MovieChat Forums > Mob City (2013) Discussion > Bludgeoned by the plot

Bludgeoned by the plot

posted 11 years ago by Mug_Costanza
7 replies | jump to latest

I'm sort of noticing a trend in some of the criticism toward the show- chiefly the complaint that the show seems to be deliberately withholding information about certain plot points from the audience. My question is why is this an issue? Do you really expect this show (or any serialized drama for that matter) to just spend the entire first episode spelling out every single plot point or character motivation?

To me it seems like a non issue. It's like reading a book. You actually have to read it to get to the end. Sure you could skip to the last page, but the point should be to read the bloody thing and find out how it ends naturally.

But maybe I'm just a traditionalist that way, I don't know, or maybe I'm just missing the point of that criticism.

--Alright let's just stay calm here!! Don't get all crazy on me!!--

[–] nserafini 11 years ago

The guy who we're lead to believe in the first 45 minutes is the quasi-hero just up's and shoots someone ( he's supposed to be helping ). It's going to take a lot of explaining to show why we, as a viewer should not hate him.

I realize the idea is to make us see the thin line between good cop and bad cop, but for me it's more like dirty cop ( on the take ) or a murderer ( which Joe now is ). In the Shield, we knew Vic Mackey was doing the wrong thing, but for the right reasons.

It's easy to connect to some of the other characters, like The Boy Scout and even Sid, because we know them and can relate to them.

Monday morning quarterback, it would have been written a lot better if instead of Joe killing Nash, Joe gets into a shootout and had let Nash die. That way, it was a crisis of conscious, not two in the back and one in the head execution style.

Also, i'm hoping they cut down on the " let's tail her, wait in the car, and watch her window all night " stuff. There was like 15 minutes of people watching people (watching people!).....

[–] gueeds 11 years ago

Its not so much they withhold information it is that the characters know more than the audience does, but do not clue them in.

For instance, Homeland this season purposely withheld the twist early in the season and people were upset since what people were led to believe was a lie simply because the characters knew what was going on, but did not pass that on to that audience.

It gives the writers freedom to do whatever they want and act like they outsmarted the audience. It is cheap. A good twist is where the clues are there, but are presented in a way that you don't realize you are being misled, like the Sixth Sense.

[–] TheAxemanCometh 11 years ago

I disagree with comparing mob city to homeland.

The homeland twist didn't work because the viewers were purposely mislead by the main character. The way that she reacted was totally inconsistent with the twist in order to trick the audience.

But in Mob City, the main character does nothing to trick the audience. The meeting was set up a 3rd party, who we find out in episode 2 knew of Joe's relation with Jasmine & a potential for Joe to take care of it (which is why Joe didn't take the money. He did it to help her, not for the mob).

Joe never gives any indication of liking Hecky. A hot chick is talking to Joe, who is too busy spying on Hecky's conversation. At the meet, Joe asks about what Hecky plans to do with jasmine & Hecky has no concern for her well being and will run off with her knowing the mob will be on her trail. These are clues.

Joe saw the negatives and knew Jasmine had taken the pictures and he knows she could still be in danger which could be the set-up story for the remaining episodes.

You have to look at the first ep as an act 1 to the story. It sets up everything that will follow.

~~
What do u hear
Nothing but the rain
Then grab ur gun and bring in the cat
Boom,Boom,Boom

[–] bowillo 11 years ago

I'm not so sure the plot involves a hero yet. It's most likely that every character will have flaws or weaknesses, such as Prison Break or Breaking Bad or Lost or almost every television series out there, regardless of how ridiculous the plot holes can seem. The ending of episode two allured to the main character/narrator's motivation (ambiguously). Great show! Early reviews often don't accurately paint the entire picture. Come back after six episodes and I'll hear you out.

[–] !!!deleted!!! (41638798) 11 years ago

What I liked about the "twist" or perhaps more appropriately "the reveal" is that we were set up the whole way to think this plot was about only law enforcement issues, good cop/bad cop, gangster doin's and that it was all about the city and the work.

Then. We find out it wasn't that at all. It was ALL personal.

Ned had a problem. He saw a way to bring his buddy into it and have it be a win-win for his buddy AND for him and his boss. Ned's situation was business. But Joe's was personal. And the two melded when Ned saw the way to get rid of Hecky and the problems he was presenting Bugsy. And he set up Hecky knowing Joe would feel compelled to protect Jasmine from being on the lam with Hecky (which would have been a death wish).

But for Joe it was entirely personal and in the end had nothing to do with being a cop per se.

That in itself was the shocker.

[–] Mug_Costanza 11 years ago

That's what I'm liking about this show so far. It's really like a good hardboiled detective novel. The first act sets up the players, sets the scene and gives us a look at what their motivations may be, only to somewhat pull the rug out from under us right in the middle of the story. I find that to be interesting writing. Joe Teague comes off like the hardnosed homicide dick who you think might be on the take, but his cold-blooded murder of Hecky dashes that idea when you find out Hecky was married to his ex-wife. People who say Teague is a cliche don't know what they're talking about. If he was just a hardnosed detective who ruthlessly pursued 'justice' I might be inclined to agree, but he's clearly motivated by selfish reason. That gives him some dimension and makes him a bit of an enigma so far, the tough-guy shtick notwithstanding.

--Alright let's just stay calm here!! Don't get all crazy on me!!--

[–] !!!deleted!!! (41638798) 11 years ago

Well said!

While the guy playing Teague has no previous star power he's bringing into the show as the lead, he did a great job of conveying little bits of foreshadowing around the Jasmine outcome.

Was iced in yesterday (literally, couldn't even open the door!) so watched it again OnDemand. He gives away a lot during early scenes when Jasmine is mentioned.

Also, it become a lot more interesting if we find out that Jasmine also has a secret story: That she's working for the FBI.

I wrote a long message about that notion but guess nobody was on board with that notion, so it got no responses.

But if that's the case and Jasmine gets more interesting, this could really become a fun show.

After all Jasmine and Hecky? Really?

--Jasmine is a classy broad--and she ends up with gutter snipe Hecky? Was this a set up for her to get into the periphery of Bugsy and Mickey's operations?

--She's a very accomplished photographer (check out her equipment she discards!), and she's running around town taking photos of Bugsy? Of course Hecky has helped her with that--another reason she might be with Hecky

--If she were working for the FBI as an informant OR as an employee it makes sense--she's Joe's ex. And also hooked up with Hecky. That would give her entrée into both the possible corrupt cops AND the mob all at once.

Who better than Jasmine for the FBI to put in there? And after all her made up name is like every made up informant's name in history--female anyway. haha