The Booth at the End

I was intrigued right from the start. The writing and performances are really top notch. It's a shame it wasn't extended but then could they have sustained the imagination and quality?

I never imagined an action scene, nail biting suspense and thought provoking could just be achieved by just two people talking. This show is a breath of fresh air in the myriad of TV shows. And its possibilities are endless and I loved it.

Xander Berkeley is the man and his acting is master class. Intense, Honest, Intimidating, Sincere, Discontent etc. He was able to portray all these subtleties excellently and this elevates the show much more than I expected. Some times you can see some overacting by other actors but as soon as The Man talks you immediately forget it and are involved in what the has to say.

It's so rare to find a series that is not predictable on some level. Something about even the way this show is shot and the quality and sparseness of the audio seems different than most shows. I love not knowing... I have my theories but it's not really clear to me who the main character is or where he comes from or if he's even mortal and who he works for or if he's more in control than he claims or WHAT. I did not at first expect the overlap between some of the various story-lines, so there was a growing pattern emerging as we (viewers) get deeper into it. The fact that some characters end up having desires that are in direct opposition means that only one can succeed unless one changes what it is that s/he wants, and that makes it even more intriguing. I love that it all takes place in the diner and what happens outside that confined world is only revealed through verbal accounts of the characters - proving that you don't need to see explosions or shoot-outs to make a program work if the premise is interesting enough. I really hope there will be further seasons, and that the story will be fully realized.

...if so, that's some of the best news I've heard about TV this year.

Every now and then (and it's more thin-on-the-ground than not), there's a show which comes along that meets and exceeds all expectations. This is one of them.

Absolutely David Lynch-ian in its construction, "The Booth At The End" is that rare piece of television which makes you *think*.

In the event you've not seen it, the show revolves around The Man in the Booth; an enigmatic fellow with a well-worn leather-bound notebook; from it, he extracts 'deals' to be done with the patrons who seek him out. Each patron wants something. The Man gives them a task. Completion guarantees fulfillment.

Or something.

This is the best piece of allegoric TV since 'Twin Peaks'. Do yourself a favor. See this.

And remember that the pastrami sandwich is quite good....

I was a bit apprehensive before watching this; I'm not a fan of watching TV on the web so I waited for the entire set of 'webisodes' to be broadcast on FX. I must say I have been rewarded with one of the most thought provoking and challenging TV programmes in quite some time. Xander Berkeley has been perfectly cast as 'The Man' his performance is truly exceptional as are all the supporting actors. I had assumed that part of the script had been improvised due to the naturalistic way the performances are delivered, I am assured that this is not the case. There is no action as all the 'tasks' are only spoken of in retrospect or the moral challenge the person asking faces. Is 'The Man' God or is he the Devil ? As the series progresses you flip between one or the other. A series that is well worth watching and hopefully we will get a series 2; however, the moral of this story is : be careful what you wish for...