Season Finale Review: CTV's The Listener
Sci-Fi Drama Ends First Season With Fate Unknown
Aug 31, 2009
The show is part science fiction, part mystery, and part drama. It stars Craig Olejnik as Paramedic Toby Logan. Besides being a paramedic, Toby also has the ability to read people’s minds. It’s something he’s tried to shut off, but as he realized it could be used to help people he began using it to solve mysteries. The only one he was unable to solve was the one dealing with his own past.
Listener Finale Ends With More Questions Than Answers
Each episode features Toby using his abilities to help solve mysteries together with police detective Charlie Marks (Lisa Marcos). Along the way he struggles with letting those close to him in on his ability. He first breaks it to his partner: Oz (Ennis Esmer), and Marks (Marcos) to mixed results. Charlie reacts by recoiling from him, and Oz is more easygoing about it thinking it cool.
There’s another storyline dealing with Toby’s own personal mystery. Toby isn’t who he appears to be. He says out loud he doesn’t remember much of his childhood; and what he does recall is revealed to viewers through flashbacks. It’s this storyline that finds its climax in the final two episodes. In the season’s second last episode Toby picks up a mysterious accident victim (Gordon Pinsent) who remembers nothing of his identity. Eventually it’s found the man’s name is Frank, and he knows Toby’s mother, and why she gave him up. The episode ends when Toby finds out his real name is William.
The last episode focuses on finding Toby’s mother Maya. Frank gets a threatening visitor who focuses on Toby. Frank, and Toby’s search for clues leads them to a motel. They’re followed, and call Charlie (Marcos) for help. The situation ends in a parking lot standoff in which Charlie is shot.
Toby meanwhile, kept getting visions of her being stuck in a car in that’s buried snow bank. After talking to Frank, Toby (Olejnik), Olivia (Mylene Robic), and Oz (Esmer) take off to find her. They end up finding the car buried in a snow bank without anyone inside.
Is Maya alive? Why did she give Toby up? Who’s chasing them? Viewers will have to find out the answers when the second season airs.
The Listener Unapologetically Canadian, Pulled By NBC
This show is unapologetically Canadian. It’s shot in Toronto, and keen eyes will spot all the familiar landmarks including the CN Tower, the cube at OCAD (Ontario College of Art and Design), stretches of Bloor St, and other areas of downtown Toronto. Any references to the city, or landmarks were unedited and aired on NBC as well.
NBC pulled the show after only seven episodes of the first season because of bad ratings. Canadian and overseas ratings have been strong, with the show winning its Thursday timeslot with 981 thousand viewers per week. Despite its success, and a distribution deal with Fox International the question of a second season won’t be solved until sometime in September. Does The Listener sound like your type of television? Sign here to let CTV know you want another season.
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