Dig

At first, due to all of the hype and advertising, I thought that this would be 'just another' cheaply-made dumbbell TV show for small-minded people and the elderly who are prayed upon by churches and telemarketers...BUT, I WAS SO WRONG!

This is a fantastic EPIC TV SHOW with great locations; great actors; great characters; great writers; great, great, great everything! I love it!

The only thing I dislike about "Dig" is having to wait a week to see what happens next!?!?

It's definitely a "cliffhanger," just as Jason Isaacs says in the "Making of DIG."

I've always taken a great interest in foreign cultures, religions, and, histories, but, I think that this show will appeal to anyone who has an open mind and really wants to experience something with foreign cultures, religions, and, histories...and, with a lot of action, intrigue, and, excitement.

I love it! :) I just changed my rating to '9!' (May 3, 2015):)

*Gideon Raff, the creator of this series, is also the creator of "Tyrant." Check that out! (Update - Sept. 3, 2015).

While investigating a young woman's death, FBI Agent Peter Connelly (Jason Isaacs) based in Jerusalem uncovers a secret society. His boss and former lover Lynn Monahan (Anne Heche) is unconvinced. Debbie Morgan (Lauren Ambrose) is a recovering addict staying with a group in an isolated religious compound out in the American desert. She discovers a boy named Josh who is held in isolation. She tries to break him out but it's not what she thinks it is. A red heifer without blemish is born in Norway and a young religious Jew is tasked to accompanying it to the Holy lands. The three separate stories converge around a plan thousands of years in the making.

Tim Kring keeps coming up with convoluted conspiracy shows with religious overtones. I like them but it doesn't mean I'm a sucker for anything. There are some silliness going on in this show. All three stories are interest in their own way but also suffers from deficiencies. The cow is silly but I actually like the religious kid. I really like Lauren Ambrose but her story is unreal. As for the main story, it gets too complicated and too compressed. I started to lose interest in that section after a few episodes and the show ended weakly. This is an ambitious TV show that doesn't deliver all that it promises.

I love crazy twists and turns. Things that make me go, "Whaaaaa...??" and Dig has a lot of that.

There's no swearing (it's on USA network for crying out loud) and the camera work has never bothered me. Bear in mind, I'm a non-religious, non-Hollywood type...so what do I know?

But -- if you want to get sucked in and taken for a weird ride, hop on.

It did help that I fell in love with Detective Golan Cohen, Peter's partner.

Regina Taylor is deliciously evil and Anne Heche (I know, right!?) is a fun find in this show. I was happy to see Lauren Ambrose in a great role... always love her.

Overall, I like Dig. After all, who doesn't like conspiracy theories that have a veneer of fact? It is a fact that there is a Temple Society that is actively searching for the ashes of the Red Heifer and training students in ancient Temple ritual to resume sacrifices when the Third Temple is rebuild. Another fact is that there are evangelical Christians who support the Jewish Temple Society and also look for the Temple to be rebuilt. Where Dig deviates from these facts is that these people are quite peaceful and content to wait for the Messiah to come (return) rather than take an active art in destroying the current occupants of the Temple Mount. It's also a fact that archaeological digging around the Temple Mount has religious and political hazards.

And that's the basic problem with Dig's broad popularity. It asks us to extend our intellect beyond the usual car chase/shoot-em-ups/bedroom scenes that are the standard made-for-TV miniseries. You need to have some knowledge of Judaism and evangelical Christianity to navigate the premises in Dig. From many of the comments on IMDb, it's obvious that many would rather watch the standard TV fare than extend their intellect. I don't object to being asked to think a little bit but why not go all the way and make a completely intellectually satisfying show.

Dig has just too many plot holes to give it a ten rating. Let's consider Agent Connelly, Jason Isaacs' character. Does the FBI send agents into foreign countries? I thought that was the CIA's job. Even if the FBI is into operations in Israel, would they use an agent who apparently doesn't know a single word of Hebrew? I realize that English is the most common second language in Israel but you can get on an Israeli's good side with a few well chosen words in Hebrew.

Dig ignores the fact that the Essenes really are extinct. They appear in the history of Josephus and some other contemporary historians but they seem to have disappeared during the First Jewish Revolt of 70 AD. It seems that that Essenes were a dead end of Judaism. Current scholarly opinion is that the Essenes had no connection to the Dead Sea Scrolls or to Qumran for that matter. Whether or not the Essenes existed in Qumran in the First Century or now, I think that the many people involved in excavating the Dead Sea Scrolls might have noticed all those dudes in white robes dancing around fires in the area.

Another hoot that Dig offers up is the scene with Anne Heche walking around the Negev in high heels and a cocktail dress. This is just after a miraculous escape from her kidnappers by strangling Noa Tishby, shooting the driver and surviving a SUV crash without wearing a seat belt. Folks, do not stroll the Negev without full hiking gear and lots of water.

Despite the aforementioned sensitivity of digging around the Temple Mount, apparently one can enter the dig through a door on a busy locked by a key that is not so cunningly hidden behind a rock in the wall. Israeli security can't be that lax.

In a way, Dig makes me disappointed in Gideon Raff, one of the creators. I loved Hatufim (on which Homeland was based) mini-series because it was so plausible. The characters in Hatufim, as in Homeland, have an ambiguity that is lacking in most miniseries. However, Hatufim was entirely plausible with the premise that the Israel security agencies employ double and triple agents. Dig's evil and good characters stay pretty much as they are throughout the series. Also, Dig lacks the implied homoerotica of Hatufim, although Ori Pfeffer's character is openly gay.

There are some high points in Dig that help overcome its defects. Angela Bettis, Regina Taylor and Noa Tishby play three of the most evil women to ever grace the small or large screen. Jerusalem is lovingly photographed, warts and all. Overall, I would still recommend Dig as something better than average.

Yes, dig is a slow burner. And despite another reviewers concerns. It is not full of swear words. Most of the world does not define the use of God and Jesus to be swear words. So, to the rational out there, don't be put off by some odd reviews from people who only watched 8 minutes before they decided to review the pilot. Jesus, what's wrong with some people? It's well made, enjoyably scripted and interesting enough to watch. It's a shame due to ongoing middle east unrest they could not shoot in Jerusalem, but New Mexico looks great nonetheless. The cast are all capable and the mystery intriguingly simple yet complex at the same time. So if you don't consider blaspheme to be 'swearing' enjoy the show and give it time, at least more than eight minutes. Also ignore the homophobic Christian reviewers. Enjoy it for what it is