Come for the character pictures, keep for the compelling characters from Nevada Barr’s novels.
USA Community’s “Anna Pigeon” is crammed with stunning Montana vistas (even when capturing happened in neighboring Alberta, Canada) and golden-hour glows because it follows its titular park ranger. Performed with charisma by Tracy Spiridakos, Anna Pigeon’s acquired a thriller to unravel every week whereas delivering strains like “Littering is a gateway crime.”
Sure, this can be a conventional present with pulpy intrigue, a bit little bit of intercourse, and a few corny jokes thrown in for good measure. Like different TV sequence of yore, it facilities a messy blonde with a various supporting solid. Of them, Paulina Jewel Alexis stands out as Ranger Zoey Bear Little one, who views Anna as her mentor. Coming off the critically acclaimed “Reservation Dogs,” Alexis continues to carry heat humor and openness to her Indigenous identification. And “Anna Pigeon” does proper by her, letting her put on her identification frivolously however purposefully. She’s additionally free from the strain of being the only Native solid member, because of Crystle Lightning enjoying dispatcher Frieda Dierkz, who the costume division suits with spectacular spectacles.
These selections round Indigenous illustration strike a powerful be aware in a sequence that’s primarily about white individuals and their preoccupations. On the heart, after all, is Anna. She’s haunted by nightmares of the night time her husband was murdered, whilst she’s previous the preliminary mourning interval. Now not working from her New York life, she fields probing calls from her psychiatrist sister (Tricia Helfer) whereas discovering a house and a lover (Cooper Levy) in Glacier Nationwide Park.
Within the pilot, she declares herself “a cop,” explaining her explicit model of ranger and setting herself as much as encounter and clear up a wide range of crimes. For all of the present’s consciousness of the necessity to painting Montana’s Native group, it may well’t fairly carry itself to think about non-white femininity. It is a present with a good quantity of violence in opposition to ladies–as seen within the six episodes given to critics–however the entire homicide victims are white ladies, regardless of Indigenous women experiencing much higher rates of violence.
Nonetheless, “Anna Pigeon’s” coronary heart is in the appropriate place. Right here, the heroes are a various group of environmentalists, whereas the unhealthy man is greasy, grasping patriarch Jeremiah Paulson (a smarmy Kim Coates). He’s a nasty capitalist, the person who owns essentially the most land within the state and evokes a wide range of crimes Anna uncovers. If that matches your politics, then “Anna Pigeon” will likely be a guilt-free pleasure for you.
To the present’s credit score, Jeremiah’s simple to root in opposition to, simply as Anna is straightforward to root for. She’s a flawed girl who drinks an excessive amount of and strikes on intuition. However the present doesn’t decide her sleeping round or taking a circuitous path by means of grief. As a substitute, it lets her be messy in ways in which solely males normally get to be.
And due to that, “Anna Pigeon” doesn’t fall into the entice that so many of those exhibits do, of getting the vanilla protagonist be the least attention-grabbing character of the ensemble. As a substitute, Spiridakos holds the attention every time she’s on display, her piercing blue eyes permitting humor and vulnerability whilst she radiates energy. And the digital camera loves her, with the solar bouncing off her wavy locks and caressing the varied scratches and bruises she will get alongside the way in which.
A few of the mysteries she uncovers are predictable, however in a comforting type of means. It is a present that revels in conventional TV beats with their clear conscience. The crimes are stunning sufficient to maintain it attention-grabbing, even when the present can’t fairly pull off its multi-episode arc, because of some nonsensical motivation and unusual appearing selections.
Which is to say, “Anna Pigeon” gained’t depart you pondering, however it can depart you happy. It isn’t a difficult present–it really works greatest should you don’t suppose an excessive amount of about it. However it’s a nice one.
Actually, USA Community’s “Anna Pigeon” is a simple method to expertise Montana’s pure magnificence out of your lounge, whereas following a gorgeous girl finishing bodily and psychological feats to make her little nook of the world higher. And that’s a satisfying method to spend an hour or so every week.
Six episodes screened for evaluation. Premieres on USA Community on August 7, 2026.
