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Originally Posted by Baby Lee
I thought the best thing it did was stick the landing. The last episode tied things together sufficient to make prior reservations or resistance somewhat moot.
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That's probably an astute observation. Trying to work through what it looks like with a strung out ending, and it changes the view pretty substantially. In fact, I didn't realize it was ongoing yet, and thought when I got through episode 9 I thought it was the end, and certainly episode 10 changes the overall view of the story. Seems fairly obvious, but I figured what was coming was in season 2.
Long, bumble**** way of saying good point.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Baby Lee
I had a particular [as in specific and probably not all that universal] aversion to the narrative, as I hate the 'let's put on a play' narrative of comprehensive problem-solving. And I hate this notion that great works performed with heart will unlock truths in every hardened heart. It smacks of creative types jacking themselves off, and it happens everywhere.
And that narrative was as central to this show as it could possibly be, but I didn't mind overly in the end, and it even managed to acquit that thesis fairly well.
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I didn't hate it as much as you. Total guess, but I bet I've been exposed to it less than you. I typically manage to avoid things that go down that road. And let's be real here, my hayseed ass isn't the the most seasoned art critic so they can lob some garbage meatballs by me and I'd never get it. But I thought it was well done. Wasn't what I was expecting, but it worked for me.
I think it did a nice job of not getting lost in the dystopia of it all. I mean, it went into the hardship for sure, but it would have been really easy to go all disaster porn like so many shows do and deserves credit for telling that story better.
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Originally Posted by Baby Lee
Overall a worthwhile experience.
With that said, I think it's somewhat of a pale imitator of The Leftovers, which the production team oversaw just a couple years back. Not as apocalyptic, but every bit as emotional and resonant its themes.
And I agree about MacEnzie Davis. She is not a 'stunner' but she is very engrossing, and it struck me she's a good deal like a young Meryl Streep. Pretty in a plain honest manner, but so expressive and engrossing that you lose yourself in her performances. Watch Meryl in The Deerhunter and see if you aren't thinking the same things about her you are MacEnzie in their respective performances.
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My opinion - and I'm open to being wrong here, but I think it is a tighter, more elegant version of The Leftovers.
The Leftovers didn't work as well for me as this did. I caught the first 2 seasons of Leftovers, and didn't bother with the third. I thought it did a nice job on the character stuff and right as it got in there it would dive back into weird ass shit, in my opinion needlessly. But maybe the 3rd season un****s it all, but whatever. I thought this was a better, more refined story, or at least approach.
Davis has earned some rope from me. I'll watch her stuff.