We’ve all heard of journalists digging up random things to generate headlines, but never to this extent. Obituary follows a freelance obituarist, paid per article, who generates more work through killing. It’s an interesting premise, and Siobhán Cullen excellently portrays Elvira Clancy, with a specific, but believable obsession of death that keeps her interested in her work, but concerns her dad, who pushes her to bereavement counseling. On top of it all, a cute colleague of hers is onto who’s behind the crimes. Elvira is a unique character, one that has potential, but the show’s other characters, the lack of consistency between each episode, and the way information is relayed keeps the series from being totally hilarious and emotionally resonant.
When Elvira’s editor informs her that she will be paid per article, she begins murdering people to avoid going broke. Her plans are shaken when she falls for the crime reporter.
Elvira Clancy enjoys her new work as a small-town obituarist, however, she’s now being paid per article. When work dries up locally, she might have to resort to murder to continue her work.
Obituary is marked as a dark comedy, but there’s something off in the way the humor plays out in the show. Elvira Clancy has a creepy yet stoic demeanor that allows a wry and dry sense of humor, and Siobhán Cullen does a fair job at it, with her voiced-over internal monologues and quick ability to adapt. The way she expresses annoyance each time she finds a good thing about the newly released murderer, or each time everyone around her acts better than expected, is so funny, with disbelief swimming in her eyes. That being said, her performance alone isn’t enough to keep things interesting, as each piece of information is only expressed through dialogue, and each new death doesn’t feel like it holds emotional weight.
It's an intriguing show but... so inconsistent.
