BrainDead

This show was better than 99 percent the CBS lineup so of course it had to be canceled. I guess I can take solace in the fact that brilliant shows like "Man With A Plan" will probably be renewed for a fourth season. And we wonder why no one watches network TV anymore.

Whether you love it or not this show had great acting and writing. i guess its ratings were low to warrant cancellation but the execs should have seen the potential. everyone i've recommended this to have loved it and had never heard of it when first mentioned. badly marketed i guess. political satire meets invasion of the body snatchers with an impressively great female lead and the funniest Michael Moore cameo you'll ever see!

what more do you want?!

Braindead bites the jugular as a science fiction satire of the US political vascular system in a way that leaves the viewer with a disturbing lust for blood. The mercilessly savage portrayal of the current chaotic culture which holds the world's number one power in its thrall is populated by finely chiseled deeply flawed characters who exude privilege, narcissism and cunning as they wrestle each other for every breath in the unannounced fight to the finish. And just when it couldn't get any worse, an alien insect invading force inveigles its way into the brains of the protagonists and they have their own agenda. It is unimaginable and yet it is real. The CGI intentionally positions us at a distance so that we knowingly suspend our disbelief and in this way we consume a product of that very culture we are watching and as we do so we know ourselves to be consumers.We are consuming ourselves. The message is clear. Braindead is the actual truth disguised as satirical allegory. The horror is here, dribbling down from your open mouth down your shirt front. Watch Out! Your brain isn't your friend.

A comedy? A drama? Horror fiction? "BrainDead" is described as all three in IMDb, but I never referred to the website before watching the first three episodes. I expected a comedy, based upon television ads, so I watched episode one waiting for the moment when it diverged into that genre, but that moment never came. There were bizarre happenings that suggest a writer with a dark sense of humor, but the episode played like straight horror/drama, like "Invasion of the Body Snatchers."

Still, I felt there was an undercurrent of something political. Would the show reveal itself to be left-leaning (like most everything from the west coast) or would it use Trump l'oeil to sway viewers to the right side? I watched episode two in anticipation.

Although the main character, Laurel Healy (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), seems somewhat apolitical, she works for her brother, a Democratic senator, so much of the story originates from that point of view (and I think that's why some viewers think it espouses a left-of-center political viewpoint). But the barbs were evenly distributed on both sides of the aisle, I thought. I noticed that when Laurel didn't like the right-leaning political commentary on one channel, she switched to a left-leaning channel. This appears to be a more objective commentary that skewers the simplistic assertions of both extremes (and I use that term in a non-pejorative way).

So now I consider the show a mystery. What will it reveal itself to be? Will it remain a sci-fi/horror/centrist commentary about American politics and culture? I hope so.

The cast is excellent. I especially enjoy Ms. Winstead, who I had not seen before. She has an every"man" appeal and Laurel seems like someone you'd like to know. She is more than the token "person of conscience" in D.C. that the first episode painted. Tony Shaloub plays a meaty role as Red Wheatus, the colorful Republican opponent of Laurel's brother. Johnny Ray Gill plays Gustav Triplett, a quirky genius who struggles to understand the odd happenings around him.

Update 8/2/16: More than a handful of episodes in, this show has shown itself to be consistently interesting and adorable and intriguing--an unusual combination. I am raising my grade to "9".

Update 9/15/16: From the musical reminders of what happened in the previous episode to the way the show perfectly captures the BS that passes for activity in government to the insightful lampooning of PC-inspired nonsense, this show is forcing me to give it a "10" because it is one of the best in recent years. Besides, there's a nagging voice in my head compelling me to up my grade...and have a kelp shake.

I decided to check out this new show and I have to admit, it's pretty funny.

Disclaimer: I'm not a member of either of the major parties - I ditched my "life-time club membership" right after voting in the primaries. LOL Gotta wake up sometime, right?

To me, they're both varying degrees of terrible. Which might explain why I dig this show. It takes potshots at both sides.

It's obviously both satire and fiction but with current real-life elections underway, I can see where this might rub some people the wrong way.

At this early stage I don't see any agenda and there might just not be one, or it might hint at the fact that the 2-Party system simply isn't working in a country that claims to value personal freedoms and democracy.

I say enjoy it for what it is. :)