Laight

Murderbot has so much going for it: Skarsgard is a terrific actor, and the sets and the costumes are all spot on. The other actors are good too, but it's hard to know how good because there are so many of them and so little time for each of them to become a real character -- there are a few whose roles never cleared up as to who they really are.

That's the problem with this show: it's trying to do an hour-long comedy-drama sci-fi horror-fantasy-space-opera as a quick 20 minute-segment hodgepodge. It would be a relief, if there's a second season (which it deserves) if the producers minimize the story and strengthen the characters -- or perhaps weed a few out.

There's been a spate of shows recently about the suffering of the very rich (not sure what's going on, particularly given the current climate in America). This is one of the least interesting of the lot. The reason: it's as shallow as the people it portrays. Jon Hamm's character is insufferably self-involved; he notices nothing in life but his own place in it. Amanda Peet (and bravo to her for allowing her once beauty to completely fade) portrays a woman whose only notable character trait is flirtatiousness. All the other characters compete for the title of most unsympathetic, including the stock character of the crazy sister who somehow is the least crazy (wow, that's never been done before!).

All in all, it's hard not to compare this to Madmen, one of the best tv shows of all time, portraying 1960s upper middle class life perfectly -- noted for its depth, complexity, and beautiful writing. Here we get a show so poorly written, containing so many plot holes, it feels as though the entire season was put together in one hour. Which is about as much time as you should devote to it.

Matthew Goode always seemed to show up in the same role in the same kind of programs: the slightly weak-chinned, handsome, aristocratic or otherwise special rogue or hero. He never really seemed to be acting as much as being Matthew Goode. Well, this show proves that he's an excellent actor. Here his role is of a scraggy, unkempt detective who can barely keep his life together and whose intelligence is not just his gift but also his downfall. Goode pulls this off as well as anyone ever could.

The plot is not always the easiest to follow, and you might find it best, as I did, to go back over the penultimate episode for a review of all the action. Still, it's all so well written, well-directed, and so well acted -- by everyone, not just Goode -- that this is easily the best show of its kind this year. Highly recommended.