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| Mark Strong |
Welcome to a new column called Channel Surfing, in which I sporadically look at current TV shows and talk about them. These are not ones that I care to write weekly recaps for and are instead reflections either on the episode, the series, or particular moments. This will hopefully help to share personal opinions as well as discover entertainment on the outer pantheon that I feel is well worth checking out, or in some cases, shows that are weird enough to talk about, but should never be seen.
AMC is about to enter a very interesting time and they know it. With Breaking Bad a mere seven weeks from leaving and Mad Men not too far behind, the network that redefined drama for cable TV is in need of a continuation strategy. While the Walking Dead continues to prove to be a lucrative strategy, there is still the gaping holes in their programming. There needs to be something new and fresh to keep viewers coming back once their flagship shows have met their demise. As brilliant as it is to allow show runners to have control of when their series ends, it also means that there will be a loss of devotion unless you act fast.
That is why the network has had an interesting slew of new shows that maybe will never compare to Breaking Bad or Mad Men, but will show a network continuing to try and move more into original content. This week alone, we have the launch of what looks to be a Mythbusters-lite with Owner's Manual and the return of reality series the Pitch. Their roster also includes the Killing, which seems to be the most successful of the second-tier shows, especially as it just wrapped up its third season.
The question still remains: what is their next move? After its critical praise, it needs new programming to keep things afloat. In a way, there's this haunting, somewhat flawed, approach to finding just that show. All through the reruns of Breaking Bad in the weeks leading up to its premiere, there was a promo for the brand new show Low Winter Sun. In the promos, there was this sense that the network was selling it as "the next Breaking Bad." This was done largely through insinuation that because Mark Strong starred as a deeply flawed individual that he was somehow on par with Bryan Cranston in Breaking Bad. True, both are respected character actors, but that should be where the line is drawn. Now there's unobtainable expectations for Low Winter Sun to be "the next Breaking Bad." They even promoted the first five minutes of the show in between episodes just to get people to watch.
I'll admit that their marketing for Low Winter Sun was a lot more subtle than their battle last year with Dish, in which every commercial break pointed out how AMC was not on Dish. It is a point that went beyond sensible when considering that if it wasn't on Dish, why would audiences watching it obviously not on Dish care? Instead, it managed to be hyped as an event, which was done rather effectively, even if the results weren't all that fantastic.
During the run of Breaking Bad, creator Vince Gilligan has stated that there needs to be humor to keep the show from becoming too bleak. It is advice that you take for granted until you watch "the next Breaking Bad." While both shows go dark, Low Winter Sun starts off in the least remorseful place imaginable: flawed cop Frank Agnew (Mark Strong) is seen basically drowning another cop in a sink after drinking a lot of liquor. While it helps to make Agnew appear less likable, it also stops the tone from ever moving beyond dark.
I am not sure how you could apply humor to the freshman show, but it would have been a nice touch. While the opening scene is striking and the investigation around it that follows is interesting, it does little to distinguish itself as anything more than AMC's take on the corrupt cop show. While Strong plays corrupt very well, there is little beyond the initial premise that feels sustainable. There is personality, but there is little intrigue if the audience knows he will be corrupt without a sense of pity. Maybe it is just the effects of the pilot episode, but the clinical introduction provides little promise for a better future.
Of the supporting cast, I feel like Lennie James as Joe Geddes should be the real star of the show. Geddes is Agnew's partner who is tired of his shenanigans and wants to leave. While Agnew is the typical corrupt cop, Geddes provides room for potential growth in the show. I know that Mark Strong is technically the biggest star in the show's roster, but Geddes feels like the emotional core that the show could use to improve upon itself. While we get to learn very little about everyone, the lament that Geddes gives about being old and tired feels like a strong story than the flawed individual.
While it could be that the show is based around a pre-existing property by Simon Donald, I feel that trying to make it "the next Breaking Bad" will be its demise. I may in general not find myself invested in crime shows, but there has to be a balance. Even if the show wants to skip on the humor, there needs to be good and evil. There needs to be conflict, and right now, there is an off balance that unless it gets paid off soon, could prove to be a problem for the show going forward.
I feel like the universe is established enough that in time, it could move beyond its constructs. Still, AMC is a channel that seems to be notoriously dark when it comes to their drama. They are too concerned with the internal conflict. I argue that Geddes is the real core of the conflict here, but who knows, maybe there will be a transformation of sorts in Agnew that will redeem narrative. The only real way to properly call it "the next Breaking Bad" is by pointing out that David Costabile has appeared in both. Here he is more restrained and less nerdy. Still an infectious actor to watch and one you wish was in more work, but this first episode is the Frank Agnew show, and that's a shame.
For a pilot episode, it is perfectly fine, though it doesn't leave much in the way of striking moments of promise. Its only real saving grace was that AMC promoted it in a slightly cheating way. Is this going to keep AMC's reputation afloat? It is tough to judge this early on, but I have trouble seeing the longevity. Then again, the Killing has been around for three years, which suggests that I could be wrong entirely. Still, I want to see Geddes be the star of the show. Maybe it is just from a marketing standpoint and that Mark Strong is both more established and also a draw, but there's got to be something there. There has to be a twist or narrative arc that keeps you coming back. I don't feel it's there in the pilot, save for characters with potential.
Even then, I must wonder if what I like will be around for long. While IMDb is not yet a site to recommend as facts for Low Winter Sun, I do notice that Costabile is only credited in three episodes and James is scheduled for 9 out of 10. Of course, the information provided is very vague and one unnamed episode doesn't have a cast list, so speculation on James' lower count could just be an accident. Either way, this feels like the writers are going to keep this the Mark Strong show. Hopefully this is just one of those cases where a bad pilot is just an introduction and not a sign of potential to come.
Is Low Winter Sun right to be labeled "the next Breaking Bad?" I don't think so. What made Breaking Bad authentic was its ability to be different from everything else. Low Winter Sun just feels like another cop show. It needs to prove itself as a show before it can be anything else. It needs to develop a better personality and give us reason to care. It may not be great, but it could definitely just be another solid show that proves AMC's ability to turn TV shows into compelling, cinematic experiences.
During the run of Breaking Bad, creator Vince Gilligan has stated that there needs to be humor to keep the show from becoming too bleak. It is advice that you take for granted until you watch "the next Breaking Bad." While both shows go dark, Low Winter Sun starts off in the least remorseful place imaginable: flawed cop Frank Agnew (Mark Strong) is seen basically drowning another cop in a sink after drinking a lot of liquor. While it helps to make Agnew appear less likable, it also stops the tone from ever moving beyond dark.
I am not sure how you could apply humor to the freshman show, but it would have been a nice touch. While the opening scene is striking and the investigation around it that follows is interesting, it does little to distinguish itself as anything more than AMC's take on the corrupt cop show. While Strong plays corrupt very well, there is little beyond the initial premise that feels sustainable. There is personality, but there is little intrigue if the audience knows he will be corrupt without a sense of pity. Maybe it is just the effects of the pilot episode, but the clinical introduction provides little promise for a better future.
Of the supporting cast, I feel like Lennie James as Joe Geddes should be the real star of the show. Geddes is Agnew's partner who is tired of his shenanigans and wants to leave. While Agnew is the typical corrupt cop, Geddes provides room for potential growth in the show. I know that Mark Strong is technically the biggest star in the show's roster, but Geddes feels like the emotional core that the show could use to improve upon itself. While we get to learn very little about everyone, the lament that Geddes gives about being old and tired feels like a strong story than the flawed individual.
While it could be that the show is based around a pre-existing property by Simon Donald, I feel that trying to make it "the next Breaking Bad" will be its demise. I may in general not find myself invested in crime shows, but there has to be a balance. Even if the show wants to skip on the humor, there needs to be good and evil. There needs to be conflict, and right now, there is an off balance that unless it gets paid off soon, could prove to be a problem for the show going forward.
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| Left to right: Lennie James and David Costabile |
For a pilot episode, it is perfectly fine, though it doesn't leave much in the way of striking moments of promise. Its only real saving grace was that AMC promoted it in a slightly cheating way. Is this going to keep AMC's reputation afloat? It is tough to judge this early on, but I have trouble seeing the longevity. Then again, the Killing has been around for three years, which suggests that I could be wrong entirely. Still, I want to see Geddes be the star of the show. Maybe it is just from a marketing standpoint and that Mark Strong is both more established and also a draw, but there's got to be something there. There has to be a twist or narrative arc that keeps you coming back. I don't feel it's there in the pilot, save for characters with potential.
Even then, I must wonder if what I like will be around for long. While IMDb is not yet a site to recommend as facts for Low Winter Sun, I do notice that Costabile is only credited in three episodes and James is scheduled for 9 out of 10. Of course, the information provided is very vague and one unnamed episode doesn't have a cast list, so speculation on James' lower count could just be an accident. Either way, this feels like the writers are going to keep this the Mark Strong show. Hopefully this is just one of those cases where a bad pilot is just an introduction and not a sign of potential to come.
Is Low Winter Sun right to be labeled "the next Breaking Bad?" I don't think so. What made Breaking Bad authentic was its ability to be different from everything else. Low Winter Sun just feels like another cop show. It needs to prove itself as a show before it can be anything else. It needs to develop a better personality and give us reason to care. It may not be great, but it could definitely just be another solid show that proves AMC's ability to turn TV shows into compelling, cinematic experiences.
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