Luck

Luck was an epic show. In only 9 episodes, it weaved together numerous, insanely complex story lines which many people probably had trouble following. But what started as a 'too dense for anything but pretense' project soon turned into an amazingly broad show whose characters included mafia, rounders, trainers, jockeys, agents, horse owners, and many others - to create an incredibly smart show which, in my opinion, sought to expose the world of horse racing to the many who are uninformed, or simply would not normally care. The characters and writing were top notch, and this definitely should have been allowed more time to flesh out.

Hopefully another network won't be as scared of PETA and will pick it up.

To appreciate this show you must study it. It's obtuse. You need to ask questions and answer them with guesses until you finally get confirmation (if you ever do). It's an investment.

Is it worth the trouble? I watched (and re-watched some) episodes to to be sure I wasn't missing the subtext of LUCK. The Nick Nolte character turns out way too enigmatic to care about. The juicy "Rosie" character turns out frustratingly lovable. Frustrating because you learn to love her while the plot pushes her outward from the center of the plot.

Dustin Hoffman does his best work posing still for intensely brilliant camera shots. He doesn't act much. That surprised me. You feel the director is building up tension for a wild explosion that will eventually occur. I'll admit, it's fascinating, but vexing at the same time.

Now that we know the series is canceled, there is no hope the suspense will be relieved and resolved. The characters will remain obscure. One exception is Marcus, played by Kevin Dunn. This disabled gambler is a reincarnation of Andy Sipowicz (the acerbic cop from NYPD Blue) with all the vinegar and cynical wit, but a genuine human heart. This is the one character we will not forget (those of us who studied this ill-fated series).

Sorry this bold artsy gamble didn't pay off. It was a deal gone bad.

There is an undeniably large amount of jargon used in the pilot episode, however with a little bit of careful listening the meaning of almost all of it can be easily 'sussed' out. The pilot stands out in my opinion for the creative use of camera angles which allow the viewer to immerse into the horse race. The editorial work is also quite slick. The performances of Nick Nolte and Dustin Hoffman are quite good and I am excited to see Patrick J Adams in the coming episode.

I terms of story-telling and plot lines, the last few minutes of the pilot do help clear up some of the prevailing confusion regarding the direction of the story. All in all the pilot is a solid effort and achieves its goal of setting up the stage for a potentially gripping series.

Minor? actor Richard Kind (as Joey Rathburn) in shorter scenes with just a few stuttering lines hits massive grand slams, basically stealing the entire series from giants Hoffman and Nolte. Everybody is excellent but Kind wins the 'race' by 20 to 30 links.

LUCK is fast and stylish. Michael Mann is exec. producer of LUCK and director of the first episode. Mann is the writer/director of "Heat" and LUCK has the same pace and style.

There is plenty of insider chatter here. The kind of dialogue that is second nature to the people associated with horse racing but that leaves the rest of us a bit dizzy. LUCK is the clash of very different characters and it gives Mann as much contrast as the cinematography that has become his signature. Washed up gamblers, hungry employee's, wealthy owners and the people one step from financial ruin or rejuvenation are painted in different colors of neon or grays as success and/or slime in all its forms contrast with the strength, beauty and earthiness of the central characters: Horses, fodder for the justification of so much excitement and sadness.

LUCK is a convergence of who's who at Santa Anita. I'm grateful that so many deserving thespians wanted in on this project. I'm sure they know much about their peers but their on-screen "history" with each other is believable. Can the script justify the talent? So far, yes. The writing seems to have as much good teeth as its all-star cast - pay attention and hold on.

This premier reminds me of "Mad Men" on AMC, a channel I ALSO got for free for the first 3 (enjoyable) episodes. I did not bite on AMC but LUCK is making a good argument for HBO.

I'm certain the language will soak in with the rest of the story but I have the inside on "bug", as the agent calls the young Jockey. "Bug" is a moniker used for substitute jockey's. Any rookie that replaces an expected rider is noted on a racing program with an asterisk and an asterisk looks like a bug (the definition is courtesy of David Milch).