beer_and_veg

Sorry, but there is just no point in watching this show. Cancelled after one season, we have no closure on anything, and questions are answered. It's not like something being 'open ended', but rather like finishing the first three chapters of a book and then losing it. There is just an overwhelming sense of pointlessness that no fine acting or great writing is going to fix.

There is a completed French TV show that was released before this one. I watched one episode and it felt eerily similar. The camera work is much more compelling though, and the whole thing seems less 'TV'. So, French.

What there is of this American show is OK. The acting is fine, the writing is fine, everything is fine. Without the complete story, though, none of these things make it worth the watch.

I just can't recommend. Watch the French one instead.

A love for Kate Winslet is not a reason to watch this series. It is a reason *not* to.

Winslet is a tremendous actor and is supported by a stellar cast. The problem is the direction. I say this with a heavy heart, as I loved "Carol", but Todd Haynes did not do this work justice. He turned it into a soap opera with too big a budget. The camera stays too long on Winslet's (lovely) face, the music is overly sappy, the performances seem stagey and wooden due more likely to poor editing than actual performance. We have a terribly implausible plot development toward the end that just... I don't know, maybe it could have been pulled off? But it doesn't land here.

I have never seen Winslet give a poor performance, but here she just comes across as emoting, and it is just as dreadful as watching a world class chef open up a can of ravioli and dump it into a pot. Sorry, but this is direction. Prior to this I watched Haynes' "May, December" and was underwhelmed. I'm beginning to think "Carol" was a fluke. What a shame, because this mini-series could have been so much better instead of the teleplay that it is.

Just, Wow. I had zero expectations going into this series and have not read the books. I said Yes to James McAvoy, as always, and was so glad I did. This is not a children's story. It is dark, very dark. It delves into areas I never would have expected, creates a completely engaging world and unfolds the most wonderful story in a masterful manner. The acting is top notch, with an impressive effort by Dafne Keen and just a stunning performance from Ruth Wilson.

Most commendable in the writing is the examination of complicated relationships, even toxic ones. It does not provide simplistic resolutions, but ones that are as equally complicated. It is a beautiful love story. It is also a sweeping adventure, the pursuit of faith and the quest of knowledge. The story continued to evolve and just grew exponentially in such a way that completely surprised me.

For those who love stories, this one is for you. I don't grade many things above 8. Very few. I give this series 9 stars. If I'm honest, it's probably a 9.5...

I just want to thank everyone who put this together, because they have brought me so much joy. I haven't enjoyed anything this much in a very long time. Thank you!