Synopsis
A world where the supernatural is totally mundane and the existence of ghosts, ghouls and werewolves are part of everyday life. But what happens when you're bothered by some supernatural nuisance? You call The Demonologist.
Review
All hail the demonologist.
Demonologist for Hire (Season One) is a four part series, starring Bryn Owen as the titular hero. Each episode is an enclosed story, so why not quickly look at the lot. No spoilers here.
"When a terrifying, demonic voice is heard through his car radio the owner calls the Demonologist who is unaware this will be his most baffling case yet."
So I went into this blind - horror? Comedy? Both? I didn't even know it was Scottish. Bryn Owen takes center stage as the Demonologist, with Ronni Menzies-Stirling playing his foil in each episode, with occasional cameos from David Hughes. The first episode lays the foundation for the series well - it's horror/comedy with the emphasis on comedy, and in this world everything is just...normal. Got a haunted car? Of course you have. Call The Demonologist.
I was hooked. And with short episodes, well, we're binge-watching.
"A night watchman stumbles across an ancient, powerful deity hellbent on mankind's destruction. How will the Demonologist manage to stop this being from bringing about the end of days?"
Episode two twists in with a completely different bent that the first - a nice switch up. Joining the cast is Leanne Peebles with a great turn as the Deity. Again comedy ensues and we see the Demonologist take a different tact. We get some topical humor and good ending. The writing really starts to sparkle here and the characters gain momentum.
"The workers at a factory are being haunted by a mysterious apparition. At night the Demonologist enters the factory to dispose of the threat unaware of what awaits him."
Episode three is straight up humor. It's thick and fast and relies heavily on the dialogue - little else. Most of the episode is a voice-over conversation, relying on both the hand of the writing and the inflection in the delivery - both of which are on point. The twist at the end is totally bizarre - even silly - but fits in the world that has been created perfectly.
"The Demonologist is called in to handle a Werewolf related problem for a Priest. But how exactly do you 'handle' an eight foot Werewolf?"
The final episode wraps up the series well leaving the viewer with a tease of more to come. This time our hero must deal with a werewolf problem - but as usual, it's not what you expect.
As the series goes from episode to episode, it also goes from strength to strength. The writing (Bryn Owen) is dry, clever, and weirdly grounded - for such a premise. It's wit will have you laughing, and the writing it will have you learning about the world in no time, without handling the big exposition stick (I'm looking at you, Bright). The direction is well done, Uisdean Murray gives each location it's own feel - and on that note, having each episode in a very different place is a fantastic addition, giving the series a gravitas, and feeling of a high budget.
Bryn Owen steals the show as the protagonist. After only watching one episode, this... THIS was what I wanted from the awful Netflix/BBC America show Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency. His metamorphing foil, Ronni Menzies-Stirling, changes his look and approach in every episode - and I never felt I was look at the same actor twice. It's really rather clever. Priest cannot go without mention either. Well done, David Hughes.
My only gripe is that I wanted more.
The whole series is available on Youtube, and guess what? Series Two is coming!
Find it here, now:
Or hire him yourself. But don't phone.
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