There is so much hate about this show. They say it is boring. They say it has a silly script. I think this is one of the best shows on Television right now. Great cast and atmosphere. Good music and direction. Come on people. You should be grateful for this quality stuff. Stop the hate.
shareAmen to that. Not at all what I was expecting from TNT, which seems to be all the same cop drama with different main actors. I'm loving this show's style.
shareI agree. The problem is we live in the MTV generation- ie, if there isn't CONSTANT visual stimulation, it's 'boring'. An intellectual or at least not-ADD addled audience will appreciate a show like this with its slow burn, rising tension and gradual build-up. As a fan of hardboiled detective novels and film noir, I think the pacing is perfect, because that's precisely how such genres operate. The acting and characterizations are very good, and so far I'm liking where the story is going.
--Alright let's just stay calm here!! Don't get all crazy on me!!--
I don't think its the MTV/ADD thing at all. I think it's that we live in this strange time where people seem to think they are supposed to criticize everything within an inch of its life. It's this strange internet based everyone's a critic mentality.
I once had a friend say never take an art criticism class because you'll never like anything again. Now every douchebag with a computer thinks it's his job to protect the masses from bad art.
The fact is... everyone IS a critic. And those that hate it have just as much right to express their thoughts as those who love it.
It seems to me that the internet is much more guilty of trying to squash opposing views. "Fan boys/girls" want to shout-down those with an opposing view, labeling those people as "trolls" etc.. (and to be sure.. there are certainly those for whom trolling is their only purpose).
I find this to be the most troubling. If I find a series/movie that (IMO) is stupid and uninspired I can be just as passionate about it as I am about my favorite series/movies. And it bothers me not one bit if someone has the opposite take. I'd really like to hear their thoughts as long as it's constructive.
As for this series.. I've come here to see if I should watch it and in that effort I want to hear all, constructive, critiques. Having read enough now.. I'll take a chance and give this a watch. It sounds interesting.
You're not wrong at all. Internet culture is totally about trying to shut other people up. The point is just that it seems to me the culture is that everyone specifically has to try to grade everything. And every small aspect. It would seem people can't relax and watch something. Nor can they stop letting small things annoy them to the point they don't enjoy them anymore.
shareHaving now watched the pilot eps.. I can say in all honesty.. it really was not that good. LOL
My wife and I sat back to watch it.. by the final 10 mins we were just waiting for it to end so we could go to bed. I liked the stylishness of it.. the noir look/feel. But the story and dialog were lacking... not a well written pilot.
I will watch another couple of eps, to see if it gets better.. but I don't think this one is for me.
Awesomely correct princethomas!
EVERYONE has a computer and thinks the rest of the world gives a crap about their opinion.
Worst offenders are Facebook folks followed closely by Twitter heads.
Hey folks - NO ONE CARES! STOP RAMPING UP THE WHITE NOISE OF LIFE WITH YOUR RUNNING COMMENTARY OF WHAT YOU'RE UP TOO!
***"I had my pointless point of view"*** Billy Joel
Excellent Observation, Every DB is a Critic now.
shareHow exactly were the characterizations "very good"?
The entire cast of characters consisted of genre stereotypes, almost completely lacking in any personality.
The fact that he pilot didn't disclose the main character's motivation to shoot the comedian, makes it difficult to relate to him. Or understand him at all. Why should we care if his cover-up is revealed?
Basically in two hours the writers couldn't come up with much more to tell about these characters than "yeah, some of these characters are like cops and criminals and they like do cop and criminals stuff, for, like for no reason at all. I mean like, we don't really need to know anything about them, other than they are like cops and mobsters, right?"
And THIS, is why the show is boring. It attempts to be a character-driven story, yet it completely fails in establishing any of its characters.
Basically in two hours the writers couldn't come up with much more to tell about these characters than "yeah, some of these characters are like cops and criminals and they like do cop and criminals stuff
This goes to show that your clearly A. didnt watch the show or B. didnt understand. They did give clues as the why he killed the comedian, the guy was running off with the cops ex-wife. Teague was married to the photographer girl the comedian was running off with.
I did watch it.
But I do not recall a scene where Teague's motives were established. When did that happen? And why would he care with who his ex-wife was running off with?
Who is the photographer girl? The one played by Alexa Davalos? She didn't seem to know Bernthal's character.
I did occasionally miss a few bits of dialogue here and there because I was using my phone while watching the premiere..
@Tomraider09
The Photographer girl was Teague's ex-wife as evinced at the end of the episode when he burns a picture of her. His motivation for killing the comedian was pretty clearly established in that scene.
--Alright let's just stay calm here!! Don't get all crazy on me!!--
I must've been using my phone at the time. I do recall him discussing the photo with Ned Stax, who recommended burning it.
So why didn't Teague and the photographer girl seem to know each other?
@TombRaider09
Guess you'll have to tune in next week to find out.
--Alright let's just stay calm here!! Don't get all crazy on me!!--
If that's what you thought about the premiere then I would have to believe that you didn't pay attention or even watch the show, or maybe you just don't understand or enjoy the genre.
I thought it was pretty clear what the main character's motivation to kill the comedian was. It was actually revealed and "reinforced" multiple times throughout the episode. They didn't come out and explicitly state his motivation but it was made pretty obvious by the end of the episode. The only way I could see someone missing out on his motivation and the relationship between the main character and the comedian's girlfriend is if they were not paying attention. I don't think it's fair to judge a show so harshly and make such comments if you don't even pay attention to the show.
You said yourself that you were messing around on your phone during the episode. If you were to re-watch the episode and pay attention I would be willing to bet you would say differently.
I really don't understand where'd you get that the characters lacked personality.
The fact that he pilot didn't disclose the main character's motivation to shoot the comedian, makes it difficult to relate to him. Or understand him at all.
ha, mtv.. no, we are past that. and what we got from that generation was David Fincher. One of the best directors of all time. The mtv generation at its prime was pushing the envelope that would later create the better content of today. We are in the CSI and NCIS generation now for network programing- stories that can't last more than one episode or else Networks are afraid people won't remember to come back for the next episode. Luckily small steps have begun to be taken to change this - Hannibal is a great example of this - it is the antithesis of this current garbage generation.
and then there is the terrible sitcom side of things, but ufff, i don't even want to touch that garbage subject.
Sorry man but I think its crap. Maybe the music is nice, but the setting is theater like. It looks unreal. the characters are unreal and total stereotypes. But someone who loves noir stuff could probabely enjoy it.
shareTotally agree guys! With a lot of the rubbish that is on TV these days, it's refreshing to a quality program like Mob City.
....unfortunately the masses are not able to appreciate quality anymore.
"This species has amused itself to death"
there is no universal definition of quality.
shareThis member of the masses knows good writing and acting when he sees it, and he loves period programming.
But this show, though I'll probably keep watching for want of anything better to do, is not in the same league as, say, BOARDWALK EMPIRE or, to slide over to theatrical releases, LA CONFIDENTIAL. The writing's much weaker, the acting's not as good, and the film-making of a lower grade.
I mean, really, show-motion shoot-outs in the opening scene? And I knew immediately the scam those three violinists were pulling, as soon as the woman with the baby carriage appeared. They telegraphed it; it was obvious.
Like most of the rest of the show. Cliched. Warmed-over.
Average.
It's been two episodes...
shareTwo out of six, no? Do you suppose they got new writers for the final four eps?
Why you even compare these two shows in the first place? They are different. Are there too many noir films around? Are there too many good gangster series around? Am I missing something? Why you can't enjoy them both?
shareWith the crap that we are bombarded with today, that's obvious!
"This species has amused itself to death"
It struck me as noir-lite. The best noir keeps us in the dark. This was too obvious.
But it looked gorgeous, and the music is great.
It struck me as noir-lite. The best noir keeps us in the dark. This was too obvious.
But it looked gorgeous, and the music is great.
yeah I would have to agree, not great so far...did enjoy the writing thus far tho.
Jim Carroll: Time sure flies when you're young and jerking off.
I must say I loved it but I'm a big fan of noir, especially one set in LA. This is what "Gangster Squad" should have been, big disappointment with that movie!!! Found the source material book L.A. Noir at the local library to see how the two stories match up.
Dave
I agree that, so far, this has Gangster Squad beat by a fair margin. I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes.
shareI'm not a hater, but I'm definitely not convinced it will survive to a second season.
Is it boring? So far, yes. There is too much dead time. They are trying for artsy camera shots when it isn't necessary, they are holding other shots too long to fit the music, and the dialog doesn't keep you focused on the sub-context of the conversation. Then they waste time with back stories about characters we haven't really had a chance to meet in the present.
The atmosphere is fake in a Disney theme park sort of way. There is excessive use of color and light. The music is too high production quality for the time period. Watch again and pay attention to people in the background. On more than one occasion you'll see people standing waiting to enter the frame...but they were already in the frame. LOL! If I caught it, someone else should have.
I am grateful for quality shows and movies. This series makes me appreciate the true attention to detail that goes into shows like BOARDWALK EMPIRE and MAD MEN as well as cinema classics such as LA CONFIDENTIAL and CHINATOWN.
Dead time? Things happen all the time but it doesnt mean "action from first minute to the last". It´s like Boardwalk Empire. BE has a lot of dialouge, lots of scenes where not much happens and it´s all fine by me. The noir feeling is great as are the settings.
I got very surprised that this show was so violent. Extremely graphic in certain scenes. Didnt expect that at all.
I like the series a lot and Im looking forward to season 2. Like the main character, he looks like a real badass. Not purely sympatethic, with his own ethics and moral code.
That's how I feel, too.
I thought it was GREAT! The dialog, the locations, the sets, the costumes, the acting and the script. I love noir. Just one technical error though. The scene where the police have Jasmine Fountaine and are interrogating her, they were using a magnetic tape recorder! The show is set in 1947 and there weren't any tape magnetic tape recorders being made in the U.S. until 1948 by Ampex. Even then they were WAY to expensive for the LAPD. I would imagine the LAPD might have gotten a magnetic tape record by about 1950? I know it's nerdy of me but that's the techno-truth!
shareI enjoyed it immensely, great atmosphere & story, hope it doesn't get cancelled.
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