I tuned in to this show for the first time after reading several negative comments here on IMDb. And to be honest, I saw some of the flaws that people had pointed out: action was not cool enough (read "big budget enough") while the plot of the wives back home was better but not gripping enough to tune in again.
I see a trend in television: use clichéd characters to save narrative time and flesh them out as the series progresses. Provide nuances and wrinkles that add interest after you have captured an audience based on lowest common denominator viewers. I personally see this as a dangerous trend, but still, I can see why it is done. Perhaps the early episodes suffered from this "shorthand" technique, notwithstanding the excellent pedigree provided by David Mamet and Dennis Haysbert.
Nevertheless, I have watched a couple of new episodes lately and I think it is truly engaging television. I am hooked. So now that I have formed this addiction, I hope the network doesn't yank it away and send me into withdrawal. Shows like this need time not only to garner a respectable audience, but also to settle into a rhythm and allow quality to take root.
I see a trend in television: use clichéd characters to save narrative time and flesh them out as the series progresses. Provide nuances and wrinkles that add interest after you have captured an audience based on lowest common denominator viewers. I personally see this as a dangerous trend, but still, I can see why it is done. Perhaps the early episodes suffered from this "shorthand" technique, notwithstanding the excellent pedigree provided by David Mamet and Dennis Haysbert.
Nevertheless, I have watched a couple of new episodes lately and I think it is truly engaging television. I am hooked. So now that I have formed this addiction, I hope the network doesn't yank it away and send me into withdrawal. Shows like this need time not only to garner a respectable audience, but also to settle into a rhythm and allow quality to take root.
Tell Your Friends