Feel-good murders: narrative closure and the intensification of a cozy atmosphere in the Hallmark Mystery TV movie series, mystery 101

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.9771/contemporanea.v24i1.67552

Keywords:

Cozy mysteries, narrative closure, atmosphere, comfort, Hallmark Mystery

Abstract

This article investigates the role of narrative closure in the creation of cozy atmospheres in the TV movie series Mystery 101, produced by the Hallmark Mystery channel. The analysis focuses on the third film in the series, Words Can Kill (2019), and advances the hypothesis that the final moments of each episode function as zones of emotional decompression designed to modulate the viewer’s experience. The series narrative operates on two interwoven levels: an iterative plot centered on solving episodic crimes; and a continuing plot that follows the emotional development of the protagonists, Amy and Travis. The articulation between these layers relies on the systematic operation of comfort—a reassuring atmosphere that softens the gravity of criminal events and sustains a sense of emotional continuity. Drawing on atmospheric aesthetics, narrative theory, and cognitive science, the article argues that the cozy mystery subgenre, as promoted by Hallmark, repositions the notion of eventfulness in favor of a sensitive reaffirmation of order and stability.

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Author Biographies

Pedro Barata Gomes, Universidade Federal Fluminense

Doutorando no Programa de Pós-Graduação em Comunicação da Universidade Federal Fluminense (PPGCOM-UFF). Mestre em Comunicação pelo mesmo programa. Pesquisa o user-centered design aplicado às narrativas audiovisuais, explorando as affordances atmosféricas e o seu potencial para a criação de uma qualidade de presença a informar o desenvolvimento de situational awareness para a otimização da atualização dos eventos narrados. Integra o grupo Media_Müthos.

Wanderley Anchieta, Universidade Federal Fluminense

Pesquisador de pós-doutorado no Programa de Pós-Graduação em Comunicação da Universidade Federal Fluminense (PPGCOM-UFF), com bolsa FAPERJ Nota 10. Doutor em Comunicação pelo mesmo programa. Pesquisa narratologia, ficção e dramaturgia, com foco nas interações entre personagens e narradores e na relação entre narratividade e progressão da história. Integra os grupos GRAFO/NAVI e Media_Müthos.

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Published

2026-02-27

How to Cite

Gomes, P. B., & Anchieta, W. (2026). Feel-good murders: narrative closure and the intensification of a cozy atmosphere in the Hallmark Mystery TV movie series, mystery 101. Contemporanea, 24(1). https://doi.org/10.9771/contemporanea.v24i1.67552

Issue

Vol. 24 No. 1 (2026)

Section

Artigos

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Copyright (c) 2026 Pedro Barata Gomes, Wanderley Anchieta

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