Pistol

I almost didn't watch this. I was born in 1969 so I was a little kid during these years. But the music and punk movement endured into the 1980s so I was aware of it tho I didn't follow it. I just wasn't an angry teenager (tho I had reason to be) so it just didn't resonate with me, yet even then I knew something groundbreaking and important had happened. I learned so much watching this series. For starters I had no idea of the intersection of so many enduring greats that started out together at this time. Also? I learned a greater appreciation of punk than I've ever had before. The casting is perfect. The acting and directing and writing and production value are about as good and authentic as it gets. I was hooked early on and binge-watched it in one day. Now I'm sad it's over.

As Episode 1 of "Pistol" (2022 release from the UK; 6 episodes of about 50 min each) opens, it is the early 70s and we are introduced to Steve Jones, who is hanging out at the Hammersmith Odeon and fancies himself the next Davie Bowie/Ziggy Stardust, while along the way stealing music gear. He is desperate to start a band with his mates but how? Then one day he is stealing clothes from a fashion store called SEX but is caught. Turns out the store is owned by a chap named Malcolm McLaren... At this point we are 10 min into Episode 1.

Couple of comments: this is the latest from noted British director Dany Boyle ("Trainspotting"). Here he brings to the screen the Steve Jones memoir "Lonely Boy: Tales From a Sex Pistol" (and reason why this series is NOT Johnny Rotten-focused--Rotten doesn't even appear in Episode 1 at all). If you think you know the story of the Sex Pistols, well, in all likelihood you don't really, and that is one of the reasons this makes it such a compelling series. The series has the Danny Boyle touch and feel all over, including clever editing, rich use of music (Hawkwind's "Silver Machine" shows up in Episode 1), and just a very visual approach to things. I must admit that the cast was unknown to me but they do quite well. At the end of Episode 2, we get the Sex Pistols' first 'real' gig, at the London Saint Martins College of Art, on November 5, 1975. (As a complete aside: Johnny Rotten, the nice guy that he is, sued the film makers AND his former band mates in 2021 (i) from having Johnny Rotten to appear at all in the series, and (ii) from featuring any Sex Pistols music in the series, even though the series is based on Steve Jones' memoir. Thankfully a British court laughed Rotten out of the courtroom.)

All 6 episodes of "Pistol" started streaming yesterday on Hulu, and so far I've see the first 2 episodes. I am "totally in" on this mini-series, and can't wait to see the 4 remaining episodes very soon. If you have any interest in rock history, or are simply a fan of Danny Boyle's work, I'd readily suggest you check this out and draw your own conclusion.

UPDATE I've now seen all 6 episodes, and I've upgraded my rating from 7 to 8 stars. This mini-series is just fabulous. Watch the last episode when the Sex Pistols go on their disastrous US tour in early 1978. But the other thing I want to mention (not fully clear after watching the initial 2 episodes) is the major factor that was Chrissie Hynde (eventually starting The Pretenders) in all of this. She is featured prominently in all episodes. JUST WATCH.

Overall I think this tv series is pretty great. While many people have been disappointed with the casting, I feel that the casting was pretty good and particularly think the actor who played Malcolm mclaren and John Lydon did a good job. It's very much a glamorised version of the sex pistols story with some fictional narrative but nonetheless I think it's pretty decent. One thing I would argue that isn't great is the ending. It's just kinda goofy and very much a romanticised ending which definitely didn't happen. I think I a deeper dive into character development would have also been good like with John lydon and Sid, I feel like they didn't get much of a back story. The soundtrack was also excellent.

I have a framed original Sid & Nancy movie poster. It's a fantastic movie. I can't help but judge this series against it and it doesn't quite hold up but how could it? I need to temper my expectations.

I like this series but I am watching it more as entertainment than a historical documentary. I remember enough of that time to be cognizant of the fact that there's a lot of fiction here.

I'm not all the way through the episodes but I am enjoying it well enough (see addendum at bottom). I don't have a problem with the actors, and some are quite good. The costumes and etc are spot on. The actor playing Rotten seems a bit over the top, and Malcom keeps reminding me of Doogie Howser MD.

I like that they try to place the story in its historical context. Things were messed up in England and punk was an outgrowth. I think this is what interests me the most and maybe what I really want is to know more about that macro context than the micro stories of the personalities involved. The characters do start to bore me a bit... and as I admitted I am about half way through.

That being said, the storyline about Chrissie Hynde was news to me! Wow! Bonus points that the actress that plays her is fantastic.

The music is excellent. There's an effort to have a wide range of contemporary music and it adds a lot. Also as mentioned previously there are some stunning visuals.

I am mindful there's a lot of controversy about this series. I acknowledge that but as I said, I think of this as entertainment. There's enough horror in life right now (mass shootings, Ukraine, inflation, etc) to let this series disrupt my existence further.

So, it's entertaining enough. I don't have any problem recommending it and if you find yourself not enjoying it, you can always skip it.

And if you haven't seen Sid & Nancy, look for it.

PS I did watch all the episodes. Nothing I saw really changes what I already wrote. The conclusion does leave you feeling sort of empty... I don't know if I should have expected anything different. It is Steve's story and thus the title is "Pistol" and not "Pistols", although the last two episodes have much to do about Sid.

I don't know why Lyndon is upset. I think he comes out looking better than anyone.

I just want a season 2 called 'Pretender' that continues Chrissie Hyndes' story.