SummaryThe Canadian mystery series lets the viewers see the killers and victims as Detective Angie Flynn (Kristin Lehman) and her partner Detective Oscar Vega (Louis Ferreira) try to discover who and why the killers did it.
Created By:Daniel Cerone, James Thorpe
Motive
Season 1 Premiere:
Feb 3, 2013
Metascore
Mixed or Average
53
User score
Generally Favorable
6.9
My Score
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All Seasons
Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
53
27% Positive
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
60% Mixed
9 Reviews
9 Reviews
13% Negative
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
May 21, 2014
75
If you’re a genre fan, Motive is a satisfyingly different way to get your murder-mystery fix.
May 20, 2013
70
Its nonlinear, whydunit approach makes the show stand out. The fractured loop-de-loop narrative creates not just surprise but suspense.
May 20, 2013
50
It’s reasonably smart, reasonably interesting and reasonably well acted without being particularly good.
May 20, 2013
50
The characters don't feel any richer here than they do on CBS' various cop shows, and the series doesn't even commit to how much it wants to keep you guessing about why the crime occurred.
May 15, 2013
50
Instead of being a whodunit, Motive is a "whydunit," which, except for the appeal of the show's star, amounts to a "whocares."
May 16, 2013
40
Lehman’s character is allowed to exhibit a bit of a personal life, but for the most part the series doesn’t stray far from its criminal motif. Nor do other members of the squad have enough material to register beyond a blip.
May 20, 2013
30
You've heard of open-and-shut cases. Motive is more like open and yawn.
User score
Generally Favorable
6.9
68% Positive
19 Ratings
19 Ratings
14% Mixed
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
18% Negative
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
Jun 14, 2019
8
I think this series is underrated. When I first started watching, I thought I'd get tired of the show's structure, wherein we learn at the beginning who the murderer is but only discover the reasons for the murder as the detectives solve the case. But the premise stays surprisingly fresh throughout the four seasons, and most of the cases are interesting. I appreciate the understated cast, as I'm tired of detective series in which detecting takes a back seat to the protagonists' mental health issues and mysteries devolve into outlandish espionage-adjacent plots. In short, MOTIVE is a series for grownups who enjoy puzzles, and it deserves a higher score than 53.
Production Company:
- Foundation Features
- Lark Productions
- NBC Universal Television Distribution
- Bell Media
- Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund
- Motive1 Productions
Initial Release Date:Feb 3, 2013
Number of seasons:4 Seasons
Rating:TV-14
Awards
Leo Awards
• 8 Wins & 52 Nominations
Canadian Screen Awards, CA
• 1 Win & 21 Nominations
UBCP/ACTRA Awards, Vancouver
• 2 Wins & 5 Nominations
