Anna Pigeon Review: Pretty Scenery, Forgettable Mystery

What Is Anna Pigeon Anyway?

Imagine a TV show about a park ranger who solves crimes in beautiful national parks. That’s Anna Pigeon in a nutshell. It airs on USA Network and is based on novels by Nevada Barr.

The basic setup:

• Anna Pigeon (played by Tracy Spiridakos) used to be a Broadway stage manager
• Her husband was murdered, so she became a law enforcement park ranger
• She moves from park to park, never staying put
• Current location: Glacier National Park in Montana (actually filmed in Alberta, Canada)

Important Point: The reviewer watched all 6 episodes sent to critics. His verdict? The show works only as background noise while you do other things.

The Good Stuff (Yes, There Is Some!)

Beautiful Nature Porn

• Stunning valleys, rivers, and mountains
• If you mute the TV, it’s a great screensaver
• Directors (starting with Lea Thompson) make sure everything looks gorgeous

Decent Performances

The Not-So-Good Stuff (There’s A Lot)

1. The Timeline Makes No Sense

The show is super fuzzy on basic facts:

• How long has Anna been in Montana?
• How long has she been sleeping with the bartender Jesse?
• How long since her husband died?
• How long to become a qualified park ranger?

Reviewer’s advice: "If you’re the sort of person who tends to dwell on things, either skip this series or perhaps read the books."

2. Clunky Exposition Dumps

Instead of showing us who Anna is, characters just tell us. Example: FBI agent Fredrick Stanton lists her entire backstory in one breath:

"You have a fancy arts degree, parents back east, sister who’s a big New York psychiatrist, and you’re good living in old, moldy ranger houses going from park to park to park?"

Reviewer’s reaction: "Oy." (Translation: Cringe.)

3. Anna Talks to Herself… A Lot

• Episode 1: Anna wanders around narrating everything — "Beer can?" she says to a beer can
• Later episodes: Switches to pretentious internal monologues about grief and nature
• Problem: Anna is explicitly avoiding introspection, yet we’re forced to listen to her introspect badly

4. Boring "Mystery of the Week" Plots

Episodes 2–4 are forgettable procedural cases:

1. Decades-old bank robberies
2. Family living illegally in the park
3. Rainstorm strands tourists (one might be a murderer)

Reviewer had to check his notes to remember these plots. That’s how unmemorable they are.

5. The Villain Is Cartoonishly Bad

Jeremiah Paulson (Kim Coates) wants to… buy the park? It’s unclear.

• Speaks only in "toothless villain talk"
• Example line: "You are just a down-on-her-luck, rapidly aging widow and everything you touch turns to shit"
• Kim Coates (usually great) gives neither complexity nor menace
• Reviewer: "I’m not sure this is a part that, like, Anthony Hopkins could give nuance to."

6. Supporting Characters Are Cardboard Cutouts

• Anna’s boss: "Has a mustache" (reviewer forgot his name — it’s Geoff, played by Ryan Northcott)
• Sister Molly (Tricia Helfer): Exists only via phone calls from "New York" (clearly Calgary)
  • Terrible psychiatrist who gives advice like: "Attractive men are your weakness."
  • Ethics violation: Treating your own sister? No real therapist would do this.
• Bartender Jesse (Cooper Levy): His talent in a talent show is stripping. Reviewer: "Is that a spoiler? I’m not sure. I also don’t care."

How It Compares to Other Shows

The "Blue Sky" Legacy

USA Network used to be known for "Blue Sky" shows — fun, escapist series like Burn Notice. The reviewer argues the best Blue Sky shows were actually richer than people remember.

Anna Pigeon delivers the bare minimum of that brand:

• Pretty people ✓
• Photogenic backdrops ✓
• Zero lasting impact ✓

The Park Ranger Trend

We’re apparently in a Golden Age of Park-Ranger-Solving-Crime TV:

• Anna Pigeon (USA)
• Joe Pickett (Paramount+)
• Untamed (Netflix, with Eric Bana)

Reviewer’s joke: "Hard to believe television existed for decades with park rangers merely struggling to protect picnic baskets from overdressed (or underdressed) bears."

The Final Two Episodes: Slightly Better?

Episodes 5–6 are a two-parter:

• Anna gets pushed into a pit (literal and metaphorical)
• Must figure out who did it while confronting past trauma
• Reviewer admits: These are "absolutely better than what came before"
• But: Build to "thoroughly unsurprising surprises" and show no sign of deep mythology

Bottom Line Summary

The Hollywood Reporter’s Official Verdict: "Barely satisfying as background TV."

Mission accomplished? The reviewer ends with: "[M]ission…accomplished[!], indeed." — dripping with sarcasm.

FAQ: Your Burning Questions Answered

Should I watch Anna Pigeon?

Only if you want pretty scenery while folding laundry or scrolling your phone. If you want a compelling mystery, character development, or good dialogue — skip it.

Is it faithful to the Nevada Barr books?

The reviewer suggests read the books instead. Details that work on the page become clunky exposition on screen.

Does Tracy Spiridakos do a good job?

She’s fine — an "assertive screen presence" who adds levity when the writing allows. But she can’t sell clumsy dialogue (a pattern since Revolution).

Is Kim Coates bad in this?

The role is badly written — a "generic bad guy" with "toothless villain talk." The reviewer doubts even Anthony Hopkins could save it.

Will there be a Season 2?

The show gives "no indication that Anna Pigeon is a show prepared for deep mythology." Translation: Don’t count on it.

TL;DR (Too Long; Didn’t Read)

Anna Pigeon is a beautifully filmed, instantly forgettable mystery series. It succeeds only at being disposable background television — which, ironically, makes it a perfect fit for USA Network’s old "Blue Sky" brand. Watch if you need visual wallpaper. Skip if you want a story that sticks.