CASTLE ROCK Is Off the Map

Article first published as TV Review: CASTLE ROCK on Seat42F.

CASTLE ROCK is a new mystery series on Hulu. Set in the titular town, a small place in Maine that is literally not on the map (after unincorporating), there are is much dark and unexplained that happens here. The latest (first for the series) begins with the suicide of Warden Dale Lacy of Shawshank Prison, an event few believed likely to happen, and it only gets more twisted when it’s discovered that Lancy has kept a malnourished man prisoner in the burnt out section of the facility.

You probably recognize the name Shawshank. After all, there was a very popular film called The Shawshank Redemption set there, and that’s no coincidence. CASTLE ROCK is a Stephen King program that is not based on a specific King novel or short story. Instead, the oft-mentioned locale becomes the setting of this new television series that is very much in the spirit of King’s other works. And while there are numerous references to his writing, no prior knowledge is needed to follow this tale, as much as it can be followed at this time. (That being said, there are Easter eggs galore for hardcore fans.)

A lot about CASTLE ROCK is unknown at the start and likely to be for a while. It’s chilling tonally, similar to the best of King’s adaptations. The colors and lighting are dreary, and every character is hiding at least one big secret. It’s highly serialized, of course, and much better than recent King series like Under the Dome. Instead, I would liken it more to an elongated version of the best of King TV movies or similar genre works like American Horror Story. Though, the show does feel distinctly King-like.

At first, the cast seems sprawling, odd for a show with so few series leads. However, it soon becomes clear that there are a small number of important people that will drive the storu forward, while most play a supporting role, helping the plot along as needed. It seems likely that some of the recurring players will be in most or all of the season.

There are a lot of familiar faces. Terry O’Quinn (Lost) plays Warden Lacy, with Frances Conroy (American Horror Story) along as his wife. Bill Skarsgård (It) is “The Kid,” a.k.a. the man found in the cell that Lacy kept hidden. Noel Fisher (Shameless) is the prison guard who finds The Kid, while Ann Cusack (Mr. Mercedes) is the new warden who has to deal with the discovery and potential fallout. Sissy Spacek (Carrie) is Ruth Deaver, mother to the show’s real lead, Henry (Andre Holland, The Knick). Scott Glenn (The Defenders) is the former sheriff who found Henry when he was lost as a child and is currently shacking up with his mother. Melanie Lynskey (Togetherness) is the creepy girl next door, while Allison Tolman (Fargo) plays her sister. And Jane Levy (Suburbia) is… well, I’m just not sure who she is, but her name is Jackie Torrance, indicating she may be a descendent of Jack Torrance, famously played by Jack Nicholson in The Shining. This isn’t a complete cast list, which should tell you a lot of talented people were all too happy to sign on.

I’m inclined to agree with them all that CASTLE ROCK is worth your time. It’s complex, well-made, visually interesting, and an overall quality production. It’s creepy to the point where I couldn’t watch it right before going to sleep, a distinction I haven’t given a show in awhile. It’s also filled with promise of payoff, as the creators, Sam Shaw (Manhattan) and Dustin Thomason (The Evidence), clearly know their King and having a blast playing in his world.

The first three episodes of CASTLE ROCK are available now on Hulu, with new installments every Wednesday.

Return to THE KNICK

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: 'The Knick - The Complete Second Season' on Blogcritics.

I don’t have a high opinion of shows on Cinemax in general. I find them too bloody, too action-oriented, lacking character and plot depth. There is an exception to that rule, however, and that is the excellent drama The Knick, the second season of which will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on August 2nd (It is already available digitally).

The Knick is from the great Steven Soderbergh (Traffic, The Girlfriend Experience), and takes place at a New York City hospital known as The Knickerbocker, which actually existed, though the version in the show is fictionalized quite a bit. Set more than a century ago, the program follows Dr. John Thackery (Clive Owen, Children of Men), a genius of a man who struggles with a cocaine and opium addiction, and his co-workers at the facility. Far from the soapy drama of Grey’s Anatomy, the period drama is intense, engaging, and is a little bit informative about a bygone era, even though it is not, nor does it pretend to be, a true story.

Season two opens amid much strife. Those who watched the first year will recall (spoiler alert!) that The Knick itself has been shut down, Thackery hospitalized due to his substance abuse issue, and the hospital in dire financial straits, lacking backing from those with means who could keep its doors open. Contributing in no small part is the mismanagement of money by hospital manager Herman Barrow (Jeremy Bobb, The Wolf of Wall Street), who is indebted to the mob. Instead, a plan moves forward to construct a brand-new building uptown, and this in of itself allows for plenty of conflict, as greed and corruption enter into the proceedings.

The staff itself is undergoing no less an upheaval. An early front-runner to succeed Thackery is his temporary replacement, Dr. Algernon Edwards (Andre Holland, Selma, 1600 Penn), though his path is not without his challenges, not least of which includes the color of his skin. Of course, it is no surprise when Thackery returns, but is he in any shape to take his job back, or should it pass on to his assistant?

Amid this, there is plenty of suspense around abortions, retinal reattachment, eugenics, divorce, a subway explosion, conjoined twins, hypnotism, blackface, blackmail, and more.  You cannot say the ten hours contained in this set are boring. With a terrific ensemble cast that includes Eve Hewson (Bridge of Spies), Juliet Rylance (American Gothic), Eric Johnson (Rookie Blue), Michael Angarano (Will & Grace), Cara Seymour (An Education), and Chris Sullivan (The Normal Heart), there is always a lot going on, and pretty much all of it exciting, culminating in a heck of an ending to the year. I definitely recommend watching this series.

The Complete Second Season does an excellent job putting together a large batch of extras, too. I really liked the walking tour of the set, which reveals some of the hidden details of the wonderful designs, and the behind-the-scenes vignettes with the cast and crew. There is also a feature on the costumes, and a look at how the extravagant charity ball came together for episode seven. The medical procedures shown on screen are discussed more fully, there are recaps of each episode, “Knicktoids” facts, and three of the hours even have audio commentaries. All in all, the bonuses are worthy of the series, which is becoming more and more of a rarity in recent releases.

I liked The Knick right from the pilot. I’m glad to go along for the ride of season two, and I am very intrigued about the possibilities for the third outing, which has not yet been scheduled, the series taking a break as they plan the next two years of story. If its return is anything like what’s come so far, it’ll be worth the wait.

The Knick: The Complete Second Season will be available on disc on August 2nd, and is already available for pre-order on Amazon and other sites, as well as digitally.

Check In to THE KNICK

Article first published as THE KNICK Review on Seat42F.

The Knick | Andre Holland, Michael Angarano, Clive Owen, Eve Hewson, Eric Johnson | Credit Mary Cybulski/Cinemax

Cinemax finally has a series worth watching! Well, at least in this reviewer’s opinion. In the past, episodes I’ve screened of their shows were always heavy on action and violence and gore, but light on character development and story. This week, though, sees the premiere of THE KNICK, a period medical drama set in New York’s Knickerbocker Hospital at the turn of the previous century.

The lead character in THE KNICK is Dr. John W. Thackery (Clive Owen, Hemingway & Gellhorn). He’s very House M.D.-like in that he’s abrasive, brilliant, and has a serious drug addiction. Thackery learned to lean on the illegal substances from his mentor, Dr. Christenson (Matt Frewer, Orphan Black), and now realizes that it might not be a good idea to continue this habit as he takes over as head of surgery. Thankfully, his skills in treating patients haven’t suffered, but the self-medicating could be affecting his attitude.

The main difference between THE KNICK and House is that THE KNICK is not concerned with a mystery-of-the-week. It seems poised for a highly serialized plot, thankfully, that will deal with some depth among the players, as well as some of the issues of the age. Greed and bribery are running rampant, and race is a major factor in how the dynamic of the cast shapes up. These may be the go-to elements for that era, but they work well when told in an interesting, entertaining way, which THE KNICK does, surely thanks in no small part to its Oscar-winning director, Steven Soderbergh (Traffic).

THE KNICK is not boring, as some period dramas are wont to be. It does seem relatively authentic, for the most part. The costumes and set design are cool. There are some scenes that are more bloody than I’d prefer, a nod to the network it airs on, and the score is distracting at the start of the pilot, not quite in sync with what’s happening. However, these are minor gripes in the overall production, which I greatly enjoy.

Besides Owen and Frewer, both terrific performers, THE KNICK includes Andre Holland (1600 Penn) as Thackery’s new, forced-upon-him, African American deputy, Dr. Algernon Edwards, Eric Johnson (Flash Gordon) as the passed-over Dr. Gallinger, Michael Angarano (Will & Grace) as chipper Bertie, Juliet Rylance (Sinister) as overbearing benefactor Cornelia Robertson, Eve Erson (This Must Be the Place) as naïve nurse Lucy, Jeremy Bobb (The Wolf of Wall Street) as the beleaguered administrator, Chris Sullivan (The Normal Heart) as a jerk ambulance driver, Cara Seymour (An Education) as a closed-off nun, and David Fierro (Birman) as a sleazy health inspector. It’s a full, wide-ranging cast of characters, one sure to keep the story moving forward aplenty.

The writing is smart. Yes, some of the situations are fairly standard, but they’re handled in a rather clever way. For instance, the role Christenson plays in the series is interesting. Also, near the end of the pilot, there comes the moment when viewers know that Algernon must end up fully employed at The Knick, despite the obstacles that have plagued him so far. I thought I figured out what would happen, but the show dodges down a different path, showing its unpredictability.

1900 is an exciting year, with technological and medical revolutions galore. It’s the perfect place for a series like THE KNICK to unfold, adding something new to the television landscape, despite its similarities to a few different genres. Kudos to those who have crafted this beautiful show, and I look forward very much to seeing how it plays out.

Perhaps I’m not quite inspired enough to order Cinemax, which offers very few decent programs and pretty much the same slate of movies as HBO, but definitely enough to seek out all of the installments of THE KNICK wherever I can legitimately find them.

THE KNICK premieres this Friday at 10 p.m. ET on Cinemax.

Moving Out of 1600 Penn

Article first published as Moving Out of 1600 Penn on TheTVKing.

NBC's 1600 Penn is considered a long shot for renewal, and after viewing this week's season finale, I can see why. "Marry Me, Baby" finds President Dale Gilchrist (Bill Pullman) making a disparaging comment about marriage. The cable news frenzy and his political opponents latch one, and one of them discovers that Dale and Emily (Jenna Elfman) may not be legally married. Since the blunder is Skip's (Josh Gad) fault, of course, he helps Winslow (Rene Auberjonois) throw them a White House wedding.

How could a president possible get elected without someone discovering this before now? It's well established that some disapprove of his marriage to the much younger Emily. Surely, someone who doesn't like Dale would have dug up this nugget during the primaries or general election, which stretch for years, and twenty-four hour news cycles will report anything to fill the airwaves. Why does it only come out now?

Worse, all will be forgiven if they just have a ceremony now. Would Dale's detractors really just accept this? For reasonable people, a paperwork mix-up is understandable, and they would look past this. But in the modern age, those in the political arena and the pundits that report on them are often anything but reasonable. This "simple fix" in "Marry Me, Baby" feels completely inauthentic and hollow.

As if that isn't bad enough, Becca (Martha MacIsaac) goes into labor in the middle of the nuptials when Skip sings her birthing song. Dale and Emily still take a second to say "I do" before rushing her to the hospital, because every bad sitcom cliche must be touched upon before the half hour can be over. But one disaster piles on top of another to build to zany and unfunny antics.

That's the problem with 1600 Penn. Despite a charming cast, it plays way too much to convention. It has the chance to be something special, given its unique setting for a half hour comedy, and yet blows it to fit into the standard sitcom mold. It's a lot like the short-lived, hilarious That's My Bush, except that That's My Bush played to such stereotypes for effect, while 1600 Penn seems to think that's what it should be doing, rather than poking fun at itself. It needs the tongue in cheekness to work.

There are a couple of moments where it feels like this might happen. It's fantastic that Dale asks if he always hoses up traffic this much after trying to make it through the snarl caused by Becca's car. This is the sort of observational stuff that really works, and the spark of something that has kept me watching, even when I often don't want to. Unfortunately, such brilliant bits are few and far between.

The horribleness continues when Skip's long-time crush, Stacey (Susan Park), confesses to liking him in "Marry Me, Baby." Where does this come from? Stacey has been a poorly developed character since day one, willingly putting herself in situations that she doesn't want to be, with no depth given to explain the contradiction. This last minute connection between her and Skip feels tacked on and ridiculous.

That being said, there are a couple of good moments in the episode. I love when Emily and Becca connect, and admit their feelings for one another. They have been dancing around this issue for longer than the series has been on, and in such an emotionally-charged situation, it's nice to see them come together, rather than keep battling one another. They probably won't be best friends, but there is understanding and affection present.

I also like the surprise that Becca's baby is born black, meaning that Marshall (Andre Holland) is the father. I admit, I did not see this coming, since Becca never even considers the possibility that the infant could be Marshall's, which makes this twist even less believable. Shouldn't she have wrestled with the possibility at some point?

However, I like it because of the implication that D.B. (Robbie Amell) has no place in the cast going forward, his only connection to the family being that he's Becca's baby daddy, and dropping D.B. is a completely unexpected move. I applaud a twist that one doesn't see coming. Of course, in the unlikely event 1600 Penn does get renewed, they will probably stretch and find a way to accommodate him, no matter how dumb the plot gets to accomplish this, and so ruin any cred they've built now.

I watched this entire season because I adore most of the cast, and they seem to be doing their best at selling the crappy material they are given, which does make the series marginally entertaining. But 1600 Penn is not a show I would recommend watching to anyone else, and also not one I will miss. I hope the talent involved, and there definitely is some serious talent here, soon bounce back in projects that make better use of them.

News of a cancellation of renewal for 1600 Penn is expected soon.

1600 Penn the wrong address for this comedy

Grade: 71%

NBC’s latest sitcom is 1600 PENN. It’s a family sitcom, following a father, Dale Gilchrest (Bill Pullman, Torchwood: Miracle Day, Independence Day), his four children, and his new trophy wife, Emily (Jenna Elfman, Damages, Dharma & Greg). Their relationships are about what you’d expect in a clan of this type. The kids, especially the eldest son, Skip (Josh Gad, Book of Mormon), want their father’s approval, and Emily would like to win her stepchildren’s trust.

The twist is, Dale is the President of the United States, and the family lives in the White House.

Some might expect that this may change the circumstances a bit. And it does, but only to a small extent. Instead of relatives or friends visiting the family, it’s foreign dignitaries. Instead of wondering what their neighbors will think about personal developments, the entire population of the U.S. is watching the Gilchrests. Instead of breaking grandmother’s dish in a predictable accident, it’s priceless China that people lost their lives transporting that is destroyed.

But basically, 1600 PENN is a family comedy like many others. The relationships are relatable and typical, and the characters are usually more concerned with how they feel about each other, than how the world at large views them. Sure, oldest daughter Becca (Martha MacIsaac, Superbad, Greek) isn’t happy when the press speculate on her unplanned pregnancy. But she is more concerned with her father and younger siblings’ reactions.

One would think that this is a recipe for success, taking a household that typically sits out of reach of the average person, and opening it up in a way that we can find accessible. But that’s not quite how it plays out.

The problem is, the humor of 1600 PENN is far goofier than it should be. Whereas, a series like Modern Family may look at how people actually act, 1600 PENN makes every disaster and stunt over-sized, until it becomes completely unrealistic. In the “Pilot,” Skip sets a frat house on fire, and gets away with it with no discernible consequences. Then he solves global issues by drinking and joking. Emily and Becca bicker in front of the press. In episode three, Dale uses a meeting with the joint chiefs of staff to discuss parenting. It’s just too much to accept.

I’m not saying the characters aren’t interesting. Emily is earnest, for sure, and everyone cares about each other. Younger daughter, Marigold (Amara Miller, The Descendants), is a budding lesbian, and youngest son, Xander (Benjamin Stockham, Sons of Tucson), is worried about meteors hitting the earth, so they have stories to tell, too. There is a love triangle set up between Becca, her baby daddy, D.B. (Robbie Amell, Revenge), and Dale’s assistant / press secretary, Marshall (Andre Holland, Friends with Benefits). Even Skip, screw up as he is, has his positives, and loves his family.

But the situations just go too far. Should it be scaled back, there could be something here. Instead, this one seems destined for a quick cancellation, without even being given time to build up an audience, or address the problems. It’s too bad, as with a cast like this, and an intriguing premise, it could have been good.

One final complaint, I am just not sure what Marshall’s job is. He is the only main character who isn’t part of the family, and is constantly seen giving briefings and helping out Dale. The other White House workers hover around, but none are shown to have any importance. Instead, Marshall seems to be the representation for the entire staff, which may save on budget and logistics, but makes the world in which the show is set seem even less fleshed out than it already does.

While 1600 PENN may be a curiosity that some may want to check out, you won’t miss much by skipping it, and likely won’t regret that decision.

1600 PENN premieres Thursday, January 10th at 9:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

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Article first posted on Seat42F