Article first published as TV Review: THE HALCYON on Seat42F.
Ovation has imported the ITV series THE
HALCYON, premiering tonight in the states. Set in a five-star hotel in
London England in 1940, early in World War II, the show follows people
of all classes, from the owner of the establishment and his family, down
to the staff that keep things moving. The premise obviously sounds like
Downton Abbey, but THE HALCYON is more gritty, with those coming to
stay there engaged in a variety of scandalous, and in at least one case,
Nazi-supporting, behavior that makes it more drama-filled than that
former series.
At the center of things is Richard
Garland (Steven Mackintosh, Luther), the general manager of the titular
waystation. Richard is very customer service oriented, working to keep
his employer, Lord Lawrence Hamilton (Alex Jennings, The Crown), happy,
even when that goes against the wishes of Hamilton’s wife, Priscilla
(Olivia Williams, Manhattan). Things get more difficult when Hamilton’s
outspoken mistress, Charity Lambert (Charity Wakefield, The Player),
decides to take on a more public persona. This does not go unnoticed by
American reporter Joe O’Hara (Matt Ryan, Constantine), who is staying at
the hotel. And then there’s Garland’s daughter, Emma (Hermione
Corfield, xXx: Return of Xander Cage), who has a flirtation with
Hamilton’s eldest son, RAF pilot Freddie (Jamie Blackley, If I Stay),
who is in a relationship with someone else.
That is just the tip of the iceberg of
events at THE HALCYON, which boasts a sprawling cast and many plot
lines. It’s a classic soap opera, with lots of drama, too much at once
to be thought realistic. The pacing is quick, moving through various
threads, and it’s hard to keep track of everyone and their relationships
to one another at first viewing.
It’s a very beautiful show, the
production design and set decoration superb. Part of the joy of watching
the series is just to imagine oneself in the hotel. Most of the
characters, despite their bad behavior, adhere to the classiness of the
setting in outward manner, painting us a picture of a specific place and
time, or at least a fictionalized version of it. The world is enticing
enough to quickly get sucked into the plot.
While not as high-quality as Downton
Abbey in terms of storytelling, there’re enough elements to satisfy
most. The lack of believability hurts, but the actors play the roles
earnestly enough to keep viewers interested and invested. Coincidences
may stretch the bounds, but there aren’t any big or obvious plot holes
in the first hour.
In fact, my only complaint about the
premiere is that it starts with the end of the season, then jumps back
seven months. This has become overdone enough that I automatically roll
my eyes at any series that dares still do it. However, for THE HALCYON,
it’s less annoying than in most because with the density we’re about to
jump into, it does provide an intriguing hook to get the audience to
expend the effort learning all of the players.
My main caution with this show, though,
is that it has already been canceled, and does not contain a definitive
ending. Because it aired early in the year in Britain, you can google
fan reaction, and a very vocal group are calling for its return to, in
part, resolve major cliffhangers. As pretty as THE HALCYON is, knowing
it is incomplete and extremely unlikely to be concluded is enough to
make it a pass for me in the age of so many other options. Were it
airing simultaneously and its future in doubt, I’d be tempted. As it
stands, I don’t see the point of spending my time on it.
THE HALCYON premieres tonight at 10pm ET on Ovation.
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