Crime and Justice (released on Canal+ as Crime et Justice: Nairobi) is a 2021 Kenyan Showmax Original mystery, crime, and drama series produced by Showmax and Canal+, starring Alfred Munyua, Sarah Hassan, Maqbul Mohammed, Paul Ogola, and Brian Ogola.
| Crime and Justice | |
|---|---|
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| Genre | mystery-crime, and drama |
| Directed by |
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| Starring |
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| Country of origin | Kenya |
| Original languages | English Swahili |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 16 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Allan Sperling |
| Running time | 42-60 minutes |
| Production companies | Showmax Canal+ |
| Original release | |
| Network | Showmax Canal+ |
| Release | 25 February 2021 – 11 April 2022 |
| Related | |
| Crime and Justice Lagos | |
Plot
editCrime and Justice is a police procedural and legal drama that follows the detective Makena (Hassan) and Silas (Munyua) as they investigate a one-ripped-from-the-headlines case, and safeguard the streets of Nairobi. Dealing with all manner of crime, they must learn to trust each other's instincts in the pursuit of justice.
Cast
edit- Sarah Hassan as Detective Makena
- Alfred Munyua as Detective Silas
- Maqbul Mohammed as DCI Boss Kebo
- Paul Ogola as Prosecutor Sokoro
- Brian Ogola as Clive
Episode
edit| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | |||
| 1 | 8 | February 25, 2021 | April 26, 2021 | |
| 2 | 8 | February 21, 2022 | April 11, 2022 | |
Season 1 (2021)
edit| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Mistress" | Unknown | Unknown | 25 February 2021 | |
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A wealthy lawyer's pregnant mistress is found murdered; it sends shockwaves throughout the community. Determined to find the killer, Makena and Silas' investigation leads them to a stunning, chilling conclusion.[1] | |||||
| 2 | "Primal" | Unknown | Unknown | 3 March 2021 | |
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When a teenage girl stabs her father to death, Makena and Silas investigate what could have motivated the heinous act. As they look closer into the family, dark secrets of abuse emerge.[2] | |||||
| 3 | "Pride" | Unknown | Unknown | 8 March 2021 | |
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A young mixed couple is found brutally killed at a motel. Makena and Silas’ investigation leads them to the female victim’s family and into the twisted mind of the killer.[3] | |||||
| 4 | "Coked" | Unknown | Unknown | 16 March 2021 | |
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When an Instagram influencer dies under mysterious circumstances on a private jet, the results of her autopsy lead Makena and Silas on the trail of a dangerous drug cartel.[4] | |||||
| 5 | "Battered" | Unknown | Unknown | 23 March 2021 | |
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When a case of domestic violence involves a colleague, Makena and Silas find themselves entangled in a sticky fix between their boss who is trying to prevent a scandal and bringing their colleague to justice.[5] | |||||
| 6 | "Homegrown" | Unknown | Unknown | 5 April 2021 | |
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When a series of bombings terrorize Nairobi, Makena and Silas are led to a charismatic history professor at a local college who may hold the key to stopping the next attack.[6] | |||||
| 7 | "Greed" | Unknown | Unknown | 12 April 2021 | |
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When a journalist gets too close to the truth about the suspicious flow of money at an NGO, he is found murdered. Makena and Silas follow the money to a world of decadence, betrayal and corruption.[7] | |||||
| 8 | "Retribution" | Unknown | Unknown | 26 April 2021 | |
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Makena and Silas investigate the murder of a judge, which leads them to the trail of a serial killer who will seemingly stop at nothing to carry out his twisted sense of justice.[8] | |||||
Season 2 (2022)
edit| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Death Squad" | Unknown | Unknown | 21 February 2022 | |
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A notorious criminal is found murdered. Silas and Makena seek out an anonymous vigilante police cartel, who kill criminals after issuing warnings to them on social media.[9] | |||||
| 2 | "The Taxi Killer" | Unknown | Unknown | 1 March 2022 | |
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Makena and Silas hunt down a serial killer posing as an Uber Driver who targets young, club-going women.[10] | |||||
| 3 | "A Killer Date" | Unknown | Unknown | 7 March 2022 | |
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When a law intern is found dead. Makena and Silas go on a mission to uncover who is behind the murder, only to discover that she was at the wrong place at the wrong time and the hit was for her lover.[11] | |||||
| 4 | "Slaughterhouse" | Unknown | Unknown | 14 March 2022 | |
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When a boy survives a massacre, in which his entire family is murdered, Silas and Makena are shocked to discover a dark truth tied to a popular TV show.[12] | |||||
| 5 | "The Death of an Activist" | Unknown | Unknown | 21 March 2022 | |
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When an Activist is killed in cold blood. Makena and Silas find themselves under pressure from Human rights organizations to bring the killers to book or be seen as collaborators.[13] | |||||
| 6 | "The Slaying of an Australian Billionaire" | Unknown | Unknown | 28 March 2022 | |
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When Makena and Silas investigate a missing tycoon, suspicion quickly falls on his wife. But when they look deeper, they unravel a scheme involving corrupt officials, business rivals, hitmen and more.[14] | |||||
| 7 | "The Miracle" | Unknown | Unknown | 4 April 2022 | |
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Makena and Silas investigate the murder of a nurse which leads them to a string of kidnappings at the maternity ward where she works.[15] | |||||
| 8 | "The Whistleblower" | Unknown | Unknown | 11 April 2022 | |
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Makena and Silas are forced to confront an ugly truth in the force when a series of gang murders leads them back to the death of a trusted colleague.[16] | |||||
Production
editDevelopment
editOn 30 July 2020, Multichoice announced the partnership between Showmax and CANAL+ co-production on Blood Psalms, a drama series set to premiere on Showmax in 2021.[17]
On 12 January 2021, following their partnership, they announced the production of Crime and Justice,[18] a crime series set in Nairobi, directed and produced by Adam Neutzsky-Wulff. Speaking about the production, CEO of MultiChoice Connected Video, Yolisa Phahle, said “MultiChoice was fundamentally an African business invested in telling African stories reflecting in the lives, languages, and cultures of the continent. We believe in African talent and look forward to shining the international spotlight on not only Kenyan stars, but the Kenyan technical industry's capabilities, and we believe that streaming video is a powerful way to deliver these stories. This is one of many more Showmax Originals.”[18]
Casting
editThe cast was reported when the first episode for season 1 began, with a line-up of Alfred Munyua, Sarah Hassan, Maqbul Mohammed, Paul Ogola, and Brian Ogola.
Shortly after MultiChoice announce their partnership, the main cast spoke about their role during the press release. Speaking with The Media Online reporter, the lead actors Alfred Munyua, and Sarah Hassan spoke about their characters in the series, Munyua said “When I first read the script, I loved the delivery and realness of Silas as a character. It’s not exaggerated and he’s no Rambo hero; he just tackles his cases the normal way. I found a very real edge with this script, and I hope I’ll do justice to the role”.[18] Hassan spoke about her character, saying “This is a very different character; I’ve never played anything like Makena before. It’s very exciting to get a character that makes me grow as an actor”.[18]
Release
editOn 1 December 2021, Showmax renewed another season and announced they have officially begun filming.[19] On 11 January 2022, Showmax confirmed the second season, was ready to be released in February.[20] On 17 February 2022, Showmax held a private screening of the first episode of the second season of Crime and Justice.[21]
Reception
editCritical and audience response
editIn a review, Carlos Mutethi of Quartz Africa said: "Crime and Justice is based on topics that have dominated Kenyan headlines, including femicide and domestic violence."[22] He also added, "[a]long the way, the series exposes bias and other weaknesses in the police and the judicial systems."[22]
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Kalasha Awards | Best TV Drama | Crime and Justice | Nominated | [23][24] |
| Best Lead Actress in a TV Drama | Sarah Hassan for Crime and Justice | Won |
References
edit- ^ Venter, Stacey (25 February 2021). "Mistress: Crime and Justice case file #01". Showmax Stories. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
- ^ Venter, Stacey (3 March 2021). "Primal: Crime and Justice case file #02". Showmax Stories. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
- ^ Venter, Stacey (8 March 2021). "Pride: Crime and Justice case file #03". Showmax Stories. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
- ^ Venter, Stacey (16 March 2021). "Coked: Crime and Justice case file #04". Showmax Stories. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
- ^ Venter, Stacey (23 March 2021). "Battered: Crime and Justice case file #05". Showmax Stories. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
- ^ Venter, Stacey (5 April 2021). "Homegrown: Crime and Justice case file #06". Showmax Stories. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
- ^ Venter, Stacey (12 April 2021). "Greed: Crime and Justice case file #07". Showmax Stories. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
- ^ Venter, Stacey (26 April 2021). "Retribution: Crime and Justice case file #08". Showmax Stories. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
- ^ Venter, Stacey (21 February 2022). "Crime and Justice Season 2, Episode 1: The Death Squad". Showmax Stories. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
- ^ Venter, Stacey (1 March 2022). "Crime and Justice Season 2, Episode 2: The Taxi Killer". Showmax Stories. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
- ^ Venter, Stacey (7 March 2022). "Crime and Justice Season 2, Episode 3: A Killer Date". Showmax Stories. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
- ^ Venter, Stacey (14 March 2022). "Crime and Justice Season 2, Episode 4: Slaughterhouse". Showmax Stories. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
- ^ Venter, Stacey (21 March 2022). "Crime and Justice Season 2, Episode 5: The Death of An Activist". Showmax Stories. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
- ^ Venter, Stacey (28 March 2022). "Crime and Justice Season 2, Episode 6: The Slaying of an Australian Billionaire". Showmax Stories. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
- ^ Venter, Stacey (4 April 2022). "Crime and Justice Season 2, Episode 7: The Miracle". Showmax Stories. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
- ^ Venter, Stacey (11 April 2022). "Crime and Justice Season 2, Episode 8: The Whistleblower". Showmax Stories. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
- ^ "MultiChoice, Canal+, African, epic, mythology, Blood, Psalms, Blood Psalms". MultiChoice. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
- ^ a b c d Reporter, T. M. O. (12 January 2021). "Showmax and CANAL+ partner for new African police procedural, Crime & Justice". The Media Online. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
- ^ Canal, Stephane (1 December 2021). "Showmax's Kenyan TV series Crime & Justice renewed for another season". NexTV News Africa. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
- ^ Venter, Stacey (11 January 2022). "Showmax & CANAL+ confirm the production of hit Kenyan procedural Crime and Justice Season 2". Showmax Stories. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
- ^ Milimo, Dennis (17 February 2022). "Showmax hosts a star-studded showcase of Crime & Justice 2 and Single Kiasi [Photos]". Pulselive Kenya. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
- ^ a b Mureithi, Carlos (24 March 2021). "A new Showmax series takes inspiration from Kenya's most controversial headlines". Quartz. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
- ^ Muendo, Stevens. "Kalasha Awards 2021 winners – Full list". Standard Entertainment. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
- ^ Venter, Stacey (5 November 2021). "Kalasha Awards 2021: Crime and Justice up for Best TV Drama and more". Showmax Stories. Retrieved 9 January 2023.