Mary Kills People

Last updated
Mary Kills People
Genre
Created byTara Armstrong
Directed byHolly Dale
Starring Caroline Dhavernas
Country of originCanada
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes18 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer Tassie Cameron
Running time42–44 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network Global
ReleaseJanuary 25, 2017 (2017-01-25) –
June 16, 2019 (2019-06-16)

Mary Kills People is a Canadian drama [1] television series starring Caroline Dhavernas. [2] It premiered on Global on January 25, 2017.

Contents

On June 5, 2017, the series was renewed for a second season, [3] which was scheduled to premiere on Global's video-on-demand platforms on January 1 before premiering on television on January 3, 2018. [4]

On 4 June 2018 the series was renewed for a third and final season by Global. [5]

Premise

Dr. Mary Harris works at the emergency department of the Eden General Hospital and has a side business as an end of life counselor—she and her partner Des provide assisted suicide. Their lives get complicated when the police start investigating them.

Cast

Production

The series, which was to comprise six episodes, was commissioned by TV network Global on January 28, 2016. [6] [7] Production began in summer 2016, [8] and the first episode aired January 25, 2017. In the United States, the series was picked up by Lifetime on October 13, 2016. Mary Kills People premiered in the US on Lifetime on April 23, 2017. [9]

As of January 23, 2017, there were talks to produce a second season according to Metro News and Caroline Dhavernas. [9] On June 5, 2017, the series was renewed for a six-episode followup season. Production occurred over summer 2017 in Toronto. [3] Lifetime announced their pickup of the second season in the United States on July 28, 2017; [10] it premiered on March 12, 2018. [11]

On December 3, 2018, it was announced that Lifetime would not air the final season. [12] The series concluded production at the end of the third season. [13]

Episodes

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
1 6January 25, 2017 (2017-01-25)February 22, 2017 (2017-02-22)
2 6January 3, 2018 (2018-01-03)February 7, 2018 (2018-02-07)
3 6May 12, 2019 (2019-05-12)June 16, 2019 (2019-06-16)

Season 1 (2017)

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code		Canadian viewers
(millions)
11"Bloody Mary"Holly DaleTara ArmstrongJanuary 25, 2017 (2017-01-25)280532-11.059 [14]
After the pentobarbital proves inefficient with a patient, Mary finds out the entire batch had been diluted. Mary and Des meet with a new patient, Joel, for the first time. Mary makes a romantic advance on Joel but leaves when he asks her to give him the pento on the spot. Joel is revealed to be a cop.
22"The River Styx"Holly Dale Mike Goldbach February 1, 2017 (2017-02-01)280532-21.045 [15]
Mary suggests other options to Joel, who firmly refuses before giving her a call to let her know he would take matters into his own hands. She decides to help him, but after she is unable to find the medication, she realizes he is a cop. Mary gets rid of the pento before she gets a call from Des telling her that they need to help a patient immediately, which forces her to go to Grady herself to get more. Joel reveals his real name, Ben, to Mary while she maintains her innocence.
33"Wave the White Flag"Holly DaleMarsha GreeneFebruary 8, 2017 (2017-02-08)280532-3N/A
Sid shows up at the Eden General emergency department with a leg injury and under police custody. Grady uses Mary's daughter Jess to get her to break Sid out; Grady then kills Sid, so he does not make a deal with the police. Ben and Frank look into Troy Dixon's death.
44"Raised By Wolves"Holly DaleTara ArmstrongFebruary 15, 2017 (2017-02-15)280532-4N/A
Grady tells Mary he knows about her side business with Des and wants in on it. Ben follows Mary to her childhood home and meets her sister, Nicole. He then finds out their real last name is Mitchell, and Mary changed it to Harris after her mother's death—which she was investigated for. Frank persuades Des to help the police gather evidence against Mary in exchange for immunity.
55"The Judas Cradle"Holly DaleSherry WhiteFebruary 22, 2017 (2017-02-22)280532-5N/A
Ben goes to Des's place with the wire and finds out he is high. They decide to continue with the plan, but Des shows Mary the wire before anything incriminating is recorded. She later meets the patient alone and, after giving him the drink, tells him about her mother. Des overdoses but Mary is able to save him, ending their partnership afterwards. She takes the files he had in his house and buries them, then offers Grady the chance to be her new partner.
66"Morning Glory"Holly DaleTara Armstrong & Tassie Cameron & Marsha GreeneFebruary 22, 2017 (2017-02-22)280532-6N/A
After Grady agrees to be Mary's new partner, she shows him the files of three clients—Morgan Lewis, Ethan Grant and Troy Dixon—before trying to teach him how to do the injections; he insists he can do it with her assistance. She agrees, and he injects her with watered down pento thinking it was saline. Des calls Frank telling him he wants to make a statement, which Frank presumes will implicate Mary, but when Des arrives at the station he claims Mary is innocent and instead places the blame on Grady. Mary calls Ben and tells him that Grady drugged her and is going to kill her. Ben arrives at Grady's house and fatally shoots him. Nicole tells Mary she wants to be part of her business.

Season 2 (2018)

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code
71"The Means" Kelly Makin Tara ArmstrongJanuary 3, 2018 (2018-01-03)280532-7
Des is happy to reteam with Mary following his stint in prison. But a routine case with a devastating outcome has her rethinking their partnership.
82"The Connection"Kelly MakinLara AzzopardiJanuary 10, 2018 (2018-01-10)280532-8
When Olivia attempts to blackmail Mary, she is drawn deeper into a deadly game of cat and mouse that has a surprising connection to Ben.
93"Twin Flames"Norma BaileyMarsha GreeneJanuary 17, 2018 (2018-01-17)280532-9
Mary and Ben decide to join forces and hide Travis at Ben's secluded trailer. But when Travis reveals a crucial detail about Ben's investigation, Mary is forced to reconsider their alliance.
104"Ride or Die"Norma BaileyMorwyn BrebnerJanuary 24, 2018 (2018-01-24)280532-10
Following the disappearance of Travis, Des worries that he and Mary may have crossed a moral line from which they can never return. After jeopardizing Ben's investigation of Olivia, Mary tries to make amends, which has repercussions for a patient in dire need.
115"Come to Jesus"David WellingtonLara Azzopardi & Tassie Cameron & Marsha GreeneJanuary 31, 2018 (2018-01-31)280532-11
All seems well for Mary, Ben has forgiven her, and she and Des have decided to move forward with the death retreat. The only nagging concern for Mary: her daughter Jess hates her and doesn't believe a word out of her mouth.
126"Fatal Flaw"David WellingtonTara Armstrong & Morwyn BrebnerFebruary 7, 2018 (2018-02-07)280532-12
Mary decides to wear a wire in order to help Ben take down Olivia, but when their plan takes an unexpected turn, Mary must reconsider her allegiance. As Des and Nicole prepare for Brendan's death, Des faces crippling self-doubt about his dream.

Season 3 (2019)

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
131"The Key to Faith"Norma BaileyTassie CameronMay 12, 2019 (2019-05-12)
142"Girl Problems"Norma BaileyJane MaggsMay 19, 2019 (2019-05-19)
153"No Happy Endings Here" James Genn Matt HuetherMay 26, 2019 (2019-05-26)
164"Switzerland Has Trees"James Genn Karen Moore June 2, 2019 (2019-06-02)
175"Wolf, Meet Henhouse"Paul FoxChris RobertsJune 9, 2019 (2019-06-09)
186"A Goddamned Saint"Paul FoxMarsha GreeneJune 16, 2019 (2019-06-16)

Reception

Critical response

The first season has received a score of 66 on Metacritic, indicating generally favourable reviews, based on eight reviews, [16] and a rating of 100% on review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes based on eleven reviews for an average rating of 7.5/10, the site's critical consensus stating: "Mary Kills People is more than its unique premise, with a layered lead performance and consistently entertaining narrative keeping the show's dark comedy grounded in relatable reality." [17] The second season also received 100% based on five reviews, for an average rating of 9.4/10. [18]

John Doyle of The Globe and Mail called the first episode of the show "remarkably assured, droll and adult. It’s very smart and utterly intriguing." He praises Mary Harris as "one of the most compelling, original female characters in years" and Caroline Dhavernas as "exceptional" in her portrayal: "Perhaps the best thing about it is the crazy sparkle in Mary’s eyes. There is something anarchic bubbling inside her." [19]

Variety's Maureen Ryan said the show "pulls off a melding of tones — comedic, dramatic, and philosophical — that seems next to impossible," but criticized the first season's romance subplots. [20]

Awards

Canadian Screen Awards
YearCategoryNominee(s)ResultRef.
2018 Best Dramatic Series Tassie Cameron, Amy Cameron, Jocelyn Hamilton, Tecca Crosby, Tara Armstrong, Holly DaleNominated [21]
Best Direction, Drama SeriesHolly Dale
(episode: "The River Styx")		Won
Best Writing, Drama SeriesTara Armstrong
(episode: "Bloody Mary")		Nominated
Best Writing, Drama SeriesMarsha Greene
(episode: "Wave the White Flag")		Nominated
Best Achievement in CastingSusan Forrest, Sharon ForrestNominated
Best Lead Actor, Drama Series Richard ShortNominated
Best Supporting Actor, Drama SeriesGreg BrykNominated
Best Lead Actress, Drama Series Caroline DhavernasNominated
Best Guest Performance, Drama Series Steven McCarthy
(episode: "The Judas Cradle")		Won

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References

  1. ↑ Doyle, John (January 24, 2017). "Mary Kills People is a killer of a good, provocative drama". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  2. ↑ "Global Ignites Its Schedule With Massive Star Power As 11 New Series Join Its 2016/2017 Primetime Lineup" (Press release). Corus Entertainment.
  3. 1 2 "Corus Entertainment bolsters its 2017/18 programming slate with new and returning Canadian original productions". TV, eh. June 5, 2017. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
  4. ↑ "SEASON 2 OF GLOBAL'S CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED ORIGINAL SERIES MARY KILLS PEOPLE RETURNS JANUARY 3". Corus Entertainment . November 30, 2017. Retrieved November 30, 2017.
  5. ↑ "Mary Kills People: Season Three; TV Show Renewed for Final Season". 4 June 2018.
  6. ↑ "Global Green Lights Gripping New Canadian Original Drama Mary Kills People" (PDF) (Press release). Shaw Media. Retrieved January 29, 2017.
  7. ↑ Furdyk, Brent (January 28, 2016). "'Mary Kills People': Provocative Medical Drama Gets Greenlit". ET Canada. Archived from the original on August 8, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Global - Mary Kills People" (Press release). Corus Entertainment.
  9. 1 2 Alexander, Chris (January 23, 2017). "Mary's an elegant mercy killer, ready to thrill people". Metro International . Archived from the original on October 16, 2017. Retrieved April 17, 2017.
  10. ↑ Otterson, Joe (July 28, 2017). "'UnREAL' Renewed for Season 4 at Lifetime, 'Mary Kills People' Renewed for Season 2". Variety . Retrieved November 30, 2017.
  11. ↑ "Mary kills people, and she is BACK. Tune in to the premiere of an all-new season of #MaryKillsPeople on March 12th at 9/8c" . Retrieved February 26, 2018.
  12. ↑ "'You' To Move To Netflix For Season 2 As Lifetime Shifts Focus To Original Movies". 3 December 2018. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
  13. ↑ "Caroline Dhavernas talks about the end of Mary Kills People". Toronto Star , May 12, 2019.
  14. ↑ "Top Programs – Total Canada (English) January 23, 2017 - January 29, 2017" (PDF). Numeris . Archived from the original (PDF) on February 11, 2017. Retrieved April 17, 2017.
  15. ↑ "Top Programs – Total Canada (English) January 30, 2017 - February 5, 2017" (PDF). Numeris . Archived from the original (PDF) on October 1, 2018. Retrieved April 17, 2017.
  16. ↑ "Mary Kills People (2017) Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
  17. ↑ "Mary Kills People (2017) Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
  18. ↑ "Mary Kills People: Season 2". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
  19. ↑ Doyle, John (January 24, 2017). "Mary Kills People is a killer of a good, provocative drama". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  20. ↑ Ryan, Maureen (April 12, 2017). "TV Review: 'Mary Kills People' on Lifetime, Starring Caroline Dhavernas". Variety . Penske Media Corporation . Retrieved April 17, 2017.
  21. ↑ "2018 TV Nominees - Academy.ca". Academy.ca. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
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