The performances are top notch. That's what really drives this series. The concept is great and timely. The satire that was used worked. The writing is were this series failed.
They really couldn't have created a better vehicle for satire. 'Authoritarian regime in Middle Europe country unravels'. It's a concept that writes large passages for you. Where they fail is in the payoffs. It's okay to leave some things open for people to figure out but they leave huge unanswered questions.
They failed to realize that Agnes was the beating heart of the show. That character's story should've been equal to Harold and Elana's. They tease that Agnes is on the way to do something big and then just yank the plug. Leaving her and her son's fate unresolved is almost a cardinal writing sin.
And I'm not saying the show wasn't a fun watch. It kept me interested and amused the entire series. It's just you start ticking off the missed opportunities.
It's a series that always seems like it's on the verge of soaring but then fails to leave the ground. It ends up being a standard A-B-A plot line except there's nothing learned at the end.
They really couldn't have created a better vehicle for satire. 'Authoritarian regime in Middle Europe country unravels'. It's a concept that writes large passages for you. Where they fail is in the payoffs. It's okay to leave some things open for people to figure out but they leave huge unanswered questions.
They failed to realize that Agnes was the beating heart of the show. That character's story should've been equal to Harold and Elana's. They tease that Agnes is on the way to do something big and then just yank the plug. Leaving her and her son's fate unresolved is almost a cardinal writing sin.
And I'm not saying the show wasn't a fun watch. It kept me interested and amused the entire series. It's just you start ticking off the missed opportunities.
It's a series that always seems like it's on the verge of soaring but then fails to leave the ground. It ends up being a standard A-B-A plot line except there's nothing learned at the end.