Jesse Stone: Television Movie Series Review

Even though the Jesse Stone movie series was made for television, I was not introduced to this exhilarating series until I accidentally found it on Netflix and rented the first movie (Jesse Stone: Stone Cold ). Not really being a Tom Selleck fan, I was uncertain if this movie would be any good. Boy was I surprised and hooked! My husband, who is not an avid movie watcher (his favorite show is Wheel of Fortune ), loved all seven Jesse Stone movies and hopes their will be many more. The plots and subplots to the Jesse Stone movies are excellent; well worth the time viewing.

Tom Selleck is excellent as Jesse Stone, formerly with Los Angeles Police Department, who becomes the Chief of Police for Paradise, Massachusetts. The city of Paradise knows Jesse Stone is unconventional and an alcoholic. This is actually a very small town with not many residents; no one beating down the door to apply for their police department, let alone for the position of Chief of Police. Their current police force is very small and none qualify to be in charge.

This is the opening of the first movie (Jesse Stone: Stone Cold , released 2005 ) which introduces the other primary characters: Policeman Luther "Suitcase" Simpson (Kohl Sudduth), State Commissioner Captain Healy (Stephen McHattie), mobster Gino Fish (William Sadler) who is head of organized crime in Boston and surrounding areas which include Paradise, Dr. Perkins (John Beale) who is the local Pediatrician and Paradise's Medical Examiner who acts as the Coroner, Psychiatrist Dr. Dix (William Devore) who is Jesse's friend plus sees him professionally for his alcoholism and Hastings "Hasty" Hathaway (Saul Rubinek well known as Artie in Warehouse 13), Paradise's shady used car salesman. These are recurring roles, a constant (played by the same actors), throughout the Jesse Stone movies. All, but the Pediatrician-Coroner return in the Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost, but he returns in Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt. Jesse Stone's dog Reggie (played by Joe, a Golden Retriever, not Irish Setter or mix between these two breeds per Entertainment Tonight and other valid sources) is introduced in the third movie (Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise ) and is at Jesse's side in the rest of the movies. The entire primary cast are excellent in their respective roles, and it is obvious they had fun playing their parts even though each movie has a crime or two to solve (shooting, kidnapping, murder, domestic abuse, rape etc).

The second movie, released in 2006, Jesse Stone: Night Passage , continues where the first one ends with a domestic abuse investigation regarding a young teenager. Through this investigation Jesse Stone finds out the sleepy town of Paradise has many secrets and the residents will do whatever it takes to keep the skeletons in the closet. The City Council continues to remind Jesse who his employer is, tries to bully him into dropping certain aspects of the investigation, but Jesse Stone being who he is, behind the City Council's back continues investigating where no one wants him to look and he finds out some very dark secrets. Jesse Stone: Night Passage 's subplot has Jesse's elderly dog very ill and on deaths door. This portrays the close bond between a man and his dog.

Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise (released 2006), third of the movie series, begins with a body found on the rocks with Reggie, a gorgeous Golden Retriever, guarding it. Jesse Stone shows compassion by taking Reggie home with him, even though still mourning the death of his elderly dog. The murder investigation leads to a very sadistic couple, organized crime, and a domestic violence case. This movie shows how a very small quiet town can have a sinister side. Jesse Stone goes out of his way to unconventionally clean up Paradise, Massachusetts in spite of the mobster, Gino Fish's, interference.

The fourth movie, Jesse Stone: Sea Change , released 2007, includes a very old rape case, practically a cold case. Jesse Stone once again rubs the City Council of Paradise the wrong way when he goes out of his way to solve this particular case. The City Council wants this incident kept quiet; fears leakage may affect tourism. They do not want the City of Paradise's reputation tarnished. Policewoman Rose Gammon (Kathy Baker, who also plays this role in the later Jesse Stone movies) is hired by the City Council to watch over Jesse, make certain he tows the line and goes strictly by the book. Jesse includes her on the investigation of the rape case by having her interrogate all the teenage girls and women who might shed some clues. This teaches Rose how difficult interrogating and solving a case really is.

Jesse Stone: Thin Ice (the fifth Jesse Stone movie; released in 2009) has Jesse Stone literally on thin ice with the City Council who threaten to suspend him from being Police Chief of Paradise, Massachusetts because he is spending too much time in Boston. Rose Gammon decides to take it upon herself to re-open the kidnapped Baby Blue case from ten years ago when the mother visits Paradise Police Department (PPD) and brings a note mailed from Paradise. Jesse, however, is very busy trying everything he can to figure out who shot his friend, State Commissioner Captain Healy and himself when they were on a very unique unofficial stake out that involved Captain Healy's nephew. The only suspect has an "air-tight alibi." Jesse Stone: Thin Ice covers the themes loyalty and friendship well.

The sixth movie, Jesse Stone: No Remorse (first aired on CBS May, 2010) resumes the plot with Jesse back in Paradise; still on suspension. Policeman Luther "Suitcase" Simpson is current acting Chief of Police. Rose Gammon and Suitcase are all that is left of the police force in Paradise, Massachusetts. They both miss Jesse's experience and expertise. The City Council has placed them under strict orders not to discuss any "police business" with Jesse. This forces Rose and Suitcase to be creative as they secretively consult with Jesse about a case involving several liquor stores where the criminal is murderous as he robs for money.

While Rose and Suitcase are busy investigating this crime spree in Paradise, Jesse reluctantly agrees to be hired by his friend State Commissioner Captain Healy (who is still recuperating from being shot, but has returned to his duties) as a "consultant" to help solve a Boston parking lot murder (that becomes a serial killer's pattern). The mobster Gino Fish uncooperatively assists Jesse and reminds him of having an "air-tight alibi". This time, Jesse believes Gino because this murder case leads to Gino Fish's assistant, Alan Garner (Tod Hofley), who like all Bostonian mobsters has an "air-tight alibi". Once again, it is up to Jesse Stone to expertly solve the murder case and creatively crack that "air-tight alibi". Jesse Stone: No Remorse teaches perseverance is the key to solving murder investigations.

The world premiere of the seventh Jesse Stone movie aired via CBS May 22, 2011. Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost picks up where the sixth movie ended. Jesse has taken up jogging and continues to accept "consulting" jobs from his friend State Commissioner Captain Healy. The latest being a murder case in trial with a suspect who Healy believes is innocent and requests Jesse find out if his suspicions are accurate.

The City Council of Paradise, Massachusetts replaces acting Police Chief Luthor "Suitcase" Simpson. The new Chief of Police (Mark Blum) immediately promotes Rose Gammon and Luthor "Suitcase" Simpson to Deputy making them the first Deputies of Paradise's police force. Deputy Rose Gammon and Deputy Luthor "Suitcase" Simpson readily dislike the new Chief of Police. It is obvious he is in league with the City Council. Rose and Suitcase want Jesse Stone back as their Chief.

While Jesse continues his investigation for State Commissioner Captain Healy, due to being an out-of-touch friend of the victim found by Rose in her car on the road leading to Jesse's house, Jesse covertly investigates this murder case involving Paradise High School graduate, Cindy Van Alden (Eileen Boylen). The new Chief of Police does not want any bad publicity; wants to shelve this investigation as a suicide. Jesse, Rose and Suitcase find this appallingly unethical.

Both consulting case and murder investigation are solved by Jesse Stone. Suitcase resigns from the Paradise Police Department (PPD). Rose cannot afford to leave the PPD and receives a referral from Jesse for Dr. Dix. Rose needs someone to talk to about her son's alcoholism. Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost teaches about ethics and true friendship plus how important they are.

The world premiere of the eighth Jesse Stone movie aired via CBS Sunday, May 20, 2012. This began with an unusual twist with two policemen (one being the new Police Chief of Paradise, Massachusetts and the policeman Jesse Stone fired from the PPD - both were return actors from the earlier Jesse Stone movies for these two roles). This plot was about giving these policemen who were set up to look dirty plus blown up from a under the car bomb a "benefit of a doubt."

Jesse Stone is reinstated as the Police Chief because the heads of the City Council knew Jesse was a good cop with excellent investigative skills. They had faith that Jesse would find out who murdered these fine upstanding citizens of Paradise. Jesse accepts, and then finds himself the only one in the Police Station and in the PPD. There were no police personnel manning the phones. All, except the two who had been blown up in the police car, had left the PPD. Rose was now living out of the area. Suitcase was a commercial fisherman with his father. No one Jesse contacted for reinstatement on the force was willing to accept his offer. They all gave their best wishes to Jesse as well as congratulations for being reinstated as Chief.

The rest of the film was Jesse on his own as Police Chief and only person in the PPD, with a little help from State Commissioner Captain Healy who was very determined to keep everything by the book, investigating the murders of the two policemen. Jesse's investigation has quite a few twists and snags. He visited Gino Fish, Hastings "Hasty" Hathaway and others throughout his investigation to ensure justice prevails. The ending was not really a surprise, but the viewer does not see it coming.

Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt was well scripted. It reminded me of the first movie. Hasty is in this one a lot. We find out just how shady this character truly is thanks to Jesse getting to the bottom of things. I was glad to see the main characters were the same actors from the earlier seven movies.

The lengths of each movie vary slightly, averages to about 1 hour 30 minutes each. Jesse Stone: No Remorse is the longest with a length of 1 hour and 58 minutes. Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost and Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt were second longest with a run time of 1 hour 50 minutes.

The Jesse Stone movies are based on the detective book series known as "The Jesse Stone novels." The first nine books of "The Jesse Stone novels" were written by Robert B. Parker. The tenth book in this book series was written by Michael Brandman due to the deceasement of Robert B. Parker January 2010.

The first seven movies in the Jesse Stone movie series are available on DVD. The eighth Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt will probably be available on DVD soon.

I highly recommend this exceptionally entertaining movie series. You do not want to miss these if a Tom Selleck fan or a lover of murder mysteries.

Enjoy!