The Rook

I haven't read the book,but I didn't really like what I saw.I gave it a 6 for its filming-London is beautiful-and the superb Joely,aside from these two...it had nothing else. A supernatural spy thriller is always an ambitious idea and it has rarely been done well.It was technical and boring,the writing was tedious and the plot was somewhat predictable and didn't evoke any kind of interest.Overall i found it flat and uninspiring.I really really don't like the lead girl,didn't like her when I first saw her in Shameless,didn't like her now.Character development was nonexistent.After finishing the episode I didn't care whether I would watch the next one or not.Keep in mind that STARZ is a network that traditionally renews shows for a second season,only to cancel them a little before its finale...has done so with BOSS, MAGIC CITY and COUNTERPART.Sooooo,I really don't know if I'm gonna invest.

It's not easy to create a supernatural setting that feels fresh. The Rook is the most successful approach since Sense 8. Most importantly, Gestalt is the most original and hypnotizing character idea since I cannot even remember (I guess you can argue "ever"). I am disappointed that they are not the main character, and this is my main complaint: I find Myfanwy one of the least interesting characters in the story. I still really enjoy the show, but it's tailored for a specific audience that enjoy alternative supernatural stories. If you enjoyed Mysfits, The Umbrella Academy, or Sense 8 - I cannot recommend it enough. The story unfolds slowly, but it is way more subtle than I expected from something based on the book classified by many as YA. Gestalt alone make me want to know what happened next.

I've just realized how difficult it would be to bring the book as a whole to the small screen. You can make an endangered show for the fans or craft a semblance of the material for public interest. I think they've done a good job of the latter. I just miss the culled characters and storylines. Can see the direction they're on and, hopefully, the constant exposition and 5 minutes spent wandering the apartment were the foundation for the increasing exciting pace of a great story.

The show is based on a book by the same name, which is all kinds of supernatural crazy. It's awesome if you're interested.

The show, on the other hand, seems to want to stay relatively grounded in reality, and as a result, I guess they had to rework A LOT of the source material. As a result, it's nothing like the novel, so if that's why you want to watch the show, just be prepared. They're the same in name and characters only. Hell, some of the characters don't even have the same powers they do in the novel.

As a show, though, it's not bad. I couldn't make myself like the lead, however. She just wasn't intriguing or interesting enough for me to care about whether or not she gets her memories back. Genuinely didn't care. I watched it more for the background characters, but obviously they were mostly pushed aside for the lead.

It's an okay show if you're looking for something to watch in a block. I couldn't imagine having to sit back and wait a week for each episode. It definitely wasn't interesting enough for me to do that.

Still, why not? I liked it ell enough, so maybe you will, too.

After first episode, it looks like a very interesting supernatural spy thriller. Well done with decent acting, great visuals and sound. I hope the series will maintain this level of excellence. I did not read the book it is based on, so have no prior expectations.