The Mosquito Coast

This could have been pretty good if the writers respected the viewers just a tad. Over and over again they were either too lazy or to dumb to write a compelling story line. Time and again I have been forced to put my brain on hold and ignore the improbability of the plot. A good writer could have filled in those plot holes with little effort. I will probably watch the second season if I have nothing better to do but I won't be eagerly anticipating it.

Was really looking forward to this due to the writer of the book being involved and his brother starring in it so perhaps we would get a more authentic version of the book and to be fair it started off quite well but soon becomes lacklustre and rather tedious.

Add to that the fact that the father comes across as weak, cowardly and for a supposed brilliant scientist, makes some really stupid and illogical decisions and is really just a very annoying character who brings the whole thing crashing down in flames. Melissa George is one of my favourite actresses but she could be taken out of the show and you would not miss her as she has literally very little screen-time or dialogue and the kids soon become just as annoying as the father.

All things considered it is a just above average run of the mill thriller and when compared to the movie with Harrison Ford it pales into insignificance in every way.

I have struggled through season 1, watching all 7 episodes. I don;t think I'll be bothering with season 2, which has just been confirmed by Apple TV. It's the weakest scripted show on Apple TV yet.

The biggest annoyance is the refusal to actual tell us why they're on the run. Hell, the parents won't even tell their own kids. It's just a drip feed of tidbits every episode. And I find that incredibly annoying.

Every episode just seems to be finding a different way to get out of a corner they find themselves in. Without knowing why they're on the run, other than that the father upset the NSA somehow, it's impossible to feel any sympathy for them.

Honestly, spend 7 hours of your life doing something more worthwhile.

Low rent MacGyver takes his annoying family to Mexico, and not just Mexico, the very worst parts. One character is more annoying than the next. Some Mexican tramp is supposed to be so lethal every cartel in Mexico is scared of her or something and a genius thinks Mexico is the place to hide when the United States is after you. Worst thing Apple has done so far by far.

This show has many strengths and is well-produced. But 7 episodes in and the audience is still given no reason WHY we should care about, invest in, empathise with, and root for Allie and Margot and many, many reasons why we shouldn't. They are not likeable characters and that's hard to accept when we're given no reasons why they are the way they are. It undermines the entire show and as a viewer you just watch children endangered, lied to, and controlled again and again with no good reason provided for why it is happening. In a way it somewhat works as an allegory for abusive parenting and being stuck in the grip of a destructive narcissist but I'm not sure it is enough.

I will continue watching and I assume at some point we will learn why Allie and Margot are on the run from authorities. I just hope the cost to viewers of holding back that information actually pays off.