# Burden of Truth (2018)

> A big city lawyer returns to her hometown to take on a case of girls suffering from a mysterious illness.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/63400

## Facts

- Seasons: 4
- Episodes: 34
- Episode runtime: 45 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: drama, crime
- Created by: Brad Simpson
- Network: CBC Television
- Cast: Kristin Kreuk, Peter Mooney, Nicola Correia Damude, Meegwun Fairbrother, Star Slade, Anwen O'Driscoll, Varun Saranga, Sara Thompson
- TMDB rating: 7.3/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6987476/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: mild
- Tone: earnest, tense, emotional, hopeful

## What critics say

Audience reception is positive, with the legal drama praised for its emotionally charged mystery and strong lead performance.

## Synopsis

Burden of Truth (2018-2021) is a Canadian legal drama series created by Brad Simpson for CBC Television. Kristin Kreuk plays Joanna Hanley, a big city lawyer who returns to her hometown to take on the case of a group of girls suffering from a mysterious illness. Peter Mooney plays Billy Crawford, a figure whose ties to the community complicate the fight, while Meegwun Fairbrother plays Owen Beckbie, bringing a local perspective to the pursuit of answers. The engine of the series is the slow, stubborn work of building a case: interviews, medical records, hostile officials, and family loyalties that pull in competing directions. Across four seasons and thirty four episodes, the stories unfold as a serialized arc with weekly courtroom and investigative pressure rather than a case of the week format. Set in present day rural Canada, the series balances procedural rigor with the emotional weight of a community under strain. Its tone is earnest and tense, with moments of quiet grief and hope. Viewers who enjoy Big Little Lies, Better Call Saul, and Cardinal will find resonance in its blend of legal tension, small town secrets, and institutional resistance. The four seasons are steadily rated, and the series offers a grounded, character driven legal drama suited to adults and young adults.

## Shows like Burden of Truth

- [Family Law (2021)](https://ember.film/tv/103486)
- [Murder in a Small Town (2024)](https://ember.film/tv/157870)
- [The Brokenwood Mysteries (2014)](https://ember.film/tv/54875)
- [Proven Innocent (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/70059)
- [Return to Paradise (2024)](https://ember.film/tv/160794)
- [The Ice Cream Girls (2013)](https://ember.film/tv/60561)
- [The Rainmaker (2025)](https://ember.film/tv/171354)
- [Home Before Dark (2020)](https://ember.film/tv/82550)
- [The Jetty (2024)](https://ember.film/tv/150781)
- [Silent Nava (2026)](https://ember.film/tv/1104972)

---

Site overview: https://ember.film/llms.txt