I originally had Nosferatu included, but my viewing was nearly three weeks ago. Suffices to say, I wasn't too fond of it outside of the first 20 minutes.
The Sopranos- Many consider the Sopranos to be the best show of all time, but I disagree. Yeah, I know, you’re shocked. It’s not that the life of north Jersey gangsters isn’t intriguing, it’s just they may not be best suited for long-form television.
A cast of varying shades of mobster gray, outside of Tony Soprano, few characters push any sort of boundaries. The majority clings to old tropes, failing to become much more than amusing flat personalities to support the main course. Yet, instead of treating these caricatures for what they are, the creators attempted to make them into full-fledged arches. Trouble is, there are far too many juggling acts and inconsequential side plots. When one of the less meaningful acts starts getting interesting they disappear for several episodes at a time, rarely living up to expectations. Furio’s interest in Carmella, Paulie’s motherly situation, Vito’s out of state escapades, and the prolonged coma are just a few examples.
To some extent, I believe the attempt to step outside the norms of TV writing did more harm than good. Each season lacks a distinct identity as events are interchangeable. Identify problems often walk hand-in-hand with intensity. Tony Soprano is compelling, I won’t argue anyone there, but one man does not make a show. The Miller-character bond was weak throughout because cool isn’t a proper substitute for depth. Most of the cast undergoes very little change.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the Sopranos. Tony is great and elevated by Gandolfini's performance. There’s something remarkable about seeing the “human” side of such a man. What really makes it is we don’t just see a brutal leader of organized crime. Tony’s struggle with the morality of his work brings weight and complexity where most writers would create something satisfying on a base level. And it’s true, plenty of the cast has its moments. Chris the most notable. But undoubtedly, Tony helped pave the way for the mainstream interest in anti-heroes which allowed shows like Breaking Bad, Dexter, House of Cards, and True Detective to become popular.
I can’t help but have mixed feelings though. Never was I reeling from anticipation of what was to come, or the tragedy of death. But I also never became completely disinterested. The characters, no matter how shallow, still entertained and scratched that mafia itch I’d been missing for some time. The Sopranos is the closest thing we have to the Godfather on T.V., but perhaps there is a better approach to be had in something more short-term.
House of Cards- A product of its time; corrupt political machinations and the search for the truth are not just something you see on Netflix. The U.S. is in a state of being where the current leadership is not looked upon with favor by a good portion of citizens, and activist groups such as Anonymous stage worldwide protests. House of Cards is what the modern audience wants, but it’s not simply pandering.
Much of what fans hold dear about season one is still in place but one issue was how the first several episodes flimsily handled tension. The matter is addressed right out of the gate, with arguably the best episode of the entire series. Frank continues his cunning manipulations, creating an even more ornate, but equally delicate spiderweb.
Where season two falters though is in the characters. Many points are as good, if not better than the previous incarnation, but an equal amount is worse. The cast may not be significantly larger, but Freddy, Lucas, Rachel and others ensure content overlord of a mixed bag quality. Some are better- Claire most of all- while others- Doug Stamper- are worse. More concerning are those who seem to gain relevance only to disappear for an undetermined amount of time. It would be one thing if there were poor additions, but many are rather interesting and amount to little more than a tease.
Barring inconsistencies, and some episodes being more scandalous than political, season two is on par with the first. Kevin Spacey continues to be one of the best leads in a post- Bryan Cranston-landscape and the finale shapes up for a pretty incredible premise for season three.
Kids on the Slope- Stories are predictable, humans are not. Good characters can direct their own narrative and the cast of Kids on the Slope are the embodiment of director Shinichiro Watanabe.
The use of music is more direct than most of his other works. Jazz doesn’t only play a role in setting the scene, but can be found at the center-point of the intricate relationships. There’s also the matter of this being Watanabe’s only non-original work and usage of the common high school backdrop. Unsurprisingly, such things can’t hold back supremely talented folks.
As a piece of storytelling, Kids on the Slope is what writers need to be inspired by. So often exposition becomes long-winded. Why waste time treating the audience like a child by over explaining? There’s a quote whom I forget it belongs to but it goes like this.
“Give your audience 2+2, not 4.”
Meaning have faith in the intellect of your fans. How do I know Kids on the Slope is set in the mid-to-late sixties? Because of context clues. Uniform styles, architecture, the types of music being discussed: they all play a major role. The same goes for the cast. You learn who they are the same way you would in real life; by getting to know them over time. It's no secret anime has a fixation on the high school, but Kids on the Slope captures the setting best with a mixture of youth over-idolization and a coming-of-age comparable to any other narrative out there.
I got a kick out of having both this and the Sopranos in the same piece. On one hand we have a six season show -which when finished- I wasn’t sad to see it go. Kids on the Slope though, at a mere 12 episodes, grabbed me and never let go. The angst filled high school experiences are something we all can relate to, but for me it resonated especially well in a somber and regretful sort of way. The ending is rushed, but at the same time respectful of the characters. In no way are last minute revelations shoe-horned in and the it's incredible how fleshed out they become in such a short time.
Yeah, it’s an anime and I know many of you that I know personally may have reservations about them, but I’ll let you in on a secret. Watanabe and Kids on the Slope deserve as much, if not more, respect than every other show here.
True Detective- I’ve never made it any secret the skepticism I approach most crime-dramas with. Procedural shows are just that, and art has no award-winning formula. Not everything has to be completely out of the box though, which my list of favorite shows proves. True Detective, quite literally came onto the scene with more than a few tired old strategies, but it wasn’t the crime, killer, or crime-solving which defined the experience. In an abusive atmosphere what shines through are Rust and Marty, and how the case changes them over the course of 17 years and eight episodes.
It’s amusing to see a show which focuses so strongly on two single leads and still manages to have a more intriguing case than those which put the crime before the characters. In fact, it’s because McConaughey and Harrelson are so great. It’s almost as if captivating people make for an equally captivating story. Who knew? And remember how I mentioned earlier that Spacey is one of the best on T.V. right now? Well, the true king is Matthew McConaughey. A pure nihilist, Rust walks a thin line between genius and insanity, which plays a huge role in the thematic direction.
At the heart of a foreboding air of cynicism and ritualistic murder lies some brilliant craftsmanship. Breaking Bad is praised for excellent cinematography of the gorgeous New Mexico desert. Director Cary Joji Fukunage does an almost equally spectacular job using the drab backwaters of Louisiana. Even when in more urban settings, the cinematography is masterful, as the final 15 minutes of episode four exemplifies.
Spoiler alert for the series finale: I’m not all that fond of how Rust undergoes his transformation from grand nihilist to full-blown optimist. He has a near death experience in which he sees his deceased daughter and comes out of it with a positive outlook on life. The Rust of yore would have written that off as a delusion, especially when stacked against the fact he suffers from random visions. What it comes down to is show versus tell. We were told Rust changed. One scene he’s his cynical self, the next he’s waking up from a coma and coming out of a discussion with Marty as the more positive of the two. End spoiler alert.
I’m sad to see True Detective go, doubly so because of its anthology approach. Rust and Marty are gone and any subsequent seasons will pick up with a new cast and story. At the same time I admire the choice. To often great shows are dragged through the mud by series’ end, but this style ensures each story will only be as sullied as they allow themselves to be.
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