For Life

Finally a refreshing TV Show that isnt based on false eyelashes & squeaky voiced prima donnas trying to make their mark. The acting and directing is superb & Felonious Munk was the right choice for the part. The series is especially good as its based on a true story and shows just how dirty and corrupt the US justice system is.

The first season is compelling, excellent storyline that opens your eyes, excellent acting and overall a very engaging show that pulls you in almost from the start. Yes it has its soapy moments in the first season but those are forgiven for the overall original feel to this show. The character development is also extremely good in the first season.

But for whatever reason, instead of ending the show after the second episode of the second season and wrapping it up then, the producers decided they wanted to keep making money off this, and just turned the show into a CSI extension. It's like Watching two completely different shows under the same name.

I hate it when shows do this, it ruins the entire thing. All the character development from the first season has disappeared, and the story has just turned into your average American soap drama.

What a shame.

Nine years ago, night club owner Aaron Wallace (Nicholas Pinnock) was sentenced to life after his friend's secret drug stash is found on his premises. He worked to become a lawyer to help his fellow inmates and to go up against the hard-headed DA Glen Maskins who put him in prison. Maskins will do anything to keep him in prison. Anya Harrison (Mary Stuart Masterson) is running for the DA office and her wife Safiya Masry (Indira Varma) happens to be Aaron's warden who is trying to implement reforms. Former public defender and State Senator Henry Roswell (Timothy Busfield) is helping Aaron with his legal work. His wife Marie Wallace (Joy Bryant) is in a relationship with his best friend. His daughter gets pregnant. Fellow prisoner Jamal Bishop becomes his friend.

This is supposedly based loosely on a real person. The big name producer is 50 Cent. Quite frankly, the audience is better off ignoring all of that. This is simply a good show with good performances starting with Nicholas Pinnock in the lead. He powers the narrative and its emotional heart. It works. It's canceled after two seasons.

I've only watched the first season so far. I know it's only loosely based on the real story, which is obvious by the very unrealistic things that happen every now and then. But the show was really good. Acting great especially the main actor...including the American accent. There were tears. There was anger. It compelled me to donate to the Innocence Project because innocent people go to prison all the time in America (and all over the world but more so there than in my home country of Australia).

I'm looking forward to the next season.

A beautifully crafted narrative about the life of a man fighting for truth. This is one of those compelling stories that has the potential to creep into the zeitgeist, then (hopefully) shift it towards justice.