Article first published as TV Review: MR. MERCEDES on Seat42F.
Coming to AUDIENCE Network, AT&T
presents MR. MERCEDES. You might already know this is the title of a
book by Stephen King, the first of a trilogy, in fact. But if you don’t
know what it’s about, I’ll tell you. Detective Bill Hodges, recently
retired, cannot let go of a serial killer case he never solved. Though,
admittedly, it’s probably harder to let go when the murderer is stalking
and taunting you, as is happening to poor Bill. Thus begins our cat and
mouse game.
I went in cold, knowing nothing about
this show, and that was apparently a mistake. The opening sequence is
interesting, introducing a couple of sympathetic, engaging characters,
and it’s easy to get drawn into their story. Except, their story is
short-lived because of a horrific event, one of the most disturbing
things I’ve ever seen on television, and it makes it very hard to get
back into the series as we move past the beginning.
Get drawn back in, you will, though.
Brendan Gleeson (Braveheart, Edge of Tomorrow) is terrific as Bill, a
grumpy old man who want the kids (‘ tennis balls) to stay off his lawn.
The source material is well reviewed, and the great David E. Kelley (The
Practice, Boston Legal) serves as showrunner and frequent writer. The
supporting cast is, across-the-board, fantastic, the direction is great,
the pacing is swell, and the villain gets quite a bit of screen-time,
too. So it’s nearly impossible, if you don’t turn the show off five
minutes in, to not want to watch more.
Does this mean the beginning was a
mistake? No, not exactly. Yes, MR. MERCEDES did not have to make us care
about its victims right off the bat, nor make the attack itself so damn
gory. However, I think by doing it the way the show does, it
effectively communicates the brutality of this killer, the randomness of
his targets, the danger present, and the stakes of the tale. So as much
as I did not like what happened and have no desire to see it again, I
can’t be upset at the choices the series makes for pure quality of
storytelling. It’s not gratuitous, it’s purposeful, and that’s the bar
by which I measure whether violence is acceptable.
The heart of the piece is the contest
between Bill and Brady Hartsfield (Harry Treadaway, Penny Dreadful).
Both men are explored pretty in-depth, Bill through his interactions
with neighbor Ida (Holland Taylor, The Practice), lawn mower Jerome
(Jharrel Jerome, Moonlight), and former partner Dixon (Scott Lawrence,
JAG), and Brady’s with his mother Deborah (Kelly Lynch, Magic City),
coworker Lou (Breeda Wool, UnREAL), and boss Robi (Robert Stanton, Jason
Bourne). Each of these supporting players makes an impression with how
they interact with the leads, but also stand out themselves as
well-developed individuals, which is quite a feat for an hour-long
pilot. Somehow they simultaneously exist as the stars of their own
worlds, and support that central dynamic.
And we haven’t even gotten to the
introduction of Janey, another lead not in the pilot, played by the
always-magnetic Mary-Louise Parker (Weeds).
Sadly, Anton Yelchin (Star Trek) was
slated to play Brady before he died. I could totally see him in that
role, and I think he would have been great. But Treadaway is a fine
replacement, and I don’t think anyone will remember that he wasn’t first
choice. Ditto Taylor as Ida, as Ann-Margaret previously had that role
before illness forced her to step aside.
King’s adaptations are hit or miss, and
usually have what I think of as a very specific, not super high quality,
tone. But like the best screen work that’s come from him, like
Kubrick’s The Shining, MR. MERCEDES doesn’t feel like it fits that mold.
Instead, it’s an intense psychological drama that stands apart as its
own thing. I think this could be a really strong series to watch, though
unfortunately it’s not on a network most people get, viewership
confined only to DirecTV and AT&T U-verse subscribers. I wish it had
broader reach.
MR. MERCEDES premieres this Wednesday.
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