Blood & Oil

It's improving by making it into a drama instead of a soap. The characters are very sexy, good acting and strong female roles. They could do a lot with it. This is the home of Custers last stand. I like it when they speed things up -- have characters move fast as no one here has time to sit around. The last episode seemed to imply that they would bring in something about the Indian casino. I hope they do . In Williston there was a coffee food truck run by a group of older ex strippers another hope based in reality as they showed a food truck. I liked the pick up truck chase as you have to drive your trucks fast and hard around here.

Interesting setting - check. Great chemistry between lead actors - check. Solid supporting cast - check. Story moving along briskly - check. Great cinematography - check.

This promises to be just the right kind of slickly done action-soap-opera, a world with modern-day-Wild-West intrigue. This show reminds me of Hell On Wheels, despite the obvious anachronism of being set in modern times.

It is filmed well, the couple who are the main protagonists have genuine chemistry. They don't seem like "actors", "acting to be a couple" - at all.

The characters have believable motivations, and the show has heart.

Heart is something that's been present in many shows of the 90s and earlier, regardless of their objective quality, but in the cynical age of today it has been lost. "Breaking Bad", for example, a great show otherwise, didn't have heart. Many shows of today find it safer to stick to cynicism and negative humor.

"Blood & Oil" is refreshingly earnest - it doesn't twist itself into a pretzel to manipulate the viewer. As result, its emotion is simple and therefore relatable. When you feel for someone in this show, you feel it with them.

Whoever's in charge of this show, has a clarity of vision. Let them never lose it.

For all intents and purposes, I found this show to peak my initial interest. Yes, it feels a lot like the old Dallas show, but frankly, I kinda want that, a bit. I wasn't around when the old show aired and I wouldn't mind getting a similar feeling from more modern showing.

Pros: The chemistry of the characters. Hod-damn, they work extremely well together. I mean, REALLY well. They come off as very believable group of people to the viewer. Either from modest or wealthy backgrounds, each character is individualized to the point of strong believe-ability, which I cannot stress enough is something I've longed for in a show for some time. And while it's only been the first episode, I look forward to seeing it develop into something entertaining to, perhaps, re-watch in the future.

Cons: Yes, there is certainly a Dallas feel to it. So what? Dallas was great, why can't this be? I see too many people crying about how it is similar to one show that they can't appreciate it for that fact alone (that's more of a personal irritation, I'll admit). I guess a negative would be that the aspect of the whole town hasn't been thoroughly shown yet in the first episode, aiming instead to focus more on the main characters, initially. Not necessarily a bad thing, and it is only the first episode, so I mostly let it slide. But the action of the first episode - can they make it last? That's another worry. I found it to be a solid opening, so I wonder if they can keep that strong approach going.

In the end, Blood and Oil does have my recommendation. Yes, it is not a perfectly original show, but heck, if Dallas never existed, I'd find this show to be a good contender for best pilot episode of the year.

So, by the end, give it a chance, and I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Don't know if today's evening TV viewing audience is ready for another "Dallas" or "Dynasty" type show, but here is comes with "Blood & Oil". Don Johnson (Miami Vice) returns to prime time as oil tycoon Hap Briggs, with a family (Amber Valletta, Scott Michael Foster and Miranda Rae Mayo) full of angst and ready for trouble. Johnson also executive producers with others, and luckily he managers to keep out of his own way while on screen. Playing the innocent card, and ripe for "oil creed picking," are the sexy Chase Crawford (Gossip Girl) and his innocence TV wife Rebecca Rittenhouse (Red Band Society). The writing is on the wall regarding the marriage of these families, so get ready for turmoil. As "Blood & Oil" is nighttime drama, the series writers are moving a mile a minute, tossing out and crossing story lines like there is no tomorrow. At this point, the series concept appears plausible. However, many of the sets are too perfect and sometime incorrect (i.e. the hotel Crawford initially stays in appears run down, yet inside the room is extremely large and the bathroom is spa like). For now I'm sticking around to see what happens next in North Dakota.

This prime time drama isn't a typical soap. People expecting a "Dallas" or "Revenge" glamour with high fashion and mansions won't find it here. It's set in rural oil fields. An ambitious young couple arrive in a town set to boom from oil discovery and tangle with local big wig couple. Quite a bit happens in the pilot with some things that seem a bit over the top to grab your attention like cars going off the road twice in 1 episode.

The main cast is watchable and attractive. Newcomer Rebecca Rittenhouse is pretty enough - not too glam to be unbelievable. Chace Crawford transitions well from Upper East Side to blue collar. Don Johnson has always been quite watchable and hasn't let himself go. Amber Valetta plays the ultimate second wife well. She was great in Revenge and looks to be a scene stealer here.

You want to see what happens hopefully it won't give into irritating clichés - the bad son seems a bit clichéd.