Show Me A hero (New David Simon HBO Miniseries)

[RidonKs]

It just felt a little like a data dump

yeah that's true

my solution whenever this happens to be the case on a show that didn't meet my expectations is just two add an episode or two. then again i've never been a show runner. i'm sure there is a lot more to it than just plugging in some more exposition and slowing down the pace a tad.

i think the format is good for the story. you don't want to drag this on too much. it's a snapshot of a political figure buried in controversy and trying to figure out the next right thing. you don't capture that tension with a long tragic story of how meaningless it all is, kinda like the wire... rather you get really intense snapshots of the character in the most vulnerable instances. you put him in purgatory between popularity and nobility.

I still loved it, and I'm hopeful we'll see it get even more nuanced.

yeah i definitely think it will get more dense in the next eps. Mayor Nick is a perfect guy to walk that tightrope though, even if he does trip and fall at the end like u said. young brash self-righteous alcoholic who will still think he's the smartest guy in the room even when 150 people are booing him as loud as they can

[RidonKs]

season finale this weekend

show got even better last weekend

[Thorpesaurous]

season finale this weekend

show got even better last weekend

Last weekend was really excellent. I liked the accelerated time line.

[RidonKs]

Last weekend was really excellent. I liked the accelerated time line.

me too man

another tremendous project by simon.

i'm not sure you could execute this story much better than what was done.

great length, story worked well as a miniseries



interview with simon on democracy now

quote from the interview

Lisa Belkin’s book. And Bill Zorzi and I, who worked on the scripts, we felt the need to—we have to get the voices, as well, as well as the prose story. So we went to Yonkers, and Bill, particularly, dug into the story, and of course he met Mary. And Lisa tells a fascinating story about reading to Mary her book, when she was finished with the manuscript. Mary is reading visions of herself from when she was one of the most vocal and furious opponents of the public housing, and she denied saying those things. And Lisa had to go back and show her the record, what she had said at hearings and at protests. And Mary, at that point in life, didn’t recognize herself. She didn’t recognize her earlier version of herself. She was astonished. It really was a hero’s journey for her. And she’s—you know, Catherine Keener plays the turn so beautifully.

[Thorpesaurous]

Finally got to the end of this last night. Oscar Isaac is really remarkable. I won't spoil the end for anyone who hasn't seen it, but Isaac's performance builds to it in these small nuanced ways that sometimes felt awkward when they were happening, but then all made perfect sense (and seeing as it's a true story, you can easily read about it if you prefer). I have some reading on it of my own to do, because there are a few things I'd like to know (mainly the investigation in Wacsiscko, and weather it had any validity at all, or if it was really just an attempt to end his reputation).


I had some small gripes with it as it was happening, with what I felt was too much time spent on the families. The issues felt complicated and it felt like lost time, but after a heavy drop of info in the opening few hours, it didn't feel nearly as complex, and it's a nod to the performances that the time jump felt natural with characters that we really didn't have much time with. In the end there weren't as many characters as it felt like early on, and it all felt pretty intuitive.

Most of the performances were really excellent. Isaac, Carla Quevedo as his wife, the Spanish girl who was on the waiting list, Doreen, Winona Ryder, and Catherine Keener were all excellent in parts that had some meat on them. Then even the smaller rolls were really well done. Particularly Alfred Molina and John Bernthal.


Just a really good six hours of television that managed to stay lively in spite of what could've been a really dry topic.