Shooter

Surprisingly this is one of the most binge worthy series I've seen in a long time.

Hardly an original story and so many twists they've done well to suspend disbelief all this could happen to one retired marine.

It gets ticks all around for acting writing cinematography and music This won't be for everyone and you don't sit there guess what comes next, just enjoy a very fast paced ride.

There are quite a few bad reviews for this pilot episode of Shooter, and I don't quite realize why. I am a big man of a well made series and also quite picky and critical. Very few series can maintain my interest for a long time, Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, Dexter, Boardwalk Empire, Hannibal are just a few I have stuck to right to the end. However, as movies are so badly made these days, Star Trek Beyond anyone? I have to admit I enjoyed the pilot. I think Ryan Philippe was fine, he didn't appear too young to be a seasoned vet. I thought the family angle was endearing and added to the torment of what is about to happen to him. I watched the 2007 movie Shooter with Mark Wahlberg and I also think it was a very good movie that deserved a higher rating. Many people have talked about the series of books that movie and this series are based upon. If the series follows the book (I presume), and the movie then we kind of know what to expect from the following episodes, but even then I don't care. It will be interesting to see if they can maintain the suspense and action for 10 or so episodes. Sure, perhaps nine out of ten is too high a rating, but clearly there were haters out there slating this pilot and giving it two or three stars which is just unfair. I am also pleased that clearly right from the start the producers are saying this is just one season and not going to be drawn out and become ridiculous like Prison Break, and personally I have felt the same with Gotham, The Flash and the 100 (although season two was excellent, season three made me leave). So sure we know what to expect from the coming episodes, a lot of running, a lot of conspiracy theories, a lot of Swagger digging for the truth, and I am fine with that, if they keep up the production values and dialogue, and the directing was fine.

This seems to be promising. A little of "the contractor, with Wesley Snipes", a bit of "murder at 1600", and other similar movies have been set on the stage, but nevertheless this is now a series, a TV show and it can go into a interesting direction. Although it is hard to say after the first plot, how it really will end up. Anyhow, I will wait for the next show and see if it is worthy my higher scores. One at last, there are a view top shows out there, meaning top writing, acting, scenery, music, etc. (some like Banshee, although it might be not everybody's genre), anyway, this first show is a little poor on these parts, but as I said it has the potential to become much better. We will see.

A series pilot today is everything. it is like the weekend box office results for a movie. It has to hit. That is the new reality in TV. There are just too many options. That said, hang in there. The pilot was not Mr Robot. That was one of the best pilots ever.

I was going to bail but recorded the series on DVR and episode 3 hit the target! That was good TV. I want to see a loner trying to evade getting caught. This is The Fugitive w/great gun skills.

I was critical of trying to recreate the movie and how this would be done. I did not like the female FBI agent casting at first. It was political (black female), but the actress (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) pulled it off. Her acting skill changed my mind. The little girl is excellent as well. Casting is everything. I am still not convinced about the lead of FBI agent (Isaac Johnson) role. New face, but in TV that face needs to convince the audience immediately they are who they are. All to say when his scenes take place, I disconnect just a bit. Same with Ryan Phillippe. I wasn't sold on him, but he plays the role as needed. I think because they play the Bourne movies non-stop, I/we are tired of Mr Everything, the persona of someone who is a rebel (detached from his core unit) but super skilled in every way, able to out think law enforcement at will, a McGyver ability to escape any place at any time. This is old news today. Stallone perfected this in Rambo. It is 2016. Time to re-think this role.

I hope this series remains highly intelligent. There is no excuse for stupid. It all comes down to production and storytelling. Timing and pace. Music that connects.

For myself, I like specific scenes. I loved the mini-mart scene is Ep 3 and how it was performed. Producers should ask the audience what scenes they rewound their DVR's at--that scene you had to see over again. Again, no excuses today for not doing your homework! All you have to do is recreate the greatest scenes from similar genres. Make them your own, but find those "gold" moments and give them to us.

I don't believe I spoil any of the show in this review.

I almost didn't pick this show up because of the bad overall reviews I had seen after its first season.

But lo and behold I found myself with some spare time over the weekend, so I binge watched it in the background while I worked on some fun computer stuff.

It just goes to show how unreliable professional reviews are as a whole, because this show is good television.

The acting is well done, the story is well laid out, it's consistent, and it has a well done ending to the story.

I always know I really liked a show when I wan't to watch more after the final episode, but at the same time I'm happy with how they wrapped everything up. Shows that end up on that list always end up being re-watchers for me.

Bob Lee Swagger is a great character. Ryan Phillippe does a great job bringing him to life and keeping him sane. His southern accent gets a little "extra" during that last 3rd season, but the quality of the writing really makes it a non issue.

While all the other actors do a very good job in this show, I really feel like I should bring up Shantel VanSanten playing Julie Swagger. All too often these types of shows end up ruining their female leads. A prime example is The Blacklist's Elizabeth Keen played by Megan Boone. At some point a decision is made to completely rewrite a character to inject conflict with one of the show leads. It never pans out and it's one of the quickest ways to ruin a show in my opinion.

Julie Swagger stays badass from the very beginning, she never changes, and I appreciate that. More shows should take that kind of care with their female characters.

It's a great show, I'm trying not to spoil any of it. If you've passed it up for a while like I did then do yourself a favor and give it a watch. It's poor professional reviews aren't warranted.