BLOODLINE Runs Dark

Article first published as BLOODLINE Review on Seat42F.




The best way I can think of to describer Netflix’s newest drama, BLOODLINE, is a “dark Parenthood with less focus on being parents.” It resolves around four adult siblings who interact amongst each other and their parents, though at least one of them has children, too, and two others are in serious relationships. But it’s much, much less soapy than the beloved NBC drama, with a depressingly dark plot teased in flash-forwards throughout the pilot, on the level of an HBO or AMC series. Going into the episode with almost no prior knowledge, this review judges the pilot on its merits alone, avoiding any big spoilers.

The main character seems to be John Rayburn (Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights), who is not the oldest, but definitely has a position of authority in both the family and the town in the Florida Keys in which they’re all from. He’s the most grown up, with a wife, Diana (Jacinda Barrett, Zero Hour), and two not-so-little kids. Chandler does seem to be channeling Coach Taylor, his previous character, at times, especially when talking about poaching players. But who can complain when he chews up the scenes so well?

He is joined by sister Meg, (Linda Cardellini, Mad Men, ER), who has just gotten engaged, and brother Kevin (Norbert Leo Butz, Dan in Real Life), whose blood runs a little hotter than his siblings. Together, the three are entrusted by their parents, Sally (Sissy Spacek, Big Love, Carrie) and Robert (Sam Shepard, Klondike, The Right Stuff), to make decisions for the clan and the family business, a resort that Sally runs.

The fly in the ointment, if you will is, eldest brother Danny (Ben Mendelsohn, The Dark Knight Rises). Danny is the loser that never matured and always wants a handout, usually money. He is egged on by a pal, and generally gets in the way. Sally still loves Danny, as does John, but that’s doesn’t mean Danny could easily come home, even if he wants to, which he may not.

This is the premise, a relatively simple, familiar one that BLOODLINE begins with. The first hour isn’t exactly action-packed, dealing with dynamics at a family reunion that includes many unimportant relations, just extras really. The vast majority of the running time is given over to dwelling on individual personalities of the core group, not just introducing them, but immediately deepening their motivations and desires. It’s a character-heavy piece of television, and one will leave the pilot knowing the most central players pretty well.

There is a sense of momentum, though, with the flash forwards. In general, I’m really getting sick of television shows showing us the end of the story early on, an overused trope. In BLOODLINE, though, it doesn’t feel that way, perhaps because the series needs them to keep its pacing up. The flashes definitely seem more like the middle of a tale than the ending, even with what is revealed at the end. In this, and because of how short they are, it’s more of a tantalizing tease than the big fat spoiler a lot of shows do.

It’s about time we got a family drama that isn’t soapy or sappy. There is an authenticity to the chemistry, the people in it feeling like they’re going about their daily lives. I compared BLOODLINE to Parenthood before, and I absolutely adore that series, but this is far more grounded and gritty, at least initially. Events teased may take the direction into noir film-esque territory, but even so, this sets BLOODLINE apart from other currently available offerings on the small screen.

In the end, I’m left interested in continuing. I’m not in love with the characters or setting, but I don’t think one could be right away in a show with a somber tone like this one. Instead, I’m intrigued by the mystery and the ensemble’s make up, and I think that’s a good sign.

All 13 episodes of BLOODLINE’s first season are available on Netflix.

Journey to KLONDIKE

Article first published as KLONDIKE Review on Seat42F.

Discovery Channel’s first scripted miniseries, KLONDIKE, tells the story of the gold rush in Alaska in the late 1890s. It paints a picture of many types of characters who just might make it in a frontier setting, where rules and laws give way to survival of the fittest and nature, as well as the hero who struggles to adjust his morality. Who will thrive and who will perish? Tune in to find out.

It’s good to see more cable networks getting into the scripted game. As someone who detests most reality programming, and even finds many of the so-called “educational” stuff on Discovery and History hokey and annoying, I don’t typically appreciate the offerings of these networks. But a good drama, which either tells a true story (in a fashion) or presents a period of time most people don’t know a lot about, is welcome. KLONDIKE may fit this category.

KLONDIKE reminds me a lot of AMC’s Hell on Wheels. It has a similar tone and wild spirit, and the players feel familiar. It took me awhile to get into Hell on Wheels, likely because the frame of reference is so far off between today and that era. KLONDIKE, too, begins a little slowly, but it has good enough cast that I’ll give it the same chance, hoping it will grow on me the way the AMC show has, though KLONDIKE is a limited-run piece. Plus, a twist late in Part One really got me excited about what’s happening.

After the obligatory, out-of-sequence hook, which nearly all shows seem to feel the need to include these days, though they really shouldn’t, the first part begins with two young men, Bill Haskell (Richard Madden, Game of Thrones) and Byron Epstein (Augustus Prew, The Borigas), setting out to make their fortune beyond The Wall in the snowy wilderness.. They have a spirit of adventure, brave souls, and a naivety that will definitely bring them more trouble than good. They’re familiar types, but not unwelcome ones.

Upon reaching their destination, the town of Klondike, Bill and Byron quickly learn that they are not at all prepared for the life they’ve embarked upon. They don’t understand the attitudes of the local Native Americans, and are surprised by the unscrupulous and selfish nature of their new neighbors. They get in over their heads in a compelling way, and by the end of the first part, viewers should care about them.

Among the characters they meet in their new home are mill owner Belinda Mulrooney (Abbie Cornish, Outriders), who is very protective of her business ventures, wise, kind priest Father Judge (Sam Shepard, The Right Stuff), whom the locals don’t care for nearly as much as Bill does, con-artist Soapy Smith (Ian Hart, Luck Dirt), who tries to seem harmless, The Count (Tim Roth, Lie To Me), the clear villain of the piece, and aspiring writer Jack London (Johnny Simmons, The Perks of Being a Wallflower).

Yes, that Jack London. For whatever reason, many historical tales feel the need to stick in real-life figures. London isn’t the only such person in KLONDIKE, but is the most famous one. I think they feel this gives the story some legitimacy, tying it to the real world by using a familiar name. But rarely do such projects care much about portraying the person in an authentic light, bending them to the whims of the script, instead, so London, like many that came before him in other shows, is a failed experiment, which KLONDIKE would be better off without.

The others are mostly types, too, to be honest. We’ve had plenty of woman who spur the traditional gender roles, or businessmen who are ruthless. Perhaps these archetypes work for a reason, but it still leaves one, who has already born witness to so many of them, yearning for something more fresh and original.

That being said, there is some strong casting here, and hopefully the actors will raise the parts above their starting position. I already like Bill, and the others have just enough potential that they might salvage the program, though in lesser hands than those currently guiding them, they would very much waste away.

KLONDIKE airs at 9 p.m. ET this week on Discovery Channel, starting Monday.