As you sit for breakfast, salivating at the steaming pile of pancakes before you, it’s very easy to take for granted the quintessential condiment that will inevitably find its way on top of your delicious meal: maple syrup. To Canadians, it’s not just a practical necessity at the breakfast table, but a form of cultural identity exemplified by the maple leaf upon the national flag. Make no mistake, though, the Canadian maple syrup industry, which accounts for an estimated 70% of the world’s supply – 90% of which comes out of Quebec – is very serious business, amounting to $615 million in exports in 2023.
With so much money on the table from this deceivingly innocuous syrup, one can imagine the competition and controversy that comes with such a prosperous industry. This is particularly true in Quebec, which produces 63% of the world’s maple syrup supply, and is regulated in the province by Quebec Maple Syrup Producers, otherwise known as “The Federation”, which in the past has faced harsh and frequent criticism from maple syrup producers, who have likened the QMSP to the mafia. Such accusations aside, maple syrup is an undeniably valuable commodity, so much so that when nearly 3,000 tons of the QMSP’s own maple syrup reserve was found to have been stolen in 2012, its estimated value of $18.7 million made this the most valuable heist in Canadian history, a record that still stands today when adjusted for inflation.
Now known rather plainly as the Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist, this blandly labeled crime drew international attention at the time. The culprits were eventually apprehended, with the ringleader, Richard Vallières, receiving an eight-year prison sentence, and may have to serve an additional six if he fails to pay his $9.4 million fine within ten years.
Given the high-profile nature of the heist, it was only a matter of time before an adaptation of some sort made it to our screens, and sure enough the Prime Video series The Sticky is set for release on December 6th. However, do not go into this show expecting a faithful depiction of the heist and its perpetrators, but rather a fictional dark comedy inspired by the heist, a fact highlighted even in the show’s trailer, as Amazon wisely avoids the same “This is a true story” pitfall as Netflix’s Baby Reindeer.
An American production, much of The Sticky’s narrative is centered in Canada, though there is a subplot involving the Boston Mob to which the characters of Jame Lee Curtis and Canadian actor Chris Diamantopoulos are connected. The lead role of Ruth Landry, a downtrodden Quebec sugarmaker (yes, that it was producers of maple syrup are called), was originally meant to be played by the Oscar-winning Curtis, who also serves as a producer on the show, but she was unable to make the commitment, and the multi-Emmy Award winning actress Margo Martindale was cast in her stead.
Despite her illustrious résumé, this leading role is particularly notable for Martindale, as she is known as one of the pre-eminent character actresses of her generation, consistently playing standout supporting roles in film and television, and I challenge any cinephile to name another leading part in her career. This type of role is long overdue for an actress of her talent, and if the early reviews are anything to go by, Martindale might not only be in the running for another Emmy nomination, but this could be one of the best TV comedies of the year, currently sitting at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, with Collider calling it “a Canadian ‘Fargo’”.
Along with Curtis and Diamantopoulos, Martindale is further supported by Quebec actor Guillaume Cyr and Ontario actress Gita Miller, in addition to an extensive Canadian cast. Much like its real-life inspiration, the story centres on the characters of Martindale, Diamantopoulos and Cyr trying to steal from a maple syrup storage facility, though with a more sympathetic edge than the real-life co-conspirators, as it is operated by a bureaucratic organization who are unfairly trying to put Martindale’s Ruth out of business and acquire her maple syrup for themselves, which is a clear and unflattering reference to The Federation. Of course, things rarely go to plan for the trio!
All episodes will release on December 6th, consisting of six 30-minute episodes, with the show’s brevity being the one criticism that reviewers have leveled at The Sticky. There is reportedly potential for a second season, which has yet to be confirmed and will likely hinge on its viewership.