Latest / Cozy Comfort Club Podcast / Cozy Mystery Thursday: True Justice: Family Ties | Hallmark’s Legal Mystery Surprise?

Transcript

Cozy Mystery Thursday: True Justice: Family Ties | Hallmark’s Legal Mystery Surprise? · Cozy Comfort Club Podcast

• 0:03
  welcome back to cozy comfort club your place for comfort movies
• 0:07
  cozy mysteries and
• 0:09
  feel good stories you can add to your watch list and if you
• 0:12
  love legal dramas
• 0:14
  academic mystery settings amateur sleuth teams and hallmark
• 0:18
  mysteries that feel
• 0:19
  just a little more intense than your average small town cozy
• 0:23
  you are definitely in
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_00: the right place
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_00: because today we're talking about True Justice Family Ties,
• 0:30
  a Hallmark mystery released in 2024 and currently streaming on
• 0:34
  Hallmark Plus.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: True Justice Family Ties is rated TVPG,
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_00: runs around 84 minutes,
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_00: and from the Hallmark Channel website,
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_00: the synopsis says,
• 0:49
  a law school student and her friends set out to prove her
• 0:52
  brother's innocence.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_00: but the only way to clear his name is by finding the real killer.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_00: Catherine McNamara plays Casey Barlow.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_00: Markeen Tarasuk plays Eli.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_00: Nikki Deloach plays Professor Ambrose.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_00: And Benjamin Ayers plays D.A.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: Quinn.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_00: And let me tell you something right now.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_00: This movie wastes absolutely no time.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely none.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_00: Immediately we open with a dead body in an alley.
• 1:22
  a young man is standing over this young woman saying sorry and
• 1:26
  then takes a
• 1:27
  necklace from her body before running off and it was already
• 1:32
  wild behavior because
• 1:34
  why are you stealing a necklace off a dead person that feels
• 1:38
  especially sinister
• 1:39
  and then the police start chasing him he gets caught and
• 1:42
  suddenly we're all thrown
• 1:44
  directly into legal territory and when I say this movie has a
• 1:48
  lot of legal language
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_00: for a Hallmark movie I mean a lot
• 1:51
  This is absolutely one of those mysteries where you're hearing
• 1:54
  lawyer terminology constantly.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_00: Discovery, witness testimony, appeals, evidence handling, all of it.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_00: And I like that.
• 2:06
  Now you all know I love academic settings and mysteries and
• 2:10
  this one is set in
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_00: Philadelphia around law students,
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_00: professors,
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_00: courtrooms,
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_00: and legal offices.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_00: So this movie already had points with me.
• 2:20
  We quickly find out that the young man from the opening scene
• 2:24
  is Marcus,
• 2:24
  Casey's brother.
• 2:26
  And Casey is devastated because Marcus is found guilty very
• 2:30
  quickly and sentenced
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_00: to life in prison without parole.
• 2:34
  And it was one of the fastest trials I have ever seen in my
• 2:37
  life or in a movie.
• 2:39
  But Casey refuses to give up on him and she promises she's
• 2:42
  going to prove his innocence.
• 2:44
  And Catherine McNamara really sells Casey's desperation and
• 2:48
  determination.
• 2:50
  she looks exhausted like she's been crying for days emotionally
• 2:54
  overwhelmed
• 2:56
  somebody who has truly been through it and then we learn Casey
• 3:00
  already carries a
• 3:01
  lot of grief because her mother died a few years ago while she
• 3:04
  was still in
• 3:05
  undergrad so she practically had to raise markers herself and
• 3:10
  this case is not just
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_00: about justice it is deeply personal
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_00: Now Casey's friends Sarah and PJ decide to help her reopen the case.
• 3:21
  These girls were given legal Charlie's Angels and then Eli
• 3:25
  reluctantly joins the
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_00: team too and that is played by Markeen Tarasuk and
• 3:32
  There's this fun amateur sleuth energy running throughout the
• 3:36
  movie that reminded
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_00: me why I enjoy Hallmark mysteries so much.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_00: They are all smart in different ways.
• 3:44
  They each bring something different to the investigation,
• 3:47
  and I enjoyed the group dynamic.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_00: PJ cracked me up when she officially names them the Justice Warriors,
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_00: which I thought sounded hilariously generic,
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_00: but it fit the energy of the movie.
• 4:00
  and Sarah I loved her style throughout this entire film the
• 4:04
  bangs the fashion
• 4:06
  everyone had nice wardrobes for grad students now we need to
• 4:10
  talk about the tension
• 4:11
  between Casey and Eli there was obvious tension there and you
• 4:18
  can feel it pretty
• 4:19
  early on the problem is Eli was dating Davina the woman that
• 4:26
  was murdered you know
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_00: the murder victim
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_00: and Davina also used to be Casey's best friend.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_00: So while these two are getting emotionally close,
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_00: Eli and Casey,
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_00: during the investigation,
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_00: I was sitting there like,
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_00: hold up,
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_00: didn't this woman just die?
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_00: Why are we already acting like there is romantic tension here?
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_00: Ugh, I didn't like that.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_00: And yet the chemistry was there.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_00: Can't lie.
• 4:57
  Now what surprised me most about this movie is that underneath
• 5:00
  the Hallmark mystery
• 5:01
  structure there is actually a larger social justice
• 5:04
  conversation happening and at
• 5:07
  one point one of the students asked whether we live in a just
• 5:10
  society and my
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_00: immediate reaction was are you serious?
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_00: Should you be in law school?
• 5:18
  The movie is clearly showing how someone like Marcus who
• 5:22
  already has a record can
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_00: quickly become the easiest person to blame
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_00: but Marcus has a history of shoplifting breaking and entering and public
• 5:32
  intoxication so immediately everyone assumes guilt and the
• 5:36
  movie keeps asking
• 5:38
  whether people with difficult pasts are automatically denied
• 5:41
  grace and I thought
• 5:42
  that was interesting for Hallmark Mystery as the investigation
• 5:45
  continues we start
• 5:46
  uncovering suspects connected to Davina's life there are
• 5:50
  ex-cons connected through
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_00: fingerprints thank you Sarah
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_00: found on her watch,
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_00: there is a property developer,
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_00: there are old murder cases tied to the same development site,
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_00: and there are secrets Davina kept from the people closest to her.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_00: This movie definitely kept me engaged.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't fall asleep once,
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_00: which says a lot because sometimes if a mystery loses me,
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_00: my attention starts drifting and it usually goes to my phone.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_00: But this one kept moving.
• 6:17
  we even get stakeouts fake relationship moments undercover
• 6:22
  scenes more murders and
• 6:24
  an expanding amateur slew team Liam especially ended up
• 6:28
  becoming one of my favorite
• 6:30
  characters he was funny charming and fit naturally into this
• 6:34
  group dynamic and I
• 6:36
  definitely noticed chemistry between him and Sarah apparently
• 6:39
  romance was in the
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_00: air for literally everybody in this movie
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_00: Also, I have to say, Benjamin Ayers has really grown on me lately.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_00: So every time D.A.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_00: Quinn showed up in a suit, yeah, I understood the appeal.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_00: No pun intended.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_00: And Nikki Deloach as Professor Ambrose worked really well, too.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_00: That's the closest we're going to get to Curious Caterer.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_00: She brought warmth and intelligence to the role.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_00: I just love seeing her in Mysteries.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_00: Now, this is not your traditional cozy mystery.
• 7:10
  There is no small town,
• 7:12
  no bakery,
• 7:12
  no flower shop,
• 7:13
  no quaint little bookstore.
• 7:15
  SPEAKER_00: This movie takes place in Philadelphia.
• 7:18
  We have dark alleys,
• 7:19
  legal offices,
• 7:20
  city streets,
• 7:21
  crime scenes,
• 7:22
  and courtroom conversations.
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_00: So the atmosphere feels more modern and urban.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_00: But despite that,
• 7:28
  it still somehow keeps enough Hallmark comfort to stay
• 7:32
  watchable and easy to settle
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_00: into.
• 7:35
  and after spending last month watching the flower shop
• 7:38
  mysteries with Brooke
• 7:39
  Shields playing an ex-lawyer turned florist it was actually
• 7:43
  really fun continuing
• 7:45
  the legal mystery energy here with law students and apparently
• 7:48
  I was in my legal
• 7:49
  mystery air one quote from Casey really stood out to me she
• 7:53
  says trauma is a bit of
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_00: a wild card either you fight fly or freeze I had no choice I had to fight
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_00: And that line explains Casey perfectly She is carrying grief,
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_00: responsibility,
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_00: pressure,
• 8:09
  and fear all at once But she keeps moving anyway And that
• 8:13
  determination is what
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_00: keeps the movie pretty grounded Now overall,
• 8:18
  I really enjoyed True Justice Family Ties I actually enjoyed it
• 8:22
  more than I
• 8:23
  expected to The legal setting worked for me The amateur sleuth
• 8:27
  team worked The
• 8:28
  SPEAKER_00: pacing kept my attention And I thought that the mystery itself was strong
• 8:32
  I guess parts of the ending but there was still a twist I did
• 8:34
  not fully see coming
• 8:36
  and I appreciated that so watch it or skip it watch this if you
• 8:43
  enjoy legal
• 8:44
  mysteries academic settings amateur sleuth teams and hallmark
• 8:49
  mysteries with a
• 8:50
  slightly more serious tone but skip this if you only enjoy very
• 8:56
  traditional cozy
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_00: mysteries with small town charm and softer steaks
• 9:02
  okay let's lock the ratings in my cozy rating is a 4 out of 5
• 9:06
  cups my movie rating
• 9:08
  is a 4.5 out of 5 cups and overall we have a cozy comfort club
• 9:13
  score of 8.5 out of
• 9:15
  10 and on the rewatch scale I gave it a 4 I certainly would
• 9:20
  rewatch this I am
• 9:23
  really looking forward to the sequel True Justice Eye for an
• 9:26
  Eye that will be
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_00: releasing later this month on I believe it's May 23rd
• 9:32
  yes May 23rd because now I actually want to spend more time
• 9:36
  with these characters
• 9:37
  and I'm so glad I watched it before we get the premiere of the
• 9:40
  second movie and
• 9:44
  before we wrap up I also wanted to briefly talk about the book
• 9:47
  I just finished
• 9:48
  reading Glory Days by Danielle Arsenault this is the second
• 9:54
  book in the Glory
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_00: Brassad mystery series and I loved it
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_00: The first book stayed with me for such a long time after I finished it.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_00: I loved it so much that I even sent a copy to my mom,
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_00: so I was really hoping the second book would live up to the first one.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_00: And thankfully, it absolutely did.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_00: We are back in Lafayette,
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_00: Louisiana,
• 10:17
  SPEAKER_00: with Glory Brassad and Oliver Horton tendencies,
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_00: sharp opinions,
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_00: and absolutely unforgettable personality.
• 10:25
  This time,
• 10:26
  Glory learns from her ex-husband Sterling's wife that Sterling
• 10:30
  had gone missing.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_00: Except, of course, he is not missing.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_00: He has been murdered.
• 10:36
  And now Glory once again finds herself pulled into another
• 10:39
  mystery while her
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_00: daughter Delphine returns from New York.
• 10:42
  And when I tell you I laughed throughout this entire audiobook,
• 10:46
  I truly did.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_00: Glory is sharp-tongued,
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_00: judgmental,
• 10:51
  SPEAKER_00: nosy,
• 10:51
  SPEAKER_00: intelligent,
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_00: and completely no-nonsense,
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_00: but somehow you still love her because underneath all of that,
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_00: she genuinely means well.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_00: She feels like somebody you have probably met before in real life,
• 11:05
  like somebody's auntie who knows everybody's business and
• 11:07
  absolutely will comment
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_00: on it.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_00: And I also love the southern atmosphere of the series.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_00: And we get casinos,
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_00: horse stables,
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_00: coffee shops,
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_00: libraries,
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_00: and the gossiping ladies of the Red Hat Society.
• 11:22
  And there is also queer representation woven throughout the
• 11:25
  story as well.
• 11:27
  I highly recommend this one on audio because it is narrated by
• 11:30
  Bonnie Turpin who is
• 11:31
  honestly one of the best narrators out there she brings so much
• 11:35
  personality and
• 11:36
  humor to Glory so my cozy rating for Glory Days is a 4 out of 5
• 11:41
  and my book rating
• 11:42
  is a full 5 out of 5 this is genuinely becoming one of my
• 11:46
  favorite cozy mystery
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_00: series and I truly hope we get a third book
• 11:51
  SPEAKER_00: And next Cozy Mystery Thursday,
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_00: we are finally starting the Marlowe Murder Club season one,
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_00: episodes one and two.
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_00: And if you have been listening these last few weeks,
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_00: then you already know I love the first book.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm very excited to finally start the show.
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_00: Hopefully,
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_00: if I enjoy the first two episodes,
• 12:08
  we can continue through the rest of the season next month
• 12:11
  between all the upcoming
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_00: Hallmark mystery premieres.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_00: And May is shaping up to be such a good mystery month.
• 12:18
  and I don't know about you but I'm also looking forward to
• 12:21
  You're Killing Me on
• 12:23
  Acorn TV starring Brooke Shields I'm going to try to tune into
• 12:28
  that sometime this
• 12:29
  month or in June If you've seen True Justice Family Ties I want
• 12:37
  to know Did you
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_00: like the mystery?
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_00: Were you rooting for Eli and Casey?
• 12:45
  SPEAKER_00: And how would you rate this movie?
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_00: You can always find more cozy reviews,
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_00: watch lists,
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_00: and weekly picks over on Substack at Cozy Comfort Club.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_00: And don't forget to follow Cozy Comfort Club on Apple Podcasts,
• 12:58
  SPEAKER_00: Spotify,
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_00: Substack,
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_00: or wherever you listen so you never miss a cozy pick.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_00: Until next time, stay curious.