Lucky Hank

I'm writing this only after the pilot episode. As it is the only one out this far, I really love Bob Odenkirk as I could watch him Rita phonebook. The character introduction episodes for most shows are always a snore fest and this was entertaining enough I was hoping for a little more drama or excitement or a cliffhanger perhaps but I'm hoping that type of emotion will come in the future episodes. I was really happy to see Diedrich Bayer come into screen, as I always wished he was in more things. He is a joy to watch. Finding out Susan Cryer would be a cast member on the show was quite a nice surprise as I really enjoyed her role in Silicon Valley. I will say that her personality and tone in the show is similar to her character in Silicon Valley. Shannon Devito stole the scenes that she was a part of and I feel like this will be her breakout role and I can't wait to see more. I really hope the show succeeds because it has all the potential for a stellar time.

William Henry "Hank" Devereaux Jr. (Bob Odenkirk) is a miserable middle-aged professor in the middling Railton College in Pennsylvania. He calls it "Mediocrity's Capitol" in a viral rant and some people want him fired. He has work issues. He has family issues. He has writing issues. Most of all, he has a giant daddy issue.

This is a great AMC show based on a novel. More than anything, this is a great Bob Odenkirk show. The man is on a terrific roll. I love his depressing work life. I love his problematic family life. It got canceled after only one season. It's not enough. I want more. It has more to say.

I went into episode one with an open mind and not expecting Saul. I do think that Bob Odinkirk has an acting type. He has a very similar personality. He does have unresolved issues and messes up. Much like Saul but with far less enthusiasm. A character who is just bored out of his mind. I enjoyed seeing some of the lesser known that were casted. I apologize as I've only watched one episode I don't know names. The girl in the wheel chair was a great actor. She was believable in her role. This episode was intentionally dry and wanted to convey how dull and boring his life is. It introduced the issues that Hank has. His father, daughter and one of his students are the biggest ones. People felt the dryness of episode one and translated that to a low rating when it was intentional. I look forward to the great acting about exaggerated problems because of the boredom in town and school. I was a school nurse and it was enough to understand the frustration of mundane as a professor. We watched the conveyance of mundane. It's ok to think it was dry and lifeless. That was the goal.technically , Wardrobe was great. Lighting was perfect, sound was level and without interference. Set design good so far. Limited sets at this point. IOW, they've got great cast and supporting crew. It will be a great show.

To be honest, I'm surprised this show was even made.

In a couple of months when the full season is out I may come across as a fool and this may be an outstanding piece of comedy television, but based off the first 2 episodes, I am not optimistic. I am confused as to what the hook is to this show, it appears to simply be exaggerated and yet uninteresting events occurring around a beleaguered Odenkirk and his shockingly unmemorable cast of side "characters". Odenkirk does chew through the large majority of lines with a believable animosity towards the world and tempered rage as a man suffering a mid life crisis, but even his good, if not outstanding, performance is not enough to save an essentially premise-less series.

I have not read the source material. I don't know if it has the depth to sustain a series or if this series (so far) is just a weak adaptation. Either way, it needs to improve rapidly and find some grounding in some form of a plot, as so far I have been felt unsatisfied by the episodes that have been released.

This could become another iconic character for Odenkirk. Give it a try. I found the the first episode far too close to the reality of university life. The intensity of the battles for which the stakes are so low (to paraphrase an old Pat Moynihan quote). The self-absorbed faculty whose fragile egos are satisfied only when belittling their colleagues' efforts. Administrators powerless - or afraid - to make real change.

You must read the A CINE TV REVIEW listed under "Critic's Reviews." It's hilarious; clearly the writer never saw the pilot and doesn't know that it's a series - not a film. Click bait publishing.