Hostages

2013 Hostage Drama (late-nite re-run). Stayed with this long and ridiculous "White House Down-like" fiasco 'cos I wanted to convince myself that there was some purpose to it all, and they hadn't REALLY lost the plot. By Episode 14, however I realized they HAD, when "Actor 1" handed the gun to ".Actor 2". Good job it wasn't me, 'cos I'd have shot him, an' I wasn't even on-Set. The only benefit is that I'll never know - Phew!!

I have seen a couple of episodes and I must say my expectations were high. After Breaking Bad and Southland, a trilling drama is really missing on TV. Jerry Bruckheimer is a great producer. This would have been a great series if... it wouldn't revolve about hostage situation, that is normally a short-lived situation that can cover the length of a movie, but hardly a season. This inevitably leads to a series with excessive prolonging and disappointments. Most importantly, you can't really produce a family-friendly hostage drama. This is as dramatic as kissing through glass is intimate. It's impossible to maintain the thrill factor if no one gets hurt in an extortion drama, even if hostages do not follow orders from their captors. Let's compare it to Breaking Bad - except for a few main characters, everyone could any moment become a collateral there. Here, the characters are treated as "babe" piggy that no one expects to die. I must say though, the character, dialogs and events are interesting, well written, the flick is executed very well and acting is superb.

While I read negative reviews of this show quite often, I found myself wondering if this show would be worth my time. I mean, from the previews before it started I would ask myself "How can they do this as a series?" A mini-series? Sure, but a TV Series with maybe multiple seasons??? That point aside, I decided to drop my skepticism and give this show a chance, (I mean ANYTHING beats another mind-numbing, brain cell killing, coma inducing Reality Show!!!)

It took me a few episodes to realize this isn't just a show about Hostages or Assassinating Presidents; there are serious character layers and sub-plots that got me hooked each week and wondering what the heck might happen next!

The actors are pretty stellar, the characters are well thought out and you find yourself flipping your opinions about who they are and what drives them. Sometimes I feel pretty sympathetic to the "Bad Guys" while having no sympathy for the family, others I am torn, sometimes I like them all. The thing that I find more intriguing about this show is the ruthlessness of the "Real" Players (Spoiler) (they aren't the Hostage takers!) So as the show progresses I can see the logic of it being a series. I could actually visualize a 2nd Season; because whether they succeed in the assassination or not, all of their lives will be at stake!

Don't underestimate this show. It has some very top notch serial drama going on (Think "Who Shot J.R.?", cliffhangers but every week. I find it's better to DVR it and watch a bunch in one setting because I am impatient and hate to be left hanging. There is only 2 episodes left and it doesn't look like it will be renewed for a second season, so get caught up on the official website before January 6 when the show returns for its last 2 episodes. This is also the best way to get into the show without getting frustrated by the numerous cliffhangers.

I want to champion this show, not because it's an underdog...but because it really is good drama, good acting and a dang good show overall!!!!

TV shows are like boxing matches, you have the main events like Breaking Bad, Boardwalk, Game of Thrones. Then you have the undercard or as I say fillers, and this is definitely on the filler list.

I'm watching this in the UK and like this show while there's basically naff all on currently. I'm really not sure the reviewer's have been watching the same show but it's all about opinions and there's counts just like mine does I hope.

It may well be a one season wonder in the end, but currently there's a lot going on like political gamesmanship, murder, blackmail and a reasonable storyline to keep me interested. As said I do class this as an undercard type show, but it's watchable and doesn't deserve the reviews it's been getting.

Personally a lot of shows that I've watched in this class have been canned by the TV powers that be. Which begs the question, do my great American cousins actually know what there watching sometimes, when shows like Grey's (bailed after Season 5, The Mentalist bailed and a few more I dare not mention) are still out there going strong.

I love the US drama, best TV on the planet. They're very few UK shows of equal and we have a tradition in the UK of only having 6 episode seasons, less if you think of Luther.

This is a new golden age with so many great US shows, 3 I've already mentioned, alas BB is no more (nothing touches that). I'm enjoying Hostages, just like The Blacklist, Revolution, Under The Dome and Continuum. All enjoyable filler shows to watch while the main events are on break.

If you've given up on this, I'd encourage you to go back to it while there's nothing on.

To start on a positive note, the acting in this series is generally good, to the point where it adds a hint of realism to what is an unbelievably ridiculous storyline.

Such is the stupidity of the plot, I feel it would be more appropriate for 'Hostages' to be categorised as a comedy rather than a thriller, and 3 or 4 episodes in I began to treat it as such.

If you are going to create a drama series involving a plot to kill the US President, then surely you need to ensure the storyline and script are as realistic (or simply believable) as possible? Unfortunately, there are so many gaping plot holes and ludicrous plot twists that it's nearly impossible to sit and watch 'Hostages' without thinking about what else you could be doing with your valuable time.