So I tried watching this because it has an 8.2 on IMDB and fantastic reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. Many reviews on here suggested to "give it a chance" and "keep on watching, It'll get better".
So I did just that. I love binge watching quality shows like the Sopranos, Breaking Bad, and so forth, but when it came to this show had to struggle to watch the entire first season. I think I stopped either at the last episode or the second to last episode of the first season. I don't even remember, because I just don't care. I spent much of the time looking at my phone as I waited for it to get better. But it never got better. This show had potential to be something great, but it really fell flat compared to the positive reviews I see on IMDB.
First, the fake New York style acting was really insufferable. The fake accents, the fake mannerisms, they all were just so off and fake! In fact, all of the characters, from the "gangsters", to Marius' family, and to the cops, they all seemed like actors playing a shallow role. The entire atmosphere feels really kiddish and watered-down. Bryan Cranston is not at all a convincing New York mob boss. Not at all. And I'm not just talking about the fake accent, I also mean that he seems way to soft and stereotypical to be any kind of realistic underlord. This pretty much goes for almost all of the characters; they just weren't convincing or even interesting.
Second, The entire story just isn't that engaging. The idea that Marius can show up, pretend to be someone else's grandson after 20 years, and become an integral part of the family just isn't that compelling or realistic. Somehow this family who is deeply involved in the law is duped by Marius left and right. Anytime they have a suspicion, Marius is ten steps ahead of them. Yet at the same time, Marius talks like a hood, and is extremely familiar with crime. He is so obvious, but of course his new family somehow can't quite figure it out.
Another reviewer mentioned that this show was originally intended for CBS, and that's exactly how it i feels. Like a shallow show that would be shown on network television, interrupted by frequent advertisements. This is not a deep quality drama, or an on your edge suspense show. It certainly shouldn't be rated an 8.2 on IMDB. This show is just an average CBS style show.
So I did just that. I love binge watching quality shows like the Sopranos, Breaking Bad, and so forth, but when it came to this show had to struggle to watch the entire first season. I think I stopped either at the last episode or the second to last episode of the first season. I don't even remember, because I just don't care. I spent much of the time looking at my phone as I waited for it to get better. But it never got better. This show had potential to be something great, but it really fell flat compared to the positive reviews I see on IMDB.
First, the fake New York style acting was really insufferable. The fake accents, the fake mannerisms, they all were just so off and fake! In fact, all of the characters, from the "gangsters", to Marius' family, and to the cops, they all seemed like actors playing a shallow role. The entire atmosphere feels really kiddish and watered-down. Bryan Cranston is not at all a convincing New York mob boss. Not at all. And I'm not just talking about the fake accent, I also mean that he seems way to soft and stereotypical to be any kind of realistic underlord. This pretty much goes for almost all of the characters; they just weren't convincing or even interesting.
Second, The entire story just isn't that engaging. The idea that Marius can show up, pretend to be someone else's grandson after 20 years, and become an integral part of the family just isn't that compelling or realistic. Somehow this family who is deeply involved in the law is duped by Marius left and right. Anytime they have a suspicion, Marius is ten steps ahead of them. Yet at the same time, Marius talks like a hood, and is extremely familiar with crime. He is so obvious, but of course his new family somehow can't quite figure it out.
Another reviewer mentioned that this show was originally intended for CBS, and that's exactly how it i feels. Like a shallow show that would be shown on network television, interrupted by frequent advertisements. This is not a deep quality drama, or an on your edge suspense show. It certainly shouldn't be rated an 8.2 on IMDB. This show is just an average CBS style show.