Manhattan

I've read "109 East Palace," a very good book about life in Los Alamos during the Manhattan Project, and so far it seems that the producers of "Manhattan" have done their homework. Except that Oppenheimer was referred to as "Oppie" by many who were familiar with him.

This is obviously a fictionalized account of the development of the bomb; I doubt you'll see a "real" person portrayed except Oppenheimer -- and maybe Dorothy his trusted assistant. Seventy years later, the whole affair is still too politically charged to do a "real" docudrama. It might come out that the real troublemaker at Los Alamos, the guy who guided atomic weapons development from the '50s on -- after Oppenheimer had been gotten rid of -- was a raving jerk and backstabber. Can't have that.

But the show captures the urgency and the chaos rather well, and the details -- the human "computers," for example, were good and fun. The characters were attention-grabbing enough. I enjoyed it. We'll see if they can carry it through for 12 episodes -- or if 12 episodes of non-stop urgency and intensity are too much.

Update: November 2014. I like this show even better than I did at the start. You who say it became tedious: yes, for awhile it threatened to lose itself in subplots. But the last three episodes roared toward a conclusion that, if the show had not been renewed, would have been the capstone of an entirely complete and satisfying work of fiction.

In many ways, this season has been Frank's journey to answer this question: what things can a good man do, or not do, in the name of good?

{review based on the Pilot + scenes from the 2nd episode}

This a semi-fictional depiction of what happened in Los Alamos, New Mexico during World War II. As you probably know the Manhattan Project was a research and development project for the first Atomic Bomb, thus the name of the show Manh(A)ttan with the middle A stylized as separated.

The series follows the lives of the families living in a strict, military controlled, village in the middle of the desert. In that place paranoia rules. Because of the big secret (the development of the "gadget" as they call it) everyone is considered a possible leak or a suspect for espionage. Their correspondence to the outside world is controlled, the army makes random checks to them and their belongings, they even have to take polygraph tests if they seem more suspicious than others.

The production has nothing to envy from a feature film. Attention to detail. Countless extras and above all a remarkable cinematography. The way they make you feel the "space", the atmosphere of this place is extraordinary.

I hope it will continue in the same fashion and not consume itself in many subplots and little dramas that will make it tiresome. (If it does, it wouldn't be the first time a great pilot is followed by mediocre episodes). But for now...

***Highly recommended.

{{{UPDATE after having seen 9 episodes}}}

Unfortunately my fears have been realized. The show is full of pointless subplots and is now boring and far from entertaining.

Oppenheimer's screen time is measured in ...seconds in the 10 hours I wasted to watch this.

The race for the atomic bomb and WW2 is almost absent.

It's all about the lives and the little dramas of the wives, the mistresses and the ..$2 prostitutes who live in the camp. Who gets high with what, who is screwing whom etc.

Maybe they should change the title to MANHATTAN HOUSEWIVES.

***Overall: Avoid it. I'm changing my rating from 8 to a (very generous) 4.

Viewed the first season over the past week on Hulu. Started out a bit boring, then a few sub plots were introduced that seemed pointless at first. But wow!! By the last 2-3 episodes I couldn't stop watching. The character development is very slow, and we are shown the worst of everyone first, it seems. As the show progresses, we see almost everyone has some redeeming humanity (and secrets, always secrets). The backdrop of all this is the cinematic paradise of the American Southwest circa 1940, and a war story that we all know how it ends. I feel like I was invited on a blind date, only to find by the end that I have made all kinds of new friends. I hope to hear WGN is going ahead with season 2.

Terrific drama, riveting history, intense inter-relationships, great performances. Why is this show so unrecognized?

Why haven't many of these actors I love here gone on to greater things? (Rachel Brosnahan is the one exception.) I wish the writers director & cast would make something again.

I went in with low expectations. After all, how great could a show on the WGN network, with a presumably tiny budget, be worth a flip?

I'm SO glad I tried the show. From the pilot on (I'm on Episode 5 now), the show quality has been stellar. The acting is superb; the casting choices are brilliant. This show ranks with the best shows from HBO, Showtime, AMC, or FX.

I'm totally speculating, but I "imagine" some of the Breaking Bad crew in New Mexico is working on this production. They make good use of the New Mexico landscapes when appropriate, giving the show a nice organic feel.

Sure, the show is fiction, but the major elements that the show is based on are true. This is a great way to get some perspective on the war, the Manhattan project, and the lives of those who were involved with the project.

In summary, give it a chance ... highly recommended!