Graceland

The series must have been meant to go at least a season more because it had a horrible ending. So unsatisfying. Just left me dangling.

I've read somewhere about this TV show and I just couldn't wait to see the pilot episode. All I can say after watching this episode could've been said in these three words: intriguing, exciting and unpretentious! But, I'm not going to stop only with that. This is a story about seemingly ordinary people and their work: FBI agents who enforce the law by arresting the people who break the law, as they've been taught in school. Hence, this job is much more complicated by the criminal mind learned to hide, to connect with all parts of society, only to avoid justice. Because of that, the ordinary people of the law have to work undercover, to look like criminals, to talk like them, to lie and do everything to arrest them. All that lying and erasing themselves could be very dangerous and who knows where could lead. I can't wait another episode, to see all the good and the bad in these characters that will come up!

Despite the title (the show is only in the most tangential sense Elvis related, thank goodness), we felt we had to watch at least the pilot because of the presence of admirable Broadway actors Aaron Tveit (NEXT TO NORMAL & CATCH ME IF YOU CAN), Daniel Sunjata (TAKE ME OUT) and Courtney Vance (SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION).

Vance, as the head of the FBI at Tveit's character's graduation, may not prove an ongoing character (inexplicably for a personality of his calibre, IMDb doesn't even mention him in the Pilot Episode at present!), but he SHOULD be as he serves as a solid grounding for a location and character heavy tale of young cross-agency enforcement agents living and working out of a luxurious beach front headquarters seized from an Elvis-fanatic drug lord (hence the name for the house and series) before the series ever begins.

The true leads in the story about drug enforcement and possibly the investigation of the enforcers are Tveit as the young hotshot just out of training academy with top scores and unlimited potential and Sunjata as the experienced but still charismatically young agent (one of the few with Academy scores exceeding Tveit's own) who is to field train Tveit. The hour and 15 minute pilot was languorously paced but ultimately got in its share of moments of excitement among the hot locations (was the opening shot really intended to evoke the opening shot of THE USUAL SUSPECTS?) and potentially enjoyable cross currents of character relationships in the unusually large ensemble.

The USA Network has made a name for itself with quirky character "mysteries" which entertain on many levels and, despite an unfortunate European-style preference for ultra-short "seasons," allowing the well ensembles time to develop followings. Given that time, with slightly tighter story telling, GRACELAND should be another in a popular line-up of lightly challenging USA entertainment. It has something for everyone between beach skin, vicarious luxury, post collegiate kidding, an underlying frisson of mistrust and dark underpinnings and the promise of developing character interplay among the large cast (who will turn out to be bad guys beyond stealing from the communal refrigerator? Who will mate with whom?).

In some ways GRACELAND looks like it wants to be a cross between the BIG BROTHER HOUSE and TRAFFIC. If they can get the mix to gel, and they seem to be off to a good start despite one or two moments which strain credibility - but which may actually be parts of the story supposedly "based on fact," they could have something very special. At the very least it's worth a second look.

I'm not sure what show the poor reviews were watching, but it couldn't have been Graceland.

This show is entertaining and well paced. The acting of the two leads is spot on and the supporting cast, especially Manny Montana, are excellent. There's chemistry and great banter along with a darkness that most USA shows don't have.

Also, if you didn't like the first episode, give the second a shot, the show improves greatly between the pilot and 2nd and goes upwards from there.

Give this show a chance, you will not regret it.

Something this layered and suspenseful that is based on actual events doesn't come along often and when it does it should be given more than 3 seasons to establish a fan base. Yes some of it is incredulous but there would have to be some of that to offset the reality and gore of violence that is based on reality. Add to that a fine cast of actors and you get a winning combination. Such a shame it was canceled to make room for something fluffy. It's hard to understand why this wasn't renewed, especially given the cliffhanger at the end of Season 3, along with unfinished story lines that would have been exciting to explore. Why is it that once you're hooked on the drama and the characters a network decides to cancel? I don't understand why networks don't query their audiences before making these decisions! There's a reason Idol and other talent shows allow audiences (customers) to vote!!!