Hightown

After reading all the great reviews for Hightown I thought I'd finally give it a chance. I'm glad I did because it was definitely worth watching. It's a crime drama about the war on drugs that has everything from drug use, drug dealers, corrupt cops, murders, etc. This is a lot better than your average crime drama because of its writing but mostly because of acting performances from its two stars, James Dale Badge and Monica Raymond. Hightown will hook you from the very first episode and hold on to you until the end. I'm glad that's it's already been renewed for a third season because it definitely deserves it.

I found season 1 during the pandemic. The cast is pretty stacked so I figured I'd give it a shot. I'm an addict (sober 3 years) so these types of shows can be very insulting if it isn't authentic.

Some people will find this type of show depressing. Sorry, it's real life. Terrible things are happening everyday, and unfortunately the bad guy normally wins. Drugs are awful and they are everywhere. The ripple effects are all around you constantly and I think that is my favorite thing about this show. If you're not into the gritty real life portrayals, this show isn't for you.

Last but not least. I actually read some reviews with complaints about the fact that the main character makes lesbians look bad. Huh? So everyone wants representation in stories, but if the person representing them isn't perfect it's a problem? It's time for people to grow up, stfu, and just enjoy entertainment. This character has flaws, but none of them have to do with her sexual preference. If she was straight, she'd have the same alcoholism. Stop expecting every character to be perfect. It would make for some unrealistic and boring storytelling wouldn't it ? Also, if the portrayal of two women having sex for you takes away from the overall story I'm not sure what to tell you. Go watch G rated television maybe? They have ratings at the beginning of every show. It's pretty much as dummy proof as you can make it, and still, people complain when something is too graphic. Stupid people are everywhere.

My rant aside, this is one hell of a show. The cast overall does a great job, but James Badge Dale really shines. It's nice to see him in a major role, he's extremely talented. I'm enjoying season 2 and I hope it gets a 3rd.

Hightown follows Ray Abruzzo (James Dale Badge) and Jackie Quinores (Monica Raymond) as they investigate serious crimes in Cape Cod. Quinores has a history of drug problems while she struggles to stay sober and Abruzzo spirals out of control from the stress of the job. Those two are at odds most of the series but really do work well together and will do whatever it takes to get the bad guys. It shows the lows of substance abuse and how the opioid epidemic has really effected people and torn peoples lives apart. Hightown is a fast paced thriller that will keep you entertained throughout the series.

I guess you could say that I am a "townie". I grew up and live on Cape and I work in addiction recovery. Once you get beyond the language and the sexual situations, you are left with 2 stories, the fictional murder/cop drama and the very real story of addiction and recovery which is messy and hard and has a lot of setbacks. It is an important story to tell and I am glad they are telling it even if it's uncomfortable for some people to watch. It's also important to see that this is a very bad problem even if you live in what would be considered an affluent community. Opiate addiction is a very bad problem here on Cape. So for those reviews that say this show is elitist, well, addiction affects the elites as well.

At the time of this review, this show has a 6.8 on IMDb. That's too bad because I almost didn't watch because of that. IMDb users think they are too "high brow" or something. This show is really good. Drug use and sex scenes are in your face and I guess that turns some people off. STOP GIVING SHOWS A LOW RATING BECAUSE YOU FEEL OFFENDED BY THAT! If you're reading this review and you aren't sure if you should watch, take it from me. Give it a chance. For some context, my favorite tv shows of all time are the sopranos, breaking bad, boardwalk empire, game of thrones, the last kingdom, Dexter, rescue me, and so on. If you are a fan of those shows too, then take it from me and check this series out. You won't be sorry. Don't read too much into the hate. I have officially realized that user ratings of shows are not the "end all be all" and now I will begin to broaden my horizon with new series. I understand that everybody is entitled to their own opinion, but if sex and drug use and violence are the reason that you are hating, do us all a favor and keep your opinion to yourself. Lol thanks.