Black Box

The "Black Box" is a show that truly breaks new ground, about a subject that is universal, but not discussed. The show is an accurate depiction of mental illness that is unique, as all mental illness is, to one individual. Bipolar illness is a category, for instance, that covers a wide spectrum, with each individual having a different shade in that spectrum, along with all the different variations each individual possesses. Much of mental illness can be just a difference in amount and degree, of what is mentally healthy. For example, we all have something that is a routine we cannot break, a problem we come back to numerous times a day or something we obsess about which distracts us all day long. OCD is similar, but on a short loop that repeats continuously, and you're unable to get off that loop. Again, it happens in varying degrees. "The Black Box " shows a smart, creative neurologist who functions as an amazing doctor, with and w/o medication. In her personal life, the boundaries are gone w/o medication, and the extremes become almost infinite. It's an accurate and educational depiction of mental illness in a caring, compassionate,vital, observant, and beautiful woman. It's a character you come to care about, who wants to love and be loved, as we all do. Her patients are complex, with interesting case histories that she cares deeply about, and she uses science, knowledge of the brain and her ability to think outside the box, to treat the patients. Medicine is a science, but also an art; both are well depicted. Love it or hate it, you won't feel ambivalent. You will be enlightened either way. It can be a disturbing show to watch, you may disapprove or judge her actions when she is off her meds. You may envy the enlightenment, insight and freedom she has while off her meds, or abhor the torture and recriminations that are the consequences of no boundaries- probably both. The acting, settings, story lines, and other characters are easily HBO worthy. Above all, it is riveting entertainment and it will make you think- and that's rare! It's risky, especially for an ABC show-but no guts, no glory!!!

I really don't understand how this ended up on ABC.

This feels like nothing that has even been on network TV.

The subject matter is fairly dour for the TGIF network. But mental health is easily something our nation needs to have a discussion on. It is always a cheaper burden on the tax payer to pay for everyone's meds, than to pay for the aftermath of people not getting their meds. (Sandy Hook to name one.)

After just one episode, a quick search on Tumblr shows us the show already has a following. There are people who are going to champion positive representation on TV, as everyone who isn't a straight, sane, white male wants to see positive (possibly complex) portrayals of people like them on TV. But statistically I would guess the people with mental disorders who watch TV are a fairly small demographic. It doesn't seem like they could carry a television show.

And this show has made decisions specifically designed to not aim for a wide audience. Monk had very annoying mannerisms, but was portrayed in a comedic and enjoyable way. House was a psychopath/sociopath (not looking up the difference at this moment) who did horrible things to the people in his life. But this was done kind of on a slow reveal, so that over time we were shocked over and over again at his bad behavior.

Black Box starts off pretty much at 11 on the crazy/self-destructive scale. And the frenetic way in which the sequences are dropped one on top of the next never allows the audience to relax, to feel safe, or secure. And where that is probably a deliberate choice, it may not be the best choice for network television.

The last 2 or 3 seasons of House went to some crazy places, but they were able to break out of their mold after many seasons of establishing a very comfortable formula for each episode to follow. And where this episodes did have a couple of feel-good moments, but took us to some very dark places to get there.

After watching most of the titles from Amazon's recent pilot season, this feels like something that would be more at home there than on ABC. It is like someone at ABC had a Jordan McDeere and stole this show from Amazon to the consternation of her bosses. (The only thing people love more than the UN is subtitles.)

Stylistically, the opening bit seems to be heavily influenced by episodes of Showtime's Red Shoe Diaries. Which I guess has been 20 years so is fair game to be listed as an influence, it just doesn't seem like the best possible influence. I understand jazz as a metaphor for the mental illness, but it feels a little obvious. Like Al Capone if you were doing gangsters or Billy The Kid if you were doing westerns.

IMDb specifically list credits for 13 episodes, so I am assuming they were all in the can before the first episode aired. And where I don't want to hazard a guess how many will see air, I feel confident that ABC will not be order any more episodes beyond the 13. And where, for the good of the nation, I do hope ABC does take this show to at least season 2, I doubt I will make it to episode 3. This show may just be more challenging than I am comfortable with. I do wish everyone involved the best of luck.

Being a mother of a child with ADHD, another with ODD, and dealing my entire life with epilepsy and seizure activities, the workings of the brain intrigue me. I watched as a woman, as a mother, as a patient. I understand that tendency to go off the medications because I've done it, my son has done it. It's normal. It is what normal people do who do not want to take medication for the rest of their lives, who want to rebel at a diagnosis they do not want or agree with. I loved the show and I will be tuning in to watch every week.

Seems like a picture-perfect plot for a medical series that focuses so closely upon well-researched neurological pathologies. So it must also consider MENTAL ILLNESSES . . . and what is so outraging to those 1 rating, dare I call them 'reviewers'(?). Seems like lots of writers on IMDb are having knee-jerk reactions to only one aspect of a very broadly-focused series; in particular, its one aspect that looks through the lens of Dr. Black's mental status. Too bad to view a whole series through such a narrowed lens.

Bring back Vanessa Redgrave as Dr. Hartramph, please. The exchanges between Dr. Hartramph and Dr. Black were oh so brilliant and way too well researched to omit from the series. In fact, their exchanges are crucial elements of educating viewers.

Here's hoping this cutting-edge series will intrigue many new viewers who loved "ER" for so many years, since this is very similar with one distinction: instead of just dealing with physical infirmities, "Black Box" deals with BOTH physical and psychological ones.

Thanks for reading.

The plot focuses upon mental illness in the best of ways: by having a physician herself expressing Bi-Polar Disorder behaviors. This strongly suggests that mental illness can impact anyone.

With Vanessa Redgrave acting as the psychiatrist of main character, Dr, Black, we can't top her performances! Redgrave's great in this role and should keep the series very interesting and informative.

I like the fact that we're getting a variety of perspectives of how family, co-workers, lovers and friends treat people who they know have serious-enough bouts with manias, most especially.

If I were to change one aspect, it would be to have more of Vanessa Redgrave providing "the talking cure" (psychoanalysis) to Dr. Black, especially while she's on a mania high.