The Crowded Room

This is a solid show with solid characters and actors. Tom Holland nails the role of Danny. It has a slow build, but it's never dull, never boring. It's like a giant puzzle and you're putting the edges together the first couple of episodes. By the third episode you're recognizing colors, patterns, connections; it's falling into place. I, like many, typically judge a show by its IMDb rating, but I'm glad I followed my instincts and read other reviews so I didn't miss a chance at seeing this one. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Tom Holland receives some nominations for his performance. The majority of the other characters are likable, and if not likable they're relatable.

This was surprisingly good series. Great levels of drama and mystery and the pacing is perfect. Each piece of new information is provided at the perfect time to keep the viewer engaged and build up more mystery and drama. And the pieces fit like a perfect puzzle. The character's trauma is exposed step by step and it makes the viewer sympathize with a criminal, despite the crime.

But one of the strange failings of the series, one which jumped at me because other Apple series approach the same way, is a strange "sin of the past washing". They put a lot of African-American (or women, or minorities in general) characters in positions of power (judges, prosecutors) which was certainly not the case at the time (late 1970s). The show that caught my eye with the same was For All Mankind and I can't unsee it now. Washing the past makes in various series, present one included, makes it look like some people were far more accepted at the time than they really were, and it makes newer generations believe that.

I just started this and it looks like it's going to be really good. But ... When I was a kid , my mom took me to see Grease. She was extremely annoyed having grown up in the 50s , that the dialogue being used and how they acted was not accurate to what she remembered in the 50s. Of course back then, I was thinking " Geez mom, you're so old. Lighten up!" Now I get it. There are so many shows I have watched recently that are set in the 90s ,80s or 70s. Yet they are using dialogue that didn't exist or the teenagers are behaving like kids do now, not necessarily as they did in the 70s. Use of the word "literally " literally just became popular in the last few years. The word "dude " wasn't an east coast term. I know this because I grew up in California and when I went to live on the east coast in the early nineties, people were fascinated that we called people " dude" . I got made fun of for being a typical Californian . If they wanted to really be authentic, they would only have needed to watch the Brady Bunch. Or another show popular in the 70s. Other than that being a pet peeve of mine. This looks like it's going to be a great show.

Was initially excited to watch this then so put off by the absolutely awful reviews. Which upon reflection were unfair also I sensed some pettiness with the critics reviews as they didn't like being asked not to mention what we later learn in the show. I've just finished episode 6 and felt compelled to write this review after the fantastic performances I've just watched. I agree the first few episodes setting the scene are a little slow and disjointed to begin with but it is all leading up to more! Give it a chance there really are some fantastic performances especially Holland who really gives it his all.

I initially had no interest in watching this due to the terrible ratings it had, despite the fact that I really like Tom Holland. I was browsing for something to watch, and nothing appealed, do I thought I'd give it one episode to see if it piqued my interest. I was invested 15 minutes in and watched all three episodes back to back. It's fabulous! Tom Holland is so believable, so masterful in his performance! Now I understand why I'm seeing news stories about how he's taking time away from acting because the series has broken him. It's intense! While the series is a bit of a slow burn, it's as it should be. The story, suspense, and top notch performances have been riveting. I can't wait til next week!