Article originally published as MANHATTAN Review on Seat42F.
“Damnatio Memoriae” is a Latin phrase
that means a person must not be remembered. As MANHATTAN returns for a
second season on WGN America, the premiere episode bears that title, and
many in charge of Los Alamos would like Frank Winter (John Benjamin
Hickey) to be forgotten. The hour does the opposite, though, with
Frank’s absence felt in both big ways and small, and frequently
mentioned. The more things change in the desert, the more Frank is
ingrained in the minds of them all.
I expected MANHATTAN to feel like a
different show without Frank (who isn’t the only cast member gone when
the sophomore run begins), but it really doesn’t. Characters come and go
on MANHATTAN, and while Frank is central in the first year, there are
other important players who are still around. As such, while Frank (and
Daniel Stern’s Glen Babbit) will be missed by the fans as well as the
other characters, MANHATTAN must continue.
“Damnatio Memoriae” begins with the
testing of the atomic bomb, before jumping back in time fifteen months.
While it’s not news to the audience that the bomb actually gets made and
works, something taught in history classes all over the world, the show
uses a subplot with Russian spy Jim Meeks (Christopher Denham) to build
suspense. The flash-forwards also seem to promise Frank’s return. Are
these events set for the season finale, or much later? We’ll have to
wait and see.
In the present, Charlie Isaacs (Ashley
Zukerman) has been promoted to head up the implosion project, now the
focus of the camp. He bristles against how he gets the job, but he takes
to the new-found authority with startling ease. From going head-to-head
with the mysteries spy hunter Occam (Richard Schiff), to lying to the
staff about Frank’s whereabouts (or so Charlie thinks), Isaacs quickly
becomes comfortable with his position. He may not have wanted this turn
of events, but they suit him well.
Part of Charlie’s stepping up could be
because he learns that his wife, Abby (Rachel Brosnahan), is pregnant.
She may not give their marriage a second chance, but Charlie is going to
be a parent, and that rearranges one’s priorities. But even before that
he shows the tenacity, strength, and willingness to play the game that
is needed. I have to say, I’m a little surprised, especially knowing the
mistakes he’s made in the past. Some people just rise to the occasion,
though.
Frank may be gone, but his wife, Liz
(Olivia Williams), is not. Told she must stay in Los Alamos because of
what she knows, she is demoted in her living quarters and not given any
information about what happened to her husband. She’s essentially an
unwilling prisoner at this point, but I give her credit for not giving
up and managing to get her daughter transferred away, despite the
efforts of Dunlavey (Jefferson White), who is by no means a worthy
opponent.
The major character introduced in
“Damnatio Memoriae” is the new head of the base, Col. Darrow (William
Peterson, CSI). Darrow comes into quite a mess, and while he won’t get
everything under control right away, he does get a chance to assert his
authority with Crosley (Harry Lloyd). This scene tells viewers right
away the type of commander Darrow is, and he’s one that should not only
get things running much more smoothly, but also will not be trifled
with. The time for nonsense is over.
Being on WGN America, many people may
not yet have heard of or given a chance to MANHATTAN. It is a terrific
human drama, though, and while not wholly historically accurate, with
fictional characters put into real events, is a fascinating look at the
type of place in which the bomb was built. It’s definitely worth
watching.
MANHATTAN airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on WGN America.
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