Brimstone

Don't view with eyes thirsting for the macabre- it's more than that. Brimstone is about a guy who gets to come back from the dead, metaphorically speaking. Many of the psychological elements, take the flashbacks that torment Stone, tell us a story about a fair man who's not perfect, like any person, yet has to struggle with the frustration of the reality that is his afterlife. He's gone, but Stone won't let go. Brimstone is more of a dead man's odyssey of seeing the fruits he missed out on had he lived on, as well as his regrets often cruelly reinforced by the Devil. The chemistry between the two is phenomenal! They nearly had the makings of the `textbook classic duo', perfectly complementary, opposite polars, and ironically comedic together. Intelligent scripts with line after line of worthy quotables, the dark tone of the pictures dictating its Hellish imagery, and the cleverness of the creators to add love to what would otherwise be a typical Sci-Fi flick make this motion painting a true cult classic!

Discerning television viewers will agree that really good shows are few and far between. Sure there's enough fast food around to keep our jaws working, but eventually we all long for a wholesome, home-cooked meal. And few things rival the satisfaction of sitting down to such a meal. Brimstone is one show that delivers this kind of satisfaction. Just when I had become used to the fast-track glitz and shallow humour of late 90's TV, Brimstone comes along and opens my eyes. It is an extremely enjoyable series. It's dark, grim, sad, but very intelligent, and often very funny. The razor-sharp innuendoes are the wittiest I've come across in a long time. The story is captivating. The dark blue shining in almost every scene is eerie, and sets the mood just right. To top it all off, we have a deliciously enjoyable bad guy (the Devil, played by John Glover), and interesting episodal villains. But, for me, who steals the show is Peter Horton. He plays the taciturn, unwilling hero so convincingly and honestly that he became a favourite of mine right from the first episode. He is MARVELLOUS. But, sadly, this gem is another scalp on the belt of the Network Butchers. The network that cancelled Brimstone have proven again that they have NO idea what quality viewing is. Their complete disregard for innovation and originality propels them into a new realm of ignorance. You will always be followers FOX, because, perhaps, you were never destined to lead. I mourn for Brimstone.

This was a knockout series on just about every level, from its singular look, to the writing, to the directing, and most especially to the acting! I had heard of Peter Horton previous to Brimstone only in relation to the yuppie self-indulgence fest known as Thirtysomething, which by no means recommended him highly to me. Turns out I had NOTHING to worry about. He gives Zeke Stone a note-perfect mix of soulful anguish and world-weariness, and he can still find the occasional light moment in his Purgatory on Earth. Make no mistake, though, this is a deep, dark show that deals with fundamental questions of right and wrong, Heaven and Hell. In fact, I'd recommend it to any devout Christians as a fantastic morality play. The line between light and dark is often obscured and who really deserves to go to Hell is pretty much the question each episode, but that's what made it such a compelling program. Can't finish without lauding John Glover's tour de force performance as the Devil himself. You might find yourself grudgingly liking this version of the Prince of Lies, even when he screws over Stone almost every chance he gets! I can't recommend this show highly enough, and I'm DYING to see this get to DVD! Anyone know who and how to lobby to get it?

Sometimes, a television show comes along that goes against the grain. It doesn't play to any requirements to be successful...it allows the public to judge for itself whether they like it or not. This is TV on the edge. This supernatural story ultimately comes down to the relationship between the two main characters, one a tortured soul, the other his tormentor.

Despite the cracking storyline from week to week, the underlying story is remarkably developed. The true beauty of the show is each episode can be seen as a 'stand alone' or as a wonderful slice of religious science fiction. However, the series from start to finish leaves you with the feeling of hope for its main character.

Which is, unfortunately, mostly what succeeds on TV these days. Shows such as Brimstone are just too intelligent, and go over the head of Average Joe TV Viewer (or Average Joe TV Executive). With all the proliferation and specialization of TV channels these days, maybe some day we can have an "Intelligent TV Channel" where shows like these can flourish and those too dim to "get it" can just remove it from their channel rotation.

Black humor is under-appreciated, and intelligent black humor is just beyond too many people, unfortunately. And Brimstone was chock full of it. Add to that a completely original premise, some decent action, good acting and the wonderful, delicious Lori Petty (::melt::) and Brimstone was a real winner. Too bad the suits didn't "get it".

Any TV producers out there reading this -- there's an idea for you. Create an "Intelligent TV Channel", and give us shows like this, or Max Headroom, Key West, Cupid, etc. You could even call it that, as a dig at the mindless drivel that pours off the screen most of the time.