You'll grow to both love and hate this throw back episodic show from the 90s. In many ways it feels ahead of it's time. Thus, watching it years later has a certain fascination. I enjoyed the strange mix of bizarre murder mystery coupled with the small town feel. That's where the show really shined, when it wasn't taking itself too seriously and let the viewer think for themselves. Now for the bad (perhaps, also ahead of its time) - eventually the show goes off the rails and starts getting very preachy and one sided about various political issues. Even worse, it just repeats the same tired issues! By the 100th or so episodes on assisted suicide, you'll start to wonder if the writers suffered from some kind of amnesia. What's truly bizarre, for a show so keen on progression is that the characters never seem to learn anything! Though, the one exception is defense attorney Douglas Wambaugh. Not only does he seem to learn from each episode, but he reminds the audience what a joke it is that history is repeating - in almost a "breaking the 4th wall" fashion. Despite my criticism, this show is a gem from an era now gone and well worth checking out. Just feel comfortable skipping through some episodes, you'll be glad you did.
Review of Picket Fences
