Aquarius

Anyone that has done some research on Manson, the family and all circumstances that surrounded them before during and after the horrific countless murders that climaxed with the Tate La Bianca ones and the three ring circus that was the trial, knows that there was no need for writers and producers to embellish or go off book. Fact is stranger than fiction, especially in this story, you can't make this stuff up. The cast of characters, hippies, ranchers, runaways, satanic cultists, vindictive hells angels, black militants they re all there along with riff raff of all kind. Just read Ed Sanders The Family and Helter Skelter. There was no need to embellish, and the kids are way to contemporary. Some of the girls sound like jappy valley girls.

I'm hearing a lot of negative comments in reference to this show and its realism especially as to the actor portraying Manson, I don't think that they got the info that the year this show is portraying is 1967, not 1969 when Mansons family did the killings and Manson was clearly then a madman.. I think the show is probably building up to it if the show last that long I personally think that the madness the actor is building up in his Manson character is exceptional, though this is my opinion and we all have one.

I find this series quite fascinating, it was a bit slow in the beginning but most new shows are. I found this show is different than all of the current cop shows on TV and I find it very entertaining. I was always a David Duchovny fan and I just discovered this show on demand over a weekend and spent the whole day watching all 12 episodes. The characters, to me, are mesmerizing, especially the guy who plays Manson (Genthon Anthony plays freaky amazingly well). I was never really into the whole Charlie Manson thing but my friend forced me to watch and I was hooked, in the beginning I thought that the plot would be the whole story line on Charlie Manson but there are other issues inter-weaved with the Charles Manson story not too mention the whole 60's era including the fashion, music, the attitude of the era between the hippy community and the so-called, overdrinking, straight laced adults which I really am enjoying. I'm hoping the show last a while.

After about 4 or 5 episodes I find myself waiting for Duchovny to come back into a scene, he makes this whole show go forward; otherwise, a bit plodding in terms of story and script. The Manson actor good but in a scene with Duchovny, no contest who makes the scene memorable. Without Duchovny, a plodding script with pretty boy, pretty girl actors whom you want to be forgiving towards as it is obvious they are trying their best and good at it, but the script will not let you do it.

The show does a pretty good job of showing the times for what they were in terms of dress, cars, music and the like but at times, it gets in the way of the show. For example, the Duchovny characters son shows up having fled the war as an enlisted soldier appalled that he was in Cambodia fighting what he believed was an illegal war. Accurate but really off topic and this character is a diversion to the plot and unnecessary to illustrate the times. It is unlikely Manson did what he did because of this, so why throw this in the script (including the Black Panther movement angle)?

If the writers had stuck to the crime drama, dress, music, cars of the period it would have been a great series. Too many plot diversions that are unnecessary and make the script plodding.

BTW, David looks great for his age and his acting accomplished. He makes the pretty boy actors in the show look just that, boys and not men. Why I gave the show an 8/10. Without him in this show, try 6/10 at best.

I would like to know the shows the rest of the reviewers are watching that are so entertaining. I was impressed with how well Aquarius held my attention. Its not a documentary or biopic. If it was it wouldn't last beyond an hour long episode. Instead, Aquarius adds creative twists that make the show worth watching. I've never been interested in crime shows and I have a very short attention span. I had no problem making it through the first season of Aquarius and enjoyed every episode. I can't trust the snob reviews people post on here. This isn't the best show ever but it's certainly not bad. Duchovny does a great job as well as the rest of the cast. Gethin Anthony plays a great bad guy. His face makes me mad now. Sorry Gethin, but great job buddy!

...and that's okay! There's a serial-killer cult-leader who has dirt on various officials, a follower who has reservations, a down-and-dirty ethically-challenged cop teamed with an idealistic partner with a scandalous (for the time period) secret, all mixed with classic music and drenched in sepia.

The acting is reasonable (not great, but not horrible... especially for network television) with some good portrayals by serial-killer Manson (Gethin Anthony) and good-cop Damon (Brian Shafe), and the sub-plots give a good sense of place (civil rights issues, drugs, sexuality).

The beginning is a bit slow, but you would expect that (it's not the type of show where you'd jump straight into a manhunt or anything). It's probably a bit more on the character drama- side than the action-side, so keep that in mind.

In the continuum of shows out there I'd rather watch this than The Americans, but I'd throw Aquarius under the bus for Hell on Wheels.