Change Your Image
cos2377
Reviews
Patriot (2015)
Unique and wonderful pilot
I love this pilot episode. It is the perfect ratio of spy drama and comedy. Some moments are dark and violent while others are touching and sweet. Watching the protagonist, John, work his way through all the hurdles on his way to completing his mission is both hilarious and filled with desperation. His unique coping mechanism for stress, on the nose folk music, sounds like it would be annoying, but it is perfection. If I could get someone to sing to me about geopolitical events, I might actually be able to stay current. Though I love everything about this story, the best part is the interaction between the brothers and their father and between John and his wife. I love that they actually all seem to care about each other and especially about John, even when they are using him for their own purposes. Despite rather abnormal circumstances, the relationships seem normal and real. So many modern dramas seem to require that the protagonist be alone and miserable. While John is not precisely happy, he does seem to be able to maintain healthy relationships. I'm so glad this was picked up to series. I'm certain I will watch the pilot an unhealthy amount of times before the next episodes are finished. Unfortunately, this also means I will be singing folk songs in my head in anticipation.
Edge (2015)
So-so ultra violent western
There were some positive things about this pilot. It has some of the elements of the classic spaghetti westerns I love, like the nameless gunslinger walking riding into the run down old west town and facing off with the corrupt sheriff and the mission to get revenge for the death of a beloved family member. On paper, this sounded like a great show. Unfortunately, it did not live up to my expectations. It was filled with outlandish, pulpy violence, which is not necessarily a problem, but it seemed out of sync with rest of the show. Too many fingers, toes and heads flew unchecked from various gunshot victims and it just felt silly. The biggest problem I had was the amount of collateral damage for which our protagonist was directly responsible. Granted, he is an anti-hero, but he doesn't seem to have any moral code and seems willing to kill or betray any number of innocent bystanders. They may not all be "innocent", but surely not all deserving of a gruesome death. Even an anti-hero needs to be likable in some way, so that the audience actually wants to root for him. If the villains were not such horrible people, I'd probably be rooting against Edge. If it is picked up to series, I would probably give it one more shot, but I'm not holding out hope.