Though Hilde is based on a real person, this isn’t a real case. The idea that police would really give files pertaining to a child’s disappearnce to a 9-year-old is (hopefully) unrealistic and while the real Hilde did report on a murder in her home town, with quotes and comment from neighbors and police, scooping other news outlets, she didn’t get involved in solving the case.
Reality aside, this is a slightly odd, but still compelling series as it charts a wrongful conviction, police corruption and small town prejudices as well as family tensions and teen/pre-teen angst.
Matt is a former reporter who would sometimes take young Hilde with him to work, so when an old friend of Matt’s dies mysteriously Hilde is quick to report the death as a possible murder. After inspecting the crime scene, Hilde launches her own investigation into what might have happened and how it connects to the disappearance of Richie Fife three decades ago, with her new misfit friends Donny (Jibrail Nantambu) and Spoon (Deric McCabe). But the meddlings of a bunch of pre-teens aren’t entirely welcome in the town and Hilde is certainly not helping her big sister Izzy make friends.
The man in jail for Richie’s murder just happens to be the brother of the woman who was killed and Hilde is starting to believe he’s innocent. Though Matt, Hilde and Bridget Lysiak are all consultants on the show some scenes are downright uncomfortable, particularly when Hilde decides to go on the run with a convicted felon.
Subtext about the responsibility and importance of a free press feels slightly trite in Home After Dark – a shame since the real life Hilde did come up against negative commenters and was even threatened with arrest for her reporting.