Bad Blood versus reality: Part One
By Michael Moriarty
web posted September 14, 2020
The shockingly violent, Canadian Mafia series entitled Bad Blood?
The two SANE bosses of Montreal
The first conclusion one makes, or at least I came to…the stylishly impressive film series that dominated all tales about the Mafia, The Godfather stories by Francis Ford Coppola, had seemingly been replaced by the almost unsurpassably violent shocks within the Martin Scorcese/Robert De Niro films.
I say “almost unsurpassable violence” because the Bad Blood, two season series has set a newer and, yes, higher level of guts and gore.
It is certainly a surprise, coming, as it does, from the nation renowned for being “kind and gentle”. Half of my own, dual nationality is now Canadian.
I’m only into the throwing of a severed head level at a biker gang by the seemingly main character of the Bad Blood episodes: Declan Gardiner, performed excellently by Kim Coates.
And I am merely at episode two of the first series!
Canada’s challenge to America’s Coppola and Scorcese?!
On the violence level? Unmistakably and undeniably a bold challenge to all Mafia films.
Shameless actually.
Why shameless?
The creators will obviously use any level of violence to, yes, literally OWN what I call the Mafia Film Market.
The storyline?! It certainly has me mesmerized! Albeit in small doses.
The central theme? An Italian Mafia family in Montreal, Quebec; and its broken pecking order.
Once the indisputable godfather of the family is imprisoned?! Who will run the business? The godfather’s second in command: Declan Gardiner? Or the actual son of the godfather?
Given the obvious concession by the filmmakers, that there will always be gangs?! Always be Mafias of some sort, regardless of racial divisions or because of them?! Whichever “godfather” keeps the most peace amidst all of the criminal acts would be the greatest leader. That, of course, in these circumstances would not only have been the godfather in prison but also his second-in-command.
The godfather’s son?!
He’s indisputably villainous!
Why?!
He’s too stupid to run a coffee shop, let alone a Montreal mob empire.
As of the scene I am watching now? Basically: “Whenever the cat’s away or the gang leader is in prison, the wife will threaten the mistress with death if the mistress doesn’t disappear out of the godfather’s life.”
Don’t remember much of that homicidal sexual politics in either the work of Coppola or Scorcese.
They, however delivered their entertainment in separate, feature films.
A television Mafia series needs a firmer kind of glue to keep the audience forever coming back to the weekly showings.
Back! On edge! And kept in expectation during every corner of the coming drama!
They certainly have that working well so far!
The major money-maker in this world of Montreal’s major gangs?
Real estate.
The imprisoned godfather wants every corner of his enterprise to become “legit”. With ultimately no obvious, criminal connections.
The godfather was doing his best to achieve that until he was arrested and deported to the United States for crimes he’d committed in America many years before.
The series claims to be based on historic facts.
Its success the first year obviously obliged the screenwriters to, as might be said, artfully create a credible fiction in the second year.
As I am only in the second episode of the first year, I hope the second year’s make-believe shall maintain the dramatic solidity of the first year’s realities.
The son’s greed and stupidity, revealed so boldly in the first two episodes of the first year, on the other hand, makes the supposed realities of Bad Blood an increasing melodrama.
As a devoted student and admirer of Shakespeare, a master of both drama and melodrama, I certainly don’t mind melodrama. Nothing is more melodramatic than the Bard’s Richard III!
Richard III of England was, however, far from stupid in any way.
More obviously, too smart for his own good.
The villainous son of Bad Blood?
Shakespeare would never have made him quite that ignorant and out-of-touch.
But, then again, who has ever challenged William Shakespeare for ownership of the English-speaking theatre?!
Let alone his indisputable ownership of the English-speaking language! 
Michael Moriarty is a Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning actor who starred in the landmark television series Law and Order from 1990 to 1994. His recent film and TV credits include The Yellow Wallpaper, 12 Hours to Live, Santa Baby and Deadly Skies. Contact Michael at rainbowfamily2008@shaw.ca. He can be found on Twitter at https://twitter.com/@MGMoriarty