I'm a huge fan of Meadows and have been ever since seeing 24/7 way back when it came out. His work has always been good and sometimes, as with the TIE series and The Virtues, absolutely superb.
Which makes this terrible mess all the harder to fathom. Where to even begin?
I think the problem might be that Meadows has adapted someone else's work rather than writing his own story. This happened to David Simon too - an amazing talent but when he adapted The Plot Against America, it was terrible. Maybe these guys should stick to what they do well.
Which makes this terrible mess all the harder to fathom. Where to even begin?
- Psychedelic rock music on a show set in the 1700s immediately ruins the illusion.
- The first episode is painfully, painfully slow. Nothing happens.
- I'm more than aware of Meadows' technique of using non actors and ad libbing, and very often it can work. Here however it's a disaster. A lot of the actors are appalling and again, it ruins the whole atmosphere.
- The camerawork feels... weird. Like it's all too tight and sometimes frenetic, it's trying to be some exciting Netflix show.
- Thomas Turgoose - though he seems to be a nice bloke, is an appalling actor. He's always been an appalling actor. How he manages to get work is baffling. His association with SM I expect, but he just does the same unconvincing schtick in everything he's in, and it's painful to watch. He has zero range, he can't deliver a line. That was sort of OK when he was 12 in TIE but now it's really not. Take some acting lessons.
I think the problem might be that Meadows has adapted someone else's work rather than writing his own story. This happened to David Simon too - an amazing talent but when he adapted The Plot Against America, it was terrible. Maybe these guys should stick to what they do well.