Hopefully Not THE LAST TYCOON

Article first published as TV Review: THE LAST TYCOON on Seat42F.

Last year, Amazon released the pilot for THE LAST TYCOON as one of the shows under consideration for series. Based on the unfinished F. Scott Fitzgerald book of the same name (published posthumously), the story is centered on a Hollywood producer battling his boss as 1936 Germany tries to exert control over the American motion picture industry. Thankfully, this terrific series, based loosely on real people and real events (though with fictional names swapped in) was picked up, and tomorrow, eight more episodes will be available, in addition to the already-streaming pilot.

Matt Bomer (White Collar) is great as Monroe Stahr, the Jewish producer who works for Brady-American studios. He has a complex role to play, having not-too-long ago lost his beloved wife, Minna (Jessica De Gouw, Underground), and not able to get past her ghost. The professional conflict Monroe is dealing with comes mainly from that relationship he can’t let go of, though there are some romantic angles worked, too.

Equally central and equally terrific is Kelsey Grammer (Frasier) as Pat Brady, Monroe’s boss. Pat values Monroe, who helped him build the studio into the success it is, but is also a slave to keeping the gears turning. He justifies his rolling over for the Nazis by claiming it’s about keeping everyone employed, and there’s a moment in the first episode where he looks pretty altruistic. He sees himself as the hero, even as Monroe accuses him of being a coward, which seems to hit Brady a little hard. Their relationship is very interesting, close but strained.

To complicate matters even more, there’s a third lead, Celia Brady (Lily Collins, Mirror Mirror), Pat’s daughter. Celia is infatuated with Monroe and is determined to wed him, despite his lingering grief and health issues. This infuriates Pat, of course, even though Monroe is only interested in her talent, which, it turns out, she actually seems to have quite a bit of. This makes her invaluable to him, and turns the whole triangle into a mess. Thus, THE LAST TYCOON has plenty of drama.

While there are elements of the pilot that I found hokey and unrealistic, in general, this is a compelling show. It is a bit emotionally manipulative with the Nazi stuff, but in a good vs evil classic form, made more relevant by the current rise of a would-be totalitarian in the White House currently who seeks to discredit the media and control his coverage, an event that couldn’t have been foreseen as this series was ordered. There is a love story, Monroe’s to his deceased wife, that makes the conflict personal, even as the audience will root for the overall bend towards freedom and civil rights. But while the Germans are two-dimensionally evil, the other Hollywood types aren’t. Flawed, yes, but not flat. And even our heroic lead has some shameful things in his life to make him a little less noble.

Oh, and I hadn’t gotten to this yet, but the county’s economic depression also plays into the plot, and not just as it pertains to studio finances. Which adds more depth to the situation, and helps ground it.

We’re seen other old-Hollywood pictures before, more in films than in an ongoing series, but this one still feels fresh. Perhaps that’s because it’s about more than making movies, and has some truly engaging characters in it. Yes, it comes a little close to the fantastic Feud FX anthology series, but the material is different enough that THE LAST TYCOON should stand quite comfortably on its own.

Buoyed by a supporting cast that includes Dominique McElligott (House of Cards), Rosemarie DeWitt (Mad Men), Enzo Cilenti (The Martian), Bailey Noble (True Blood), and Koen De Bouw (Professor T.), I am very hopeful about the continued quality of THE LAST TYCOON, and looking forward to watching more episodes.

THE LAST TYCOON’s first season drops tomorrow on Amazon.

PARTNERS Should Break Up

Article originally published as PARTNERS Review on Seat42F.

Partners | Kelsey Grammer and Martin Lawrence | FX

FX has a near-perfect record when it comes to sitcoms. After all, this is the network that gives us It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Archer, and The League. They’ve also pushed boundaries with artistic experiments like Louie, Wilfred, and Legit. Even its Charlie Sheen-fronted Anger Management, which I was highly skeptical about, turned out to be pretty amusing. However, the latest effort making it to air, PARTNERS, which premieres this week, finally blemishes that run.

PARTNERS stars Kelsey Grammer (Fraiser, Boss) as Allen Braddock, a jerk of an attorney who is fired by his father for having a loose grasp on truth and legality. Allen falls in with Marcus Jackson (Martin Lawrence, Martin, Bad Boys), a well-liked lawyer allowing his wife to take advantage on him in a divorce. After Allen helps Marcus keep some of his money, they form a partnership, deciding to work together so that Allen can help Marcus earn a decent living, saving Marcus from his overly-kind soul.

This premise is very stale. How many buddy comedies do we need about an odd couple paired together by circumstance? What’s more, PARTNERS makes no attempt to even follow the tried-and-true formula when lying out its structure. Very little reason is given in the pilot for why Marcus would want Allen by his side, and there is no depth to the characters that justify their motivations. Instead, this is the duo we get, and they are put together with no solid reasons for why this should happen.

This is regrettable because the two performers are good actors. They both have resumes that prove their gravitas, and they could do better than this. Toss in other capable players such as Telma Hopkins (Family Matters, Half & Half) as Marcus’ live-in mother, McKaley Miller (Hart of Dixie) as a stepdaughter Allen is, for some inexplicable reason, supporting, Edi Patterson (A Thousand Words) as a zany assistant, and Rory O’Malley (Dreamgirls) as a one-note paralegal, and all around, the cast is being wasted unnecessarily.

PARTNERS goes for the easy, crass joke. After an insipid pilot, episode two, which airs just after the first, finds Allen and Marcus helping a gay couple who has been cheated by their wedding planner (Missi Pyle, Big Fish, The Artist). But rather than get into the real case and look for evidence, the leads go through the farce of a sham wedding, tossing in every cheap homosexual and racial gag they can think of. The situation is designed to be funny, and at its base, it is, but it certainly isn’t well-thought out or authentic, delivering a highly disappointing effort.

Given the first two episodes, the future of PARTNERS doesn’t look bright. It’s one thing to do broad humor and to do it well, but to go weak and lazy with the jokes doesn’t fly in the modern age. PARTNERS has the sensibility of a mediocre 90s series during a time when there are some real comedy gems dotting the landscape, and even the run-of-the-mill stuff usually clocks in several notches better than this. It’s pure drivel, not worth anyone’s time.

So why did FX choose to go this route? One assumes it has to do with the big names at the center of the project, and yet, while both of these actors have made some crap, they’ve also given us memorable, special roles that delighted audiences for long periods of time. One would think that with these guys attaching themselves to a project heading to a well-respected network, someone along the way would have made sure PARTNERS lives up to what it could and should be. Sadly, that does not appear to be the case.

PARTNERS premieres Monday, August 4^th at 9 p.m. ET on FX.

Boss is "Louder Than Words"

Grade: 87%

Starz’s BOSS returns for a second season with “Louder Than Words.” What words is this title referencing? Each episode title of season one was a single word. Perhaps this title is supposed to represent something more? Something bigger?

If so, I wouldn’t say that’s exactly accurate. “Louder Than Words” continues the story of Tom Kane (Kelsey Grammer), picking up soon after it left off. While there are some important differences, mostly concerning power vacuums that must be filled, I would not say that this season two begins in a dramatically different way than season one played out. It maintains the same quality and suspense, pleasing the fans who are already addicted to the heady drama.

Or, as many season one titles do, it could refer to a specific moment within the episode that stands out. In this case, the climatic finale when (SPOILER!) someone decides it is time to take action to bring Tom down, shots ringing out at an important event, the groundbreaking ceremony for the O’Hare project. Tom escapes unharmed, but might his wife, Meredith (Connie Nielsen), have been hit?

Who shot at Tom? The obvious answer is Darius (Rotimi Akinosho). After all, Darius is angry that Tom put his own daughter, Darius’s girlfriend, Emma (Hannah Ware), behind bars. Darius is also shown looking at a gun. There is motive, opportunity, and foreshadowing of such an event. Which is probably why it wasn’t him, because this answer is too obvious.

Interestingly, “Louder Than Words” ends with a shot of Mayor Rutledge (Anthony Mockus Sr.) watching events on the news. This could be a very important clue. Earlier in “Louder Than Words,” Meredith made sure that the news was turned on for her father. Might she be trying to take out Tom, and got caught in the crossfire herself? Or Tom figured out the move and circumvented it? It is unlikely Tom is trying to send Rutledge a message, as Rutledge is in no position to do anything, and Tom’s visits to his father-in-law appear to be done with fondness. But Meredith has reason to believe that Rutledge might feel wronged by Tom, so this could be her way of delivering her dad his revenge. Though if it is, she failed.

Another suspect is Alderman Ross (James Vincent Meredith), who has dropped out of public life. After learning that his wife cheated on him, then punching Tom out in public, Ross has fallen from grace. Rather than persevere, he skips council meetings and hides from sight. The one scene Ross gets in “Louder Than Words” is supremely creepy, and shows a man on the edge. He is certainly capable or heinous acts.

There is also motive for Ross, or one of the other council members. Tom is trying to push through a legislative bill that is very divisive. Ross would not want this bill to pass, even if it seems like he cares about nothing. Or another Alderman could be trying to stop the bill, taking matters into their own hands, since the men previously pulling the strings in the chamber all seem to be suddenly gone.

The only certainty about the shooting is that there is a mystery, and one that might take awhile to play out.

Will Tom be shaken by the near miss on his life? It’s hard to say. He is already facing imminent death, so it seems unlikely that being shot at would bother him that much more. He knows that these are his final days, and does what he can to leave a great legacy, pushing pet projects through, rather than being content to wait around and let them play out, as he has in the past. He may only redouble his efforts, lending even more urgency to his mission.

Unfortunately, Tom is running out of time. Dr. Harris (Karen Aldridge) tells him the disease is progressing rapidly. Mona Fredericks (Sanaa Lathan) is assuming Ross’s mantle and gunning for him. Debra (Jennifer Mudge) is still alive and could expose Tom’s attempt to strangle her. Zajac (Jeff Hephner) is getting restless about the lack of support from Tom. Cullen (Francis Guinan) still holds a grudge, as evidenced by his treatment of Zajac. Kitty (Kathleen Robertson), a jaded employee, may agree to conspire with the persistent newsman Sam Miller (Troy Garity), to expose Tom’s dark secrets. Add these threats to the list of likely shooters, and Tom’s enemy list is long, indeed.

However, as Meredith tells Zajac in season one, do not underestimate Tom Kane. The challenges to his position are numerous and frequent, and yet Tom continues to stay on top. As season one ended, it looked certain he would crumble, but he still stands. No matter how many angles they come at him, he weathers it all.

The question is, how long can Tom continue to do so, given his declining health? His hallucinations of Ezra (Martin Donovan) and continuing bumbling speech patterns betray his weakness. For now, Meredith is the only one alive in the inner circle that knows about Tom’s illness, having finally gotten it out of Emma. But it won’t stay buried forever. Whether Tom does himself in, or his foes finally find that chink in his armor, he will come tumbling down. This is not underestimation; this is reality. The draw of BOSS is watching to see just how long it takes for that day to arrive.

BOSS airs Fridays at 9 p.m. ET on Starz.

"Listen" to the Boss

     Starz's newest drama tackles politics in Chicago. In the first episode of Boss, called "Listen," Mayor Tom Kane (Kelsey Grammer, Frasier, Back to You) speaks heroically of fighting corruption. Yet, he has a debilitating disease that will soon leave him incapable of doing his job, and he is hiding it. Not only that, but Kane is setting up Ben Zajac (Jeff Hephner, Hellcats) to run for governor against the current one, McCall Cullen (Francis Guinan, Hannibal), whom Kane is publicly supporting. So Kane talks the talk, but fails to walk the walk.

     Chicago is known for corrupt politics. Throughout American history, many an elected official in the city and state has faced charges, and spent time behind bars. These are not just ancient tales; a number of governors from the past few decades have continued the tradition. And while Chicago is not the capital city where the governor is based, it is sometimes blamed for the system that allows such bad behavior, if for no other reason than it's easy to lump things together. Thus, the Windy City is the perfect setting for a story like Boss, and Tom Kane is a familiar figure. While not based specifically on any real person, with a fictional story unfolding, Boss does uphold a realistic spirit, and is easily believable. That is not to say that all politicians from Chicago are corrupt, of course. There are probably plenty of good, even great, ones. But there is a reputation that Chicago has in the minds of many people, and this series plays into that stereotype.

     Is disease a personal issue, or does the general population deserve to know about it, when, like Kane, the ill person is a public servant? After all, the people elect him to do a job, and the symptoms of the disease will soon begin negatively impacting his abilities. Kane is destined to begin hallucinating and lose intellectual function. These are not trivial matters for a high ranking public official. In this case, it is unethical to hide the condition. In this case, the stakes are much more than just personal.

     Not only is Kane hiding the disease, but he is going to great lengths to do so, further betraying the public trust. Using a close confidant named Ezra Stone (Martin Donovan, Weeds, Insomnia), Kane asks that his doctor (Karen Aldridge, well known in the Chicago theater world) be reminded of her obligations to stay silent on the matter. One of Stone's connections does this by drugging and threatening her. This, despite the fact that the good doc blew off reporter Sam Miller (Troy Garity,The Playboy Club), who is digging around. Will the scare tactic make her more determined to stay silent, or will it backfire, as she wants to get the story out?

     One has to wonder how Kane chooses Zajac as his man in the race for Illinois governor. Kane seems to have a working relationship with Cullen already. And Kane stages a photo with Zajac to leak to Cullen instead of keeping it a secret. But perhaps Kane wants more power, and thinks that Zajac is the right patsy to get him that? Not that Kane will be able to wield such influence for long, considering his condition. More importantly, Kane's assistant, Kitty O'Neil (Kathleen Robertson, Tin Man, Beverly Hills, 90210), is sleeping with Zajac. Did she bring Zajac to Kane's attention? Is Kane having her sleep with Zajac to further control him? Or did they just meet because of the new arrangement? This relationship bears further scrutiny.

     Not everyone is in the dark about Kane, even though he works hard at his noble public image. In "Listen," a Native American burial ground is found near the airport. So as to not interfere with his plans to expand O'Hare, Kane has control of the sacred soil put on a trash service bill as an addendum. Suddenly, the city council, who do not seem surprised, is angrily forced to hand Kane power without oversight, or risk alienating constituents for voting down a popular and necessary measure. While this is not resolved by the end of the episode, it's fairly clear that Kane will get his way.

     Kane seems like one tough cookie. Besides the way he handles his political opponents, and the derisive way he treats his staff, even coldly telling Kitty to never ask if he's OK, there's something in "Listen" that demonstrates Kane's character even better. It's true that the real measure of a man is what he does when he is alone. At a fundraiser, Kane is given a box. Opening it later in his kitchen, he finds severed human ears, presumably belonging to the guy that gives him the box, whose head is bandaged. Kane nonchalantly picks them up and drops them in the garbage disposal. This means Kane is calculating, hard to frighten, and has little compassion for his fellow human beings. The casual manner in which he handles the whole thing is chilling.

     Sadly, Kane's family likes him about as much as his enemies do. His wife, Meredith (Connie Nielsen, Gladiator, Law & Order: SVU), has her own bedroom, when Kane even returns to his house, which apparently is not a daily occurrence. She barely talks to him, only as necessary, and does public functions just to maintain an image. Why even stay married then? Well, Meredith may be the one who wants to keep the union intact. As the mayor's wife, she controls education funding, and is an important figure. Take away who her husband is, and that evaporates. This could point to Meredith being nearly as cold as her husband.

     Daughter Emma (Hannah Ware, Shame) works at a health clinic for the poor, and is also a minister. So she's probably a lot more warm and caring than her parents. She doesn't have much interest in speaking with her father when he calls, though, so she knows who he is, and is soured on him. That's not surprising. What is, is that despite all of her good deeds, Emma goes out of her way to bond with a drug dealer named Darius (Rotimi Akinosho). She does throw away the drugs he gives her, but is that because she is an addict trying not to relapse? Is she trying to expose Darius and stop his activities? It's just not clear yet.

     When faced with one's mortality, one wants their loved ones around for comfort and support. In "Listen," Kane begins to show signs of this. He calls his daughter, and he tries to strike up a chat with his wife, both of whom are less than receptive. Is it too late for Kane to find peace before death? Should he focus on a political legacy, or his family? He probably doesn't have time left for both, and if he tries to balance, he could accomplish neither. Which sets up Boss as a very neat, gripping drama, starring a fantastic actor at the top of his game.


     Watch Boss Fridays at 10 p.m. ET on Starz.


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Article first published as TV Review: Boss - "Listen" on Blogcritics.