Cardinal

Detective John Cardinal returns to a snowbound Ontario town after the body of a 13-year-old girl is discovered at the shaft-head of an abandoned mine. The case peels back layers of local hostility, lies and interlocking relationships, and it quickly becomes clear the town has been keeping dangerous secrets. Cardinal's new partner, Lise Delorme, is a methodical investigator assigned in part to audit his conduct, which introduces friction even as they pursue the same leads. The show spends time on forensic detail and procedural steps, while concentrating on how suspicion and grief reshape careers and personal lives.

Released in 2017, Cardinal was created by Podz, Jeff Renfroe and novelist Giles Blunt, adapting Blunt's John Cardinal novels for television. Billy Campbell stars as John Cardinal and Karine Vanasse plays Lise Delorme. The production emphasizes cinematic camerawork and a spare, moody aesthetic.

On viewer platforms the series averages 6.941/10 from 161 votes, reflecting mixed to generally positive reactions. Critics often praised the lead performances and the oppressive sense of atmosphere, while some reviews pointed to the show's deliberate pacing and heavy tone as obstacles. Thematically the series centers on moral ambiguity, institutional failure and the corrosive effects of secrecy on small communities.

Cardinal helped bring attention to Canadian noir television, drawing comparisons to Scandinavian crime dramas for its bleak visuals and steady, tension-driven storytelling. Rather than generating quotable moments, its influence came through atmosphere and setting, encouraging other regional crime projects to emphasize place, procedural realism and a darker tone.

While it wasn't a major player on the international awards circuit, Cardinal did attract notice at home for its acting, production design and tonal ambition. That domestic recognition helped justify additional seasons and contributed to greater interest in gritty, locally rooted crime dramas from Canadian networks and producers.