Long, complexly scripted story that is well worth watching
I almost bailed on this, due to impressions from the first episode. Some of that has been alluded to by at least one other reviewer. One set of characters (no spoilers here) are a squad of police detectives who are somewhat inept, but in the first episode, that is a bit overdone, coming off a bit too much like "slapstick comedy, gone very, very wrong". It just seemed a bit too childish. But, based upon the IMDB reviews, and score, I went ahead and watched the next episode, which led to me quickly being addicted (and the Episode 1 silliness did not recur). There are just a continuous set of "hooks" (revelations) that keep you wondering what is going to happen next, and those are all part of a larger story that is woven together, revelation by revelation.
Although there are a handful of core characters, this is one of those stories where you have to pay close attention, as the underlying story is a much larger canvas than is obvious up front, and as more details are revealed, and events from different time-frames are woven into the story, there are a lot of "things" to keep track of (both people and events). Certainly, it works better, IMHO, to be able to watch the series in a shorter time-frame (e.g. Binge-watching it in chunks), just because it has so much going on.
It is the fact that most of the ongoing revelations are not so much "adding pieces to the puzzle", as they are "turning the puzzle on its head", that makes it so interesting. Those regular "twists" are also not unrealistic, i.e. (IMHO) they aren't just ridiculous, unlikely plot devices. There are often flashbacks that show events as they previously happened, to further weave those ever-growing plot elements into the larger story. Again, some of those flashbacks involve the same characters, at different ages, so you need to pay attention in order to tie everything together. (Much as with another really great series, "Dark", you can't be sitting on the couch, texting on your phone, while you attempt to watch this, or you will quickly find yourself lost.)
Anyway, I'm obviously providing no real details about the story, to avoid any spoilers, but suffice it to say that I believe that anyone how watches the first few episodes will either find themselves as hooked as I was, OR, they will simply decide that it's not a story that interests them at all. Just don't bail out instantly, after the first episode. Its initial tone is simply not representative of the larger story being told. It's a long journey (some of the episodes are long), but well worth the trip.
Although there are a handful of core characters, this is one of those stories where you have to pay close attention, as the underlying story is a much larger canvas than is obvious up front, and as more details are revealed, and events from different time-frames are woven into the story, there are a lot of "things" to keep track of (both people and events). Certainly, it works better, IMHO, to be able to watch the series in a shorter time-frame (e.g. Binge-watching it in chunks), just because it has so much going on.
It is the fact that most of the ongoing revelations are not so much "adding pieces to the puzzle", as they are "turning the puzzle on its head", that makes it so interesting. Those regular "twists" are also not unrealistic, i.e. (IMHO) they aren't just ridiculous, unlikely plot devices. There are often flashbacks that show events as they previously happened, to further weave those ever-growing plot elements into the larger story. Again, some of those flashbacks involve the same characters, at different ages, so you need to pay attention in order to tie everything together. (Much as with another really great series, "Dark", you can't be sitting on the couch, texting on your phone, while you attempt to watch this, or you will quickly find yourself lost.)
Anyway, I'm obviously providing no real details about the story, to avoid any spoilers, but suffice it to say that I believe that anyone how watches the first few episodes will either find themselves as hooked as I was, OR, they will simply decide that it's not a story that interests them at all. Just don't bail out instantly, after the first episode. Its initial tone is simply not representative of the larger story being told. It's a long journey (some of the episodes are long), but well worth the trip.
- RockyMtnVideo
- Dec 27, 2017