American Crime

American Crime focuses on the people surrounding a criminal case and the difficulties that they go through rather than the actual crime or criminal investigation itself. While I understand the merits of this and appreciate it the point they're trying to make, the fact of the matter is that I want to know the outcome. I want to know what happened. The acting is great and the series is well written (probably too good for network television though) but it's a let down getting to the end of the season having no idea what actually happened. The series doesn't need to focus on the investigation or be a police procedural to give the viewer a but more payoff at the end. We can struggle with the families of crime victims and ultimately learn the truth/see how things turn out without losing the main message of the show.

This series is undoubtedly one of the best series we have right now.

Season 1 wasn't everyone's cup of tea. But, it highlighted so much that I've never seen on television before and was arguably one of the best scripted and acted series of 2015.

Season 2 is on a whole other level. Just a few episodes in and this series shows how all series should follow-up to previous acclaim. This season has one of the most original and intriguing plots I've seen in ages. I predict this season will also earn several Emmy nominations.

What really stands out in this series other than its acting and script, is that it greatly focuses on race, gender and gender roles, sexuality, drugs, wealth, power and status.

I have watched the entire first season, and about half the secind season. I find the show a slow paced, but often honest protrayal of America today. I can understand how many people may not enjoy this show since in their opinion " it's not entertaining". I highly disagree, but different strokes for ddifferent folks.

There are many people that put down the show, because of an artistic choice by the director, to cast the same actors every season, in different roles. Some, in seeing the same actors seem to think, that the characters changed off screen in between seasons. The Muslim woman, having somehow acquired a Business degree, and dropped her religion to become a high powered executive, was given as one example. The drug addict thief, becoming a high school principal. The fact that they have different names seems to have not been noticed, and somehow this failing of the reviewer is used to Point to a supposed weakness of the show.

They also say they have never seen this before. American Horror Story does the exact thing brilliantly. Repertory Companies also do this on stage, where a company of actors will have several plays under their belt, and one night might put on ONE. and the next a totally different one. It is new on Television, but the practice goes back to the days of Shakespeare, and Marlowe.

This is like watching a production of Comedy of Errors one week, then seeing a production of Hamlet the next, then complaining that the show lacked cohesion, because... the guy that played one set of twins on week one, is now playing some guy named Laertes the next... " where is the cohesion??"

It seems to me that simply paying attention to character names, and plot, would show some people that... it's a different story, with different characters. The fault is in the viewers not understanding what is easy to understand, ..Not the Director's for lacking cohesion.

I guess this is what we get from viewers too used to Hollywood Pablum? When you have viewers so used to having Every Little detail explained to them... they cannot seem to use their minds when a show refuses to connect all the dots.

TL;DR: Superb Show, average network viewer not up to snuff to appreciate it.

Life doesn't happen in neat chapters where one part of the story wraps up neatly and then moves on to another. Life doesn't present its main characters always with perfectly coiffed hair and Hollywood-style makeup. And that's exactly why I'm really liking American Crime. It's a slice of life - a very sad and often confusing slice of life. American Crime festers in the dark side. It brings out the worst in humanity ... so far. I imagine as the series gets further along, there will be changes that come with plot revelations and character development. I'm enjoying the well-thought out plot so expertly put into words, the richness of the acting that brings that script to life and the occasionally brilliant and always good cinematography. The score by Mark Isham contributes just he right tension without becoming overbearing or, like so many other productions, just too loud. I can't think of a thing missing. This is the formula for a very, very good TV crime series. I hope each episode is as good as the first two that I so much enjoyed.

Just two episodes in, and I am hooked and heart-broken again. I just keep thinking "this is all around us, this is all around us." The strawberries that we ate for dinner? And the low cost hotel I drive by on the way to work..what's happening in those fields and rooms?

The new members of the cast are as strong as the old. I feel that the issues that American Crime addresses this season are wider-reaching, yet personal at the same time.

It's hard to watch bright and shiny commercials during the show - a weird juxtaposition.