featured, middle-aged, middle-class, bald, and somewhat portly civil servant.
* KillerCop: The DEA agents are mostly portrayed this way.
* [[LegitimateBusinessmensSocialClub Legitimate Businessmen's Social Club]]: Jimmy has a strip club called the Chick-A-Dee, while the Disciples work out of a poolhall.
* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: You may need a scorecard to keep track of them all.
* ManipulativeBastard: Again, Mary.
* MightAsWellNotBeInPrisonAtAll: In the first episode, Michael is in jail after a drug deal he set up without Jimmy's knowledge goes sour. In typical Michael fashion, this doesn't stop him from setting up another one before he's even gotten out.
* MobWar: Each season has a major story arc involving Jimmy's attempt to prevent one. In Season 1, the troublemakers are the Disciples. In Season 2, it's a group of American dealers trying to take over.
* TheMole: Half the cast is a mole for somebody. Some are double- or even triple-agents.
* MoleInCharge: [[spoiler:Richard Royden]].
* NeighbourhoodFriendlyGangsters: The Reardons.
* OnlyInItForTheMoney: Mary's ex-CIA consultant.
* [[ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything]]: The Disciples are repeatedly described as "bikers," but are never actually shown riding motorcycles.
* PlayingBothSides: The basic premise of the series.
* PoliceBrutality: In the Season 2 premiere, the DEA [[spoiler:accidentally shoots their informant, an innocent bystander, and one of their own agents while attempting to kill an unarmed Jimmy]]. Later, Michael is brutally beaten by the RCMP.
* PrivateDetective: Mary hires one to spy on her husband when she suspects he's been cheating on her.
* ProperlyParanoid: Jimmy, full stop.
* [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections Screw The Rules, I Have Connections!]]: Mary is able to thumb her nose at her superiors with surprising frequency, because it turns out she has a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee in her corner. [[spoiler:Until she doesn't anymore. Oops.]]
* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism: One of the most cynical you will ever see.
* SpySpeak: Whenever Jimmy and his people do business over the phone, they always speak as though they were making deals for lumber or boats.
* TheSpymaster: Mary.
* StalkerWithACrush: Francine, when she's ''not'' with Jimmy.
* TheStarscream: Might as well be renamed "The Ted Altman."
* SuspiciouslyIdleOfficers: Ted seems to have nothing on his plate except plotting Mary's downfall, even though he's the OCU's second-in-command.
* TheSyndicate: In Season 2, Jimmy tries to form one to control all of the marijuana trade in Vancouver, in order to freeze out the American dealers.
* TheTriadsAndTheTongs: A major subplot of Season 1 involves Mary's discovery that a Triad has planted at least one mole in her unit.
* VerbalTic: Spalding's habit of ending orders or requests with "yeah?"
* VillainWithGoodPublicity: [[spoiler:Richard Royden]], big time.
* WhiteCollarCrime: In Season 1, a group of American businessmen are conspiring with Chinese diplomats to steal seed patents from a Canadian biotech company. In Season 2, an American conglomerate called the Blackmire Group conspires to illegally rig Canadian parliamentary elections and take over the Canadian water supply (it's kept a little vague).
* WhoWatchesTheWatchmen: As it turns out, no one.
* XanatosSpeedChess: Mary's chief job skill.
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