Year Released: 2019
Starring: Lucy Lawless, Ebony Vagulans, Bernard Curry
(Not Rated, Episodes approx. 43 min. each)
Genre: Mystery and Suspense, Comedy

“To the living we owe respect. To the dead, we owe the truth.” –Alexa Crowe

(See comments on season 2 and 3 at the end of this review.) Xena like you’ve never seen her. Lucy Lawless brings that same fearless warrior spirit to fighting crime in modern day Melbourne as she did in sword and sandals Greece. And she still kicks ass, but this time using her mental prowess and wily spirit.

In fact, there is quite a bit of the wily Ulysses in this New Zealand native, who can now let her Down Under dialect tickle our ears.

But it’s not just the accent; it’s the Ozzie spirit as well. As a lover of British mysteries, Different Drummer has recently tired of the unrelenting melancholy and grim film noir fare that the once great island now produces in excess. For every vibrant glimpse of Agatha Christie and Downton Abbey, we have a drab and grey depiction of a despondent empire certainly in decline. Not only are the criminals nihilists, but the crime fighters themselves seem as hopeless and resigned as well. Maybe it’s the lack of sunshine.

Which we have an abundance of in Alexa Crowe’s Melbourne, as well as a modern city that is quite chic and lovely. The skyline shimmers at night and gleams daily under a beautiful blue sky.

But it is Alexa’s brain, wit, and playful bluntness that really illuminate all. A retired cop – just vague references as to why she is retired at such a young age – Alex tries to fill her days making bread for fun and profit. But her old boss, D.I. Kieran Hussey (Bernard Curry) lures her into closing particularly troublesome cold cases. Their regular meetings are a cat and mouse game. At first Alexa demurs and then just at the right movement, Kieran baits the trap with a piece de resistance that Alexa cannot ignore.

They are challenges to her keen mind, such as the old dead body in a locked room, or a murdered man whose body is found in someone else’s grave. Other cases have her dealing with eccentrics like a clairvoyant who knows details about a murder never released to the public, or enrolling in culinary school with an instructor and fellow students filled with hate and armed with especially sharp knives, not to mention her close encounters with a male escort who may have pushed his last client off a balcony.

And of course, Alexa is under cover here, having to hone the skills that allow her to get close with the suspects who seem to have gotten away with murder. And she pushes things pretty far, especially with the escort who assumes she wants his usual services, or at least to share his view of the city from his balcony. We wonder how Alexa will worm her way out, but she is as clever as her suspects.

Lots of the fun comes from the tech savvy sidekick foisted upon her by D.I. Hussey, a chic and confident Madison Feliciano, whose fixation on vacuum cleaners and detailing cars rivals Alexa’s obsession with bread makers. Madison is young and adventuresome, her flamboyant flair for fashion as colorful as her personality. Alexa is brusque, but Madison is equally blunt, and she gives as good as she takes:

Madison: Where are we going exactly?
Alexa: You’ll see.
Madison: That means something bad is going to happen. I know you, Alexa.
Alexa: Get used to it.

And Madison takes the quick case turns from Alexa in her stride, becoming pretty good at impersonating a variety of eccentrics herself.

And as much as we love the manicured lawns, perfect gardens, and real estate of England, modern Melbourne is quite snazzy. The great openings give us a brief encounter with some part of the city and then cleverly affix the title, My Life is Murder, on part of it, such as a bus advertisement, a wooden wharf, or an outdoor marquee.

This series is as breezy as Death in Paradise, where stuffy old England is replaced with an exotic island where no one takes anything too seriously, and you can enjoy the soft breeze and lapping waves in the comfort of your own living room.

Or as delightful as Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, with its jazzy opening sequence insisting you get up and dance, and a female lead who is a titled heiress, gorgeous fashion plate, fearless detective, and liberated woman extraordinaire.

Not to miss, mates.

Savvy Different Drummer readers have already added Acorn’s 10 episodes of My Life Is Murder to their streaming library. Now 3 seasons are available on Netflix, but after the move to Aukland, New Zealand, the series has lost some of its initial sparkle.

*The new 2021 season, however, is a bit of a disappointment. Different Drummer understands relocating to New Zealand, actually Lucy Lawless’s real home country. What with the complete and ruthless lockdown in Melbourne, that is understandable. But many of the things that made us love the first season have vanished.

Gone is the coy cat and mouse game luring Alexa to take a cold case. Also, and most disappointing, is no longer having Alexa go undercover to trap the real perpetrator, and the subsequent thrill of her almost getting caught in a very dangerous ruse.

And yes, all the PC balderdash we least expected from the old Down Under sneaks its camel’s nose under the tent, too. Lucy’s penchant against air conditioning to “save the planet” comes to mind. Still a good series, but it seems to have lost its luster in this second season.

Season 3 seems to be getting back to a little more fun, though Different Drummer still thinks Season 1 is the best.

–Kathy Borich
🥁🥁🥁🥁1/2

Trailer

Film-Loving Foodie

A woman of mystery as well as solver of such, Alexa Crowe is a ex detective, though she is way too young and vibrant to be retired. So she tries to fill her days as a semi professional baker of bread, marketing her efforts at the local café, where she probably spends as much as she makes on the loaves.

We can see her determination and persistence in the opening episode as Alexa attempts to fix her deluxe bread machine, conversing in German with the company consultants via long distance calls. That’s part of the mystery about her. Alexa’s German is quite credible, and we wonder how she acquired it.

One of her creations is Rustic Rosemary Bread, also a favorite of Different Drummer, who buys (rather than bakes) hers at the local Texas H.E.B.

It is certainly exotic and delicious, a complement to any cuisine. Enjoy it along with the Italian proverb from my grandmother that I just finally understood a few years ago.

“You’ve got to eat a lot of bread.”

Even if you are too young to understand the wisdom of this adage, you can still enjoy the bread.

Alexa’s Rustic Rosemary Bread

This fabulously hearty and chewy bread sends out delicious aromas of rosemary and garlic as it bakes. It’s much tastier than many restaurant versions. We think you’ll love this!

Ingredients

· 1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

· 1 cup warm water, 110-115F

· 2 tsp white sugar

· 2 tsp fine salt

· 3 TB extra virgin olive oil

· 2 1/2 cups bread flour

· 1 TB dried rosemary

· 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

· 1/2 tsp dried oregano

· 1 head of roasted garlic

· extra olive oil for brushing on top and serving

· coarse sea salt for sprinkling on top

· balsamic vinegar for serving

· clean water in spray bottle

Directions

1. In large bowl, Sprinkle yeast into 1 cup warm water. Mix in the sugar and salt. Let sit for about 10 minutes or until it foams. Add in olive oil. Add flour and knead (by hand or stand mixer) for about 10 minutes. Add rosemary, black pepper, and oregano. Knead another 5 minutes. Finally, gently knead in roasted garlic by hand, about 1 minute. Dough should come together well at this point; slightly sticky is fine.

2. Place dough ball in well oiled bowl, turning dough a few times so that dough surfaces are protected by oil. Tightly cover bowl with cling wrap. Place in warm, draft-free area to rise until dough is doubled, approx. 1 hour, depending on room temp (if your room is cooler, it could take 2 hours.)

3. After dough is doubled, punch it down and shape into a rounded loaf. Using sharp knife, make a criss-cross design on top. Place rounded loaf on greased baking sheet. Cover up loaf with large mixing bowl inverted over it. Make sure bowl is large enough that it gives your loaf room to rise. Let rise until doubled again, approx 1 hour.

4. After dough has doubled again, gently brush with olive oil, sprinkle with coarse sea salt and a bit more rosemary. Bake at 375F for 25-30 minutes, spraying loaf with water once during the middle of baking. Bump oven up to 425F and spray loaf with water again. Watch carefully – bake just until top is a nice golden brown, taking care not to over bake.

5. Serve bread fresh and warm, with your favorite blend of good olive oil, freshly ground black pepper, and balsamic vinegar!

Chew Out Loud.com

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