Manhattan

Viewed the first season over the past week on Hulu. Started out a bit boring, then a few sub plots were introduced that seemed pointless at first. But wow!! By the last 2-3 episodes I couldn't stop watching. The character development is very slow, and we are shown the worst of everyone first, it seems. As the show progresses, we see almost everyone has some redeeming humanity (and secrets, always secrets). The backdrop of all this is the cinematic paradise of the American Southwest circa 1940, and a war story that we all know how it ends. I feel like I was invited on a blind date, only to find by the end that I have made all kinds of new friends. I hope to hear WGN is going ahead with season 2.

I've read "109 East Palace," a very good book about life in Los Alamos during the Manhattan Project, and so far it seems that the producers of "Manhattan" have done their homework. Except that Oppenheimer was referred to as "Oppie" by many who were familiar with him.

This is obviously a fictionalized account of the development of the bomb; I doubt you'll see a "real" person portrayed except Oppenheimer -- and maybe Dorothy his trusted assistant. Seventy years later, the whole affair is still too politically charged to do a "real" docudrama. It might come out that the real troublemaker at Los Alamos, the guy who guided atomic weapons development from the '50s on -- after Oppenheimer had been gotten rid of -- was a raving jerk and backstabber. Can't have that.

But the show captures the urgency and the chaos rather well, and the details -- the human "computers," for example, were good and fun. The characters were attention-grabbing enough. I enjoyed it. We'll see if they can carry it through for 12 episodes -- or if 12 episodes of non-stop urgency and intensity are too much.

Update: November 2014. I like this show even better than I did at the start. You who say it became tedious: yes, for awhile it threatened to lose itself in subplots. But the last three episodes roared toward a conclusion that, if the show had not been renewed, would have been the capstone of an entirely complete and satisfying work of fiction.

In many ways, this season has been Frank's journey to answer this question: what things can a good man do, or not do, in the name of good?

Amazing writing, riveting history and great acting. Not sure why this didn't make the list of top dramas when it first came out. If you are a history buff you won't be disappointed. Give it a try!

I started out as a big fan of this show, partly for the science, whether or not it was accurate relative to history. And I was prepared to put up with the soap opera, "Dallas" qualities. But, I've become increasingly dissatisfied with the prurient and, mostly, implausible story lines. The writers seem to have dedicated themselves to fabricating multiple subplots that they think will dazzle in complexity........flashbacks, dream sequences........not to speak of eavesdropping and other tired devices. (I'm waiting for amnesia.) To me it's turned into a mess, and I've begun to have this visual image 4 or 5 Fonzies lined up on water skis. Sadly, I've decided to tune out.

I went in with low expectations. After all, how great could a show on the WGN network, with a presumably tiny budget, be worth a flip?

I'm SO glad I tried the show. From the pilot on (I'm on Episode 5 now), the show quality has been stellar. The acting is superb; the casting choices are brilliant. This show ranks with the best shows from HBO, Showtime, AMC, or FX.

I'm totally speculating, but I "imagine" some of the Breaking Bad crew in New Mexico is working on this production. They make good use of the New Mexico landscapes when appropriate, giving the show a nice organic feel.

Sure, the show is fiction, but the major elements that the show is based on are true. This is a great way to get some perspective on the war, the Manhattan project, and the lives of those who were involved with the project.

In summary, give it a chance ... highly recommended!