Briarpatch

As a huge fan of European Noir, I loved this show. It was noir in oppressive sunlight, cool even though the billboard registered heat. After reading others' reviews, I'm convinced all the less-than-7-Star ratings here so far are due to ADHD or a lack of patience. The shallowness of most American network TV has made us crave cheap, junk-food entertainment. This show is the opposite-complex, unfolding, and hard to figure-oozing style to spare.

Visually interesting with moments of beauty. Intricate plotting. Rosario Dawson looks amazing and plays a character drawn in a classic male archetype. She strides in her heels as firmly as Eastwood or Olyphant.

Tidily wrapped up although they left some room for more if someone has a great idea. Excellent cast including Stan from Mad Men doing a Texan Nathan Fillion and nailing it. You'll recognize almost everyone you see.

It doesn't reach the level of Justified at its best but it's in that vein. Nothing could top Terriers for character development and heart. But if you imagine that Cusack came back in town for revenge not just a reunion....you'll see the clear parallels. And add a dash of Lonestar while you're at it.

Well worth the watch for anyone who likes beautiful ass kicking women, dark humor, noir in the sunshine or tigers.

I loved this show-something about it was just right. It's a noir with some lightness to it, not in comedy but in the atmosphere. The world it creates is a little hyper-real in way I didn't know I wanted, but found this one of the few shows I would faithfully look forward to the next episode each week. I read a lot of critics comparing this to other shows but I think they miss the way Briarpatch defines a new genre all for itself. Dawson is so airtight this seems like the role she was meant to play, and the Spivey character is complexly likeable-endearing and the definition of quirk but deserving of not escaping his past. I hope there are future seasons and more shows like it. Well done.

Quirky it may be. Acting is fine, regardless of the obvious limited script work being put in. But this is often the result of not much real meat being given to the cast. And this adapted screenplay is reflective of this, as overall it is lacking all but the occasional witty humor Ross' original work is known for. Give me quality compressed adaptations of Leonard or McCarthy any day over this pointless drawn out for TV mini-series approach.

This show is so UNEVEN it is frustrating. Episodes 1 and 3 were great, episodes 2 and 4 were terrible and stupid. I see here they have different writers, and different directors, for nearly every episode. So, no wonder. The actors are the same, the sets are the same, the costumes are the same, but the writing, the dialog, the story, vastly different from episode to episode. So, prepare to wait a week between episodes and then be monumentally disappointed.