What The Whatty What? #Legion #FX #FullSeasonReview

What The Whatty What? #Legion #FX #FullSeasonReview

All pictures courtesy of FX and 21st Century Fox

What the hell did I just spend eight weeks watching? Was this a comic book TV series or one really long Rorshach/Breckin-Meyers/AreYouCrazy test, because I'm not sure I passed. This review is coming hella late so let's just get into it already, right?

Legion (#Legion) is FX's and Fox's first step into comic book television programming based on their still very lucrative ownership of Marvel's X-men. Side note: Just imagine how crazy comic book films would be if FOX had learned to expand their properties long ago. Anyway, Legion stars Dan Stevens fresh off his wild success as Beast in Disney's newest Beauty and the Beast (2017). Though never mentioned or given that code name in this first season, Dan Stevens plays the titular character but his current name is David Haller. David has a problem, among many. He is—oh, how do I put this delicately? He's crazy. Like, bonkers out of his mind, “dude, you need to talk to Jesus... or at the very least Dr. Phil” kinda crazy. Or at least he thinks he is. All his life he's been told that there is something wrong with him mentally. This, in a rather brilliant opening sequence on episode 1, is shown through a series of flashbacks where he starts out as a normal child then gradually becomes a ne'er-do-well who robs convenient stores and blows the windows out of the back of cop cars. All that delinquency winds him up in the institution. And this is where we find our sorta/maybe/one-day(?) hero.

David and Lenny 

Living a routine and regimented life, David wakes up in the institution, takes pills, goes out to the common area, sits with his good friend Lenny and stares at nothing, waiting patiently through the rest of the day until lunch when he can finally have some pie. Cherry pie's his favorite. And really, who doesn't love some good sweet American cherry pie. Mmmm! Oh, his friend? Yeah, Lenny is this crazy Beetlejuice-lookin' chick played by Aubrey Plaza. They love to joke about whether this wheelchair-bound guy's spittle is aided by milk or some other lactic substance. At first, she seems like a minor character, but she gets really interesting.

Things change for the better weirder better... Better-weirder when he suddenly sees a new girl named Syd Barrett. Let me start by saying that I find her rather refreshing. She looks to have a very average body—not overly toned, not fat, not thin. She just looks average. Take offense all you want, but in Hollywood, the land of extremes where you're either plus-sized or waif-thin, seeing a woman with a Midwest body and a gorgeous face is refreshing. Moving on, Syd introduces herself in a group therapy session which seems very ala carte/take it or leave it. Her damage: she can't be touched. David immediately makes her his girlfriend by asking, “Do you wanna be my girlfriend?” They engage in a heated I'm-not-touching-you romance and then we suddenly...

I Suddenly Have a Crush

Zip forward into the future. Here, David sits at a table being interviewed by Clark, a purple-suited fella who works with a very silent partner undergoing permtastic-fro-ness called The Eye. They act as police or authorities talking about an incident that David was a part of. Note that this show, in setting up its format and language plays heavily with both time and space and dreams and memories, so you may very well get confused at times but that's fine.

Holding Hands... Sort of. 

We zip back to the institution where we see David and the girl continuing their romance until she has to leave and the day of the incident arrives. The night before, David has a smaller occurrence where he finds himself floating mid-air on his bed. The bed crashes and breaks which make the guards upset. They try to confine him to a different room. As they are moving him, Syd gets released. She's going home when he runs to her and, in the heat of passion, kisses her against her wishes. And then we have our first “what the *&$!#” moment. So, as David tells the story in the future and we switch back and forth, he explains that suddenly he became her and she became him. What? Yeah, from here on out, this review might get really confusing if you don't know the backstory of the comic, but I will try keeping it as simple as possible, while linguistically confusing you, per usual.

The incident occurs totally without him. See, he exits the building in her body. Meanwhile, as Syd is stuck in his body, things go crazy. If you haven't guessed by now, both of them are mutants. Her power is body transference through touch. Now in his body, Syd can't handle his massive amount of unbridled power and inadvertently causes the incident. Somehow, she manages to wall off all of the rooms—no doors, no exits, no vents of any kind for any room, sealing everyone in her ward inside. During this, she somehow kills Lenny, leaving her body half-merged within the wall. And you feel really bad for Aubrey Plaza for a minute, but can't focus on things because it continues getting weirder.

As it turns out, her power only lasts for a few hours. David sits outside eating and drinking when he suddenly gets his real body back. Now he's out and himself. On the reverse, Syd is also out but she is not free because some people have taken her thinking she was David. They want David for his power. Drumroll! And his power is...

Amazing  Ordinary Amy and David

Psychokinesis, telepathy and basically anything dealing with the mind. In fact, it is believed that he is the most powerful mentally-enhanced mutant ever. And he has no idea who he is or how he got these powers. Now, get ready for an onslaught of characters that are all important. First, we have David's sister that he goes to for a brief stay. Amy Haller is his groovy older sister who has been looking out for him since they were kids. She knows some secrets but won't tell them because... well, they're secrets. We have the group of people who wanted to kidnap David and ended up taking Syd: Ptonomy Wallace who is a memory specialist that can remember literally every part of his life; Cary Loudermilk and Kerry Loudermilk who are actually one in the same (more on that later); and Dr. Melanie Bird who also has mental capabilities. They want David to fight a coming war that they are predicting between humans and mutants or other mutants. They want to train him to utilize his power and take his place as the lead mutant, but first, they have to figure out his damage.

Syd, Dr. Melanie, and Kerry

So, through a series of outlandish scenarios, this group, along with Syd, rescue David from the police/authority-looking guys (purple suit and The Eye) because those dudes want both Syd and David. They break away and take David to some place to train out in the middle of the woods. And so the show truly begins and gets to its thrust for the first season. In order to train him, they must first get down to the core of who he is—know thyself so that your pursuits may be true. In order to do that, they have to access deep memories that hide very important pieces of his past and figure out why he always thought his powers were a mental disease. But when Ptonomy starts digging through his head, and David and Dr. Melanie start walking through his memories, something goes wrong. They discover that he has a parasite that is literally hiding and re-writing David's memories. And suddenly your mind is blown.

Ahh. Why You Mad, Bro?

That female friend named Lenny? Yeah, actually a fat white dude named Benny in real life. David grew up apparently hating his father because he was always gone. And because of this, David has a memory of a storybook entitled “The Angriest Little Boy in the World” which is one of the memory personifications in which he hid his own dark thoughts. Okay? To review, there is the normal David, there is the Angriest Little Boy, and then there is this parasite, all of them occupy David's head. When in his memories the Angriest Little Boy tries killing him, the parasite stalks him and the group, and David can't ever control what's happening.

I'll be brief here because it actually gets rather repetitive as a series but the group has to figure out how to get rid of the parasite without killing David; the parasite is trying to take over. As it turns out, the Lenny character—the woman he had envisioned as his best friend—is actually the parasite. Don't get me wrong, Benny—the white guy the character is actually based on—does exist. But the parasite, in reality, is this horrific Humpty Dumpty-lookin' mofo that David calls Devil with the yellow eyes. It has to disguise itself as the more palatable Lenny within David's mind. So the question then is how long has this parasite been connected to David. Answer: Almost his entire life.

Probably Spent His Easter Avoiding Being Painted, Hidden, Found, Cracked and Deviled

The Eye and purple suit are still pursuing David and the group, but David focuses on finding this parasite and doing the nasty with his girlfriend. Though not fully in control, David does figure out how to bring Syd into his personally created dreamscape where they can touch all they want. They have sex, it's mind-blowing (ha! Get it? Man, I'm really crushin' the humor) and they quickly become addicted. But when David discovers that The Eye has jailed his sister, he knows he has to go get her.

The scientist of the group, Carey does some cat scan and MRI analysis on David's brain to find the parasite. Meanwhile, his other self Kerry goes with the group to try and get answers about David. See, Carey is a mutant who exists as two people. He is an older scientist while Kerry is sort of his sister that most of the time lives inside of his body, but comes out every so often because she loves the action of a fight. She also doesn't age like him unless she is outside of his body. It's cool but very bizarre.

Cary and Kerry; On of These Things Is Not Like the Other

Anyway, somehow the entire group gets stuck inside of David's mind after he rescues his sister and brings her to their childhood home on Lenny's direction. David/Lenny want answers about their parents. Amy finally tells him that he was adopted and that's when Lenny traps everyone back in an alternate reality in the institution. Here, it is important to note that Dr. Melanie has had quite a bit of experience with these alternate reality scenarios as her husband has been inside of one for the last twenty years, essentially Inception-ing himself into an imaginative kingdom/wasteland where anything can happen.

The group must get Melanie's husband Oliver Bird who comes up with the perfect solution to defeat or at least suppress the parasite in David's head. Meanwhile, Syd works to convince everyone back in the institution that this is all fake and they're really trapped deep inside David's mind as controlled by Lenny. Essentially they're on the third dream level of Inception. Yeah, that icy mountain one. Somehow they all get out while David talks to himself to problem-solve what's going on. He figures that this parasite is also a powerful telekinetic and was probably the enemy of his real father who he believes was also a powerful mind-enhanced mutant (side note: his father happens to be Professor Xavier of the X-men but in the comics, he doesn't know about the baby for a long time). David believes that the two of them fought, the parasite lost its real body and retreated into a nearby vessel: David's body.

Naturally, David gets out of his mental prison, saves the group from a machine gun outside, and yanks Oliver Bird out of his dream state. Though Oliver doesn't recognize his wife, he does know he's married. Anyway, one final battle between David and the parasite and it suddenly jumps from David's body into the other mutants, hopping around essentially playing Duck-Duck-Goose with their bodies. It ends up in Oliver's body and he escapes with Lenny in his car. You get the very distinct feeling that almost nothing has been resolved and that this entire first season was a prologue to a greater story. But one thing is good: Syd and David can be together. Or at least they could have had David not been sucked into a tiny snow-globe orb at the end of the first season.

Oh Yeah, Here's Ptonomy. Almost Forgot the Black Guy, Tokening It Up

What is my grade? I give it a B. It's only eight episodes but it does get a little repetitive concerning the parasite. Yet, it still moves fast. It's a conundrum in that little seems to happen, yet it's still entertaining. Maybe that was because I was struggling to figure out what was going on the whole time or because I just got enamored with the visuals, but either way, it had my attention. The entire plot is summed up with: “why are you blocking me from helping you? I'm not blocking you from helping me.” In fact, on numerous occasions, the conversation is literally, “Why are you fighting me? What memories are you hiding?” and “I'm not trying to hide anything, I swear.” It's a trippy series that probably only makes sense if you're really into mental calisthenics or you are really high (I enjoy the mental calisthenics myself). I think it's a series that gets much better upon second viewing after you know everything.

But there are a few flaws if you ask me. The very notion that Lenny got killed at the beginning of the series confused me later when you realize that Lenny never existed. Granted, the language they used there was brilliant as they just said that “that poor girl was stuck in a wall,” and knowing that Syd was literally stuck behind a walled off-door she created from her doing means that could've been the reference. But again, it still had me confused on if that was the intent or not.

Also, when really breaking it down and looking past the clutter, what else happened? I think here it boils down to the question of what you want out of the first season of a series weighted against the length of a single season. With only eight episodes (side note: Writer's Strike here we come. A post on that later) for the first season and just about as many characters, it played well to have much of the writing solely focused on character development. But outside of that, you're going into David's mind, the angriest boy chases, Devil with the yellow eyes chases you, then you're out. And you repeat it the next episode. And the next. But I think what makes the series is its 70s(?) atmosphere and the innocence that both Syd and David show through the process. They are the epitome of girl and boy-next-door that want desperately to be cool and only end up being themselves, which is cool in its own right—Holy crap! I'm totally putting that line in one of my YA books. If you steal it I will stab you in the thigh. Again, the casting here is impeccable and Dan Stevens sheds some of the blond Ken-doll veneer he has shown in films like The Guest and has in his IMDb profile pic.

Should you be watching? Sure. Again, there are so many comic book iterations out there, but all of them are different and go at different speeds. This is far different than Marvel's Netflix offerings, Agents of Shield, and any DC shows on the CW. It's thought-provoking and rich in beautiful imagery. But if you're looking for relaxation “no-brain-work” entertainment, this is not for you. It is not straightforward and the conversations stray off into tangents quite often. It's explorative. But, again, if you like that, this might be good for you. Check it out on FX on demand or Hulu, I believe.

What do you think? Have you heard of FX's Legion? If not, do you think you'll check it out on demand? If you have seen it, what did you think? Is it one of the best new shows this year, or did you tune out after the first dream level? And how many other personalities do you think David really has? And what about that capture bubble at the end? What the heck was that? Let me know in the comments below.

Check out my 5-star comedy novel, Yep, I'm Totally Stalking My Ex-Boyfriend. #AhStalking

If you’re looking for a scare, check the YA novel #AFuriousWind, the NA novel #DARKER, #BrandNewHome or the bizarre horror #ThePowerOfTen. For those interested in something a little more dramatic and adult, check out #TheWriter. Both season 1 and season 2 are out NOW, exclusively on Amazon. Stay connected here for updates on season 3 coming summer 2017. If you like fast action/crime check out #ADangerousLow. The sequel A New Low will be out in a few months. Look for the mysterious Sci-fi episodic novella series Extraordinary premiering soon on Amazon and my blog. Join us on Goodreads to talk about books and TV, and subscribe to and follow my blog with that Google+ button to the right.

Until next time, “Bend this spoon. Soon, you will realize that it is not the spoon that bends, but you.”

P.S. I know it's paraphrased from The Matrix, but I didn't have the energy (too lazy) to look up the exact quote. But David was totally giving me a Neo vibe the entire time. In fact, if you look at, practically the entire first season can be neatly overlaid onto The Matrix. Dr. Melanie (Morpheus), the black guy is that one black guy from The Matrix that didn't come back in the sequels. Though he doesn't technically betray them, Oliver Bird is similar to the Ignorance is Bliss guy in the Matrix (dang it, I can't remember his name). Syd, Trinity—too easy! And David has totally been “living in a dream world, Legion.” And here you thought I was going to include an Inception quote. Tsk tsk! I'll think of a better sign-off next time.

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Taboo? I Probably Should Feel Ashamed But I Only Feel Sleepy #Taboo #FX #Post-mortem

Taboo? I Probably Should Feel Ashamed But I Only Feel Sleepy #Taboo #FX #Post-mortem 

 

All Pictures courtesy of BBC and FX

For the love of all that is right, why? Why? Why, Tom Hardy, did you choose this project of all the good projects out there? Sorry, I'm jumping ahead of myself here. It's mid-season and another mid-season show has just ended its limited run. You know what that means: a snarky and snide review/recap of the entire season. Yaaayyy! What of Taboo? Is it a show you need to go online or to your cable box on-demand menu, and binge-watch, or does Taboo not even reach the highest of tawdry, let alone dip a toe into the pool of a salacious scandal? Let's find out together—well, not together. I already know and you're reading it, so... You know what, you get how this works. Let's go!!

FX's Taboo stars Tom Hardy as James Delaney, a prodigal son returned to Britain to roam the filthy streets of London in 1814. He returns under inauspicious circumstances as he has come home to honor the death of his father. Thought dead himself—killed in a sea voyage or made into barbaric animal of sorts—the shock of his return is felt throughout most of the city as it has far-reaching implications. Son to a wealthy man, Father Delaney died still in the ownership of one of London's premiere shipping companies. The company goes everywhere from the recently revolutionized American states to east India to Africa (we all know what they're doing on that continent). At first assumption, the company would go to his half-sister Zilpha Geary played by Oona Chaplin (yes, she is the granddaughter of Charlie). Of course, in those days most inheritances still went to men, so the company would technically go to Zilpha's posh-whipped husband Thorne Geary (I know posh didn't really exist back then, but follow me here). That is until James returns to exact his Monte Cristo-ian revenge upon those he felt wronged both him, his father and his “wildling” mother. Oops, did I say wildling. Sorry, that's Game of Thrones, the show that Taboo tries to be. Let's continue, shall we.

There is also Sir Stuart Strange played by the always committed Johnathon Pryce (funny, he actually played the high priest/prophet guy on Game of Thrones), who heads up the East Indian Company, a rival shipping company (we're talking about THE premier shipping company of Britain at the time; yes, they're real) that had hoped to buy out and/or destroy the Delaney company outright. With Thorne Geary already in their back pocket, this would've been very easy to do, until James returned. And, uh... that's about it.

Look, as far as plot, it is very simple: man returns to get some revenge. After that, there isn't a whole lot of intrigue. Yes, there are plenty of pseudo-side stories that, for me, never got interesting but there's so little plot to me that actually connects that it starts to make you wonder why this was so long. Every episode of the eight episode series is an hour and a half long, which, frankly, drags the story out to excruciating lengths, but if that's what you have to do in order to get it on TV...

So, to the side stories. The first is that his father had a mistress/supposed wife he met up in the far country up north... or south, I can't remember. They got married in secret and she only shows up after a few episodes to try to stake claim to the Delaney home and business, which is actually in debt. But if you're looking for some kind of Avatar/Braveheart fight between the two of them on who owns what, look elsewhere. Upon learning that she wants the property and the business, James sorta shrugs it off and says we'll discuss it when the time is right. Does he try to throw her in a dark, dark wood? Nope. Instead, she says I want the house and he invites her to stay in the house with him. What? Welp, OK. He figures he can protect her from, and might need her as ally against Sir Strange, but even her “helping hand” doesn't materialize to anything substantial until the final two episodes where she is both tortured a little and half-helps clear his name.

Speaking of the last two episodes—three, really—another subplot forms in which this scholarly black gentleman pops up and starts conducting an investigation into the sinking of an East Indian Company ship. The ship was, at the time of its sinking, carrying a cargo of slaves, though it was not supposed to be, and had briefly changed its name in order to take the illegal shipment. He wants to know who ordered the slaves on the ship and why the vessels sank the way it did. What was most interesting, however, is that Delaney was on the ship—one of the reasons why he was presumed dead. But even though they have this mystery/investigation as a plot device, they never quite do anything with it. The black guy asks a few white men some questions, they give him that look of “dude, really? Come on. You black in the 1800s,” and he smirks back like, “but I'm also educated and have never been a slave,” and that's about it there, too.

Americans With Guns

Then we have the side plot about the Americans, which, frankly, I didn't fully understand. So, there's some American spies who want to disrupt Britain's business and its continual spread as an empire, and I guess they're fighting for some land in America before the Brits get it, but even with that, eh! Knowing my history, both the revolutionary war and the war of 1812 or Mr. Madison's war had taken place and America had won both. So why they are trying to mess with Britain in any way is bizarre to me. More over, it was the French that we bought the Louisiana territory from, not the Brits, so... I don't know. I'd have to brush up on my history again, but, to me, it's similar to after WWII when America and Britain shifted to look at Russia, instead of Germany. We had just beat them in two wars, why keep looking at them? Same here, America beat Britain twice. Why look at them again? Even more to the point, the East Indian shipping company was said to be the one with spies in reality, almost like a pre-CIA or MI6. Wouldn't it, then, make more since for them to be spying on the Americans... in America? I don't know.

INSERT FILTHY COMMENT ABOUT BROTHER-SISTER LOVIN'

Finally, the one side-plot that I'm sure many people first thought of when reading the word Taboo, Delaney wants to sleep with his sister again, as they had quite the affair before he left. But even that is tame by comparisons of other shows we've seen as of late. Game of Thrones used the plot device in the most vicious and memorable way. Even Cruel Intentions had its twisted incestual plot device always lurking over the characters actions. Here, however, I could take it or leave. It felt inconsequential and, to me, the show proved exactly that when, on the finale, his sister kills herself after they had screwed like mad dogs on episode six or seven. Even the male-rams-butting-heads that Delaney should've been with her husband Thorne came to a soupy climax, the flavor of violence and hatred muddled as Delaney made another friend of the man. He spared him in a pistol duel after the East Indian Company set Thorne up to fail by giving him a gun with no bullets. It was like watching those new Steven Seagull movies where, instead of kicking ass, he settles things reasonably, and you're like, “What? Dude, Under Siege that son of a gun! At least Under Siege 2 him! Gah!” SMH.

And then, if that's not the worst of it, his sister kills the man so she can go and sleep with her brother with impunity. And the way she is so giddy about having killed her husband and how subdued Delaney is, you think, “Wait, we might be in for some kind of naughty Fifty Shades of Grey here. She looks like she wants to be punished. Finally, I feel ashamed watching a show called Taboo.” Nope! You get it not! In fact, after one and a half episodes (which, was maybe a week in show time) Delaney casts his sister's affections aside in some half-noble belief that she should have a better life than he will give her at the moment, and how he's destined to die and he needs to keep with his pursuit of villainy, and yadda yadda yadda. And because she can't have anymore brother-meat (ooo, that's nasty!), she hurls herself off a bridge while her voice-over waxes poetic about how much she loved him and how she hopes to meet him in the afterlife. Again, she resisted him with a lover's longing in her eyes for at least the first three episodes before hopping on his lap and tempting him with one of those, “This is what you want? Well, you'll never get it,” that all film/TV vixens do to the men right before giving up the drawers. Here, it only turned into an eye-rolling “come on” moment because of the characters' lack of real power or character outside of the two men in her life.

Even considering her death under the microscope of Delaney's revenge plot, it makes little sense. I know that I never got the notion that he wanted anything other than to sleep with his sister and make her his again, so any revenge exacted upon her comes as a hollow twist: there to try to keep your interest but serving no meaningfulness to the plot before or after.

Sad to say but for me, the last episode came in somewhat of a blur, and I hardly remembered it. I do know that, after being captured, imprisoned and questioned about what he knew about something dealing with the Americans, Delaney said virtually nothing. The whole sinking of the slave ship thing got resolved because somehow Father Delaney and Sir Strange had given orders to put the slaves on the ship and did some stuff that inevitably led to its sinking, leading the black guy to go to Delaney's house, up to his study, see a letter and give that all-too-familiar magical negro nod when the main white character has done something good. He even says, “Justice!” And we're all like, “Oh! That's what this whole thing was about: Justice! Of course. I totally get it now.” There's also a huge set-piece shootout with explosions and plenty of deaths down at the harbor, but even that I couldn't quite figure out because, again, it had something to do with the historically confusing American plot. So, some redcoats started shooting at the undercover Americans that tried to undo their business; Delaney, who is on the American's side has ordered this chemist (I'm actually fascinated by him because I think he'd make a great 19^th century Walter White) to make bombs and explosive powder which he does; Delaney and his men use it to escape. But along the way a few people die including a male cross-dresser that had been helping Delaney, and some other people. Delaney, along with his father's secret wife (you just knew they were going to sleep with each other and I can't remember them doing such), and a brothel madam all escape on one of his ships with full crew on board.

From there, you have what is common in shows and films like this, a double-ending, in which two poignant moments follow one after the other, either one an acceptable ending on its own. Bare with me for I can't remember which comes first but I think it is the Delaney one. Delaney is seen on the ship talking to what we can only assume will be his first mate who asks about the guns and the explosives and whatnot that was supposed to be for the Americans. Delaney tells him that they have to go somewhere that sounded Spanish to me, so I'm guessing somewhere either in South America, or, um... dang it, where else do they speak Spanish. Wait, it'll come to me... No, I can't think of it. He also tells him that—surprise, surprise—they are the Americans, and we see a grand old flag raised on the mast, replacing the British jack. Here, I guess the show is trying to make some salient point about how Delaney may have been an American the whole time and how he personified America ruining the British world empire, but I'm not quite sure if that point is adequately made. In any case, I don't think it has the impact the show wanted it to have. But we do get this amazing view of the sunset before them as they sail away. All this to set up future possible stories.

Our second ending is the simplicity of one final get-back where Sir Strange sits down in his office and his secretary brings him a letter/package of some sort. Naturally, he sits to read it, opens it up and BOOM! Yes, it was from Delaney and his chemist, and was a bomb. The end. Oddly, I rather enjoyed this quick end to the frail haunt that was Sir Strange, because, while he was good, he wasn't all-time evil or manipulative.

What's my grade? You really have to ask? I give this a C-, and that is only because I know how some people like the slow-build of things and I do think Tom Hardy was captivating every time we saw him on screen. Also, the show is a visual masterpiece in its 19^th century grunge-bleakness. So, you definitely have something to look at. However, there were so many things that I didn't enjoy about the series that I couldn't overlook them all.

First, as said, the main plot is simple and should be easy to follow, and it is, however, unlike in some iterations of Count of Monte Cristo, this revenge plot meanders and fizzles rather than pops. Though he says his intent outright a few times, we never get a sense of the evil of the men who betrayed him. Yes, they technically killed his father. Yes, they hated his mother because she was different and was some kind of witch, supposedly, but we don't ever get a flashback scene of what exactly they did to her or what his father did to her. I say that knowing that the show delves (albeit briefly) into this sorcery and poetic imagery because Delaney is seen multiple times doing some kind of craft himself, communing with his deceased mother in the wild. Even his sister is shown at what can only be described as a 19^th century exorcism, yet there is no scene where they show the horrors we are supposed to believe these men may or may not have committed, creating a lack of character connective tissue with the audience.

Speaking of, all of the characters were both muted and mooted, in my opinion. This is a show that relies very heavily on its visual pretenses, which is good for a visual medium. However, it does that, in many cases, to the detriment of the viewers if you ask me. There's more dead silence or people wailing than there is snappy, crisp, memorable dialogue. Truthfully, the only time you do remember some dialogue is when it comes just before some sex, like Delaney's demand that his sister take her dress off NOW, or when it comes at the end of a character's arc. Even worse, half of the show is whispered, something which I absolutely hate about period films. I don't understand why people in Victorian-era and down to 1099 AD must always whisper-mumble everything. Is everything a secret? Do people think we only just recently developed loud voices? Gah! It drives me mad.

As for them being mooted, no one makes a point to really stick out here, or do anything worth writing home about for that matter. Again, to compare it to Game of Thrones, everything the entire season inches closer and closer to a penultimate and ultimate episode that leaves you breathless and chatty. Here, most of what happens had me shrugging so often because the characters don't seem to develop in any way. There's no taunting of the pull between doing good and exacting revenge. Most of the scenes are anticlimactic because Delaney isn't even there when a great deal of the people die and he never has an evil laugh about it all or even a good “that was satisfying” smirk, either. Do something, man. Act unreasonable for just a second. For instance, when his sister admits she killed her husband so she could get some of that nasty brother-lovin' his immediate reaction is not to rip her clothes off right then and there like he wants. No, instead he goes to check on the body to make sure the man is dead, then makes plans to have the body removed. What? But... but... Whatever, dude! I would've even settled for him ripping all her clothes off, having her ready for him, and then him whispering something mean in her ear about how she can't have him, then leaving. Bwahahaha! That would have been deliciously sinister, not to mention would have set up that demanding encounter where they do have sex all the more rich. Instead, this fool acts far too reasonable, even politely suggesting that they shouldn't have each other now. Where's the backbone. He even viciously slices a guy to death during the day and can only muster a look of “well, that happened.” It's maddening.

Wearing a Hat, Talking to a Horse. Life Goals!

It's a series that runs too slow where it feels like nothing happens, though there is stuff happening, and where at least five full minutes of each episode is dedicated to watching Tom Hardy walking around 19^th century London in a black coat and top hat. In fact, it should have been called Man in a Black Coat and Top Hat.

Should you be watching? If you weren't before, then I'll say you shouldn't now. Look, I am always apologetic for having certain opinions because I know how tough it is to be a creative in this industry, and I also know how so many good shows today don't get good until later seasons, but I can't for the life of me understand how this show is so highly rated on IMDb, nor how it has been renewed for a second season. The only reason I see for its renewal is that BBC also aired it in the UK and it must be a hit over there—maybe it's more tuned to British entertainment sensibilities—because a hit it was not over here. Again, I know that some TV shows take time to adjust and really get their rhythm and catch on, but at a cost of 10 million dollars (or it might have been pounds which is even more expensive) for the first season of eight episodes, I can't fathom making changes that will boost this show to the level of a West World or Thrones or even Mr. Robot. You can catch the full first season of Taboo on FX on Demand on your cable provider or online at FX or BBC.com.

What do you think? Have you heard about Taboo? If not, do you think you'll check it out now or stay away? If you have, what did you think about it? Am I being too tough on the show? Is it one of your new faves or does it deserve to be canceled? And what did you expect from a show with such a name? As always, let me know in the comments below.

Check out my 5-star comedy novel, Yep, I'm Totally Stalking My Ex-Boyfriend. #AhStalking

If you’re looking for a scare, check the YA novel #AFuriousWind, the NA novel #DARKER, #BrandNewHome or  the bizarre horror #ThePowerOfTen. For those interested in something a little more dramatic and adult, check out #TheWriter. Both season 1 and season 2 are out NOW, exclusively on Amazon. Stay connected here for updates on season 3 coming summer 2017. If you like fast action/crime check out #ADangerousLow. The sequel A New Low will be out in a few months. Look for the mysterious Sci-fi episodic novella series Extraordinary to premiere sometime this winter on Amazon and my blog. Join us on Goodreads to talk about books and TV, and subscribe to and follow my blog with that Google+ button to the right.

Until next time, “You are a woman in need of a serious spanking. And I just so happen to have a strap for that. ”

P.S. Could they have fit a line like that in? Yes, of course. Did they? I mean, come on! I thought Taboo meant something people didn't discuss, something against regular standards and practices. If the show had focused on one thing, rather than a bunch, maybe it would've been something special. By the way, that line is actually from one of my books, A Negotiation of Sorrows due out winter 2018. I'll think of a better, more PG sign-off next time.

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Is It 1994 Again? Why The Hell Is Everybody So Obsessed With OJ? Postmortem Review: American Crime Story Season One #AmericanCrimeStory #PeoplevsOJSimpson #FX #Postmortem

Is It 1994 Again? Why The Hell Is Everybody So Obsessed With OJ? Postmortem Review: American Crime Story Season One #AmericanCrimeStory #ThePeoplevOJSimpson #FX #Postmortem

All pictures courtesy of FX unless otherwise noted

That's right, ladies and gentlemen. I'm back with yet another postmortem send-up of a show that I failed to do a 3 week roundup on. As said before but bears repeating, I was so busy earlier in the year that I was unable to get to do all of my reviews for all the many mid-season shows that premiered from January to February. I am trying to catch up as I finish a project (writing sequels is hard, dudes and dudettes) and have a one week lull before I start work on The Writer (#TheWriter) season 2. But before all of that summer craziness hits, lets look at one of the best shows of the winter mid-season addition, American Crime Story: The People vs. OJ Simpson (#ThePeoplev-OJSimpson).

The gossip-worthy, salacious tabloid fodder that captivated the world returned 22 years after first shifting the American paradigm of journalism, sensationalism and the modern celebrity. For those who lived through this news (which is probably most of the shows viewers) the chase, legal accusation and trial of OJ Simpson AKA The Juice man AKA Juice transcended categorical barriers that long tried to pin celebrities into being just one or two things. It called into question our nation's racial animosities and maturity on the subject of hate, prejudice and bigotry. It forced us to relive and review the police brutality and subsequent LA riots of two years prior. And it forced us more than ever to realize that our sports heroes, just like us, are not only human but exceptionally and uniquely flawed. Every issue that surfaced during the trial and divided people even more than Batman v. Superman has not only stayed relevant 22 years later, but has molded and formed our opinions on fame, sports, race and even politics still today. And it all started with two dead white people and a black guy who maybe did it.

Admittedly, this might be difficult to review because of the proximity of the actual trial having occurred in comparison with the show. At times, it'll feel as if I'm critiquing the trial more than the show, but trust that I am going purely on what the show has shown us. Also, realize that I am trying to keep any bias out of this on whether or not he actually committed such a crime. Honestly, I never really had an opinion about it, which sounds crazy but is nonetheless true. Again, I am just going by the show.

We begin with the show's advertising. The commercials started by showing people's backs. This, in turn, is how much of the first episode is spent, looking at people's backs as they ran to and fro gathering evidence. Starting with OJ leaving for his trip to New York, we jump immediately into the crime. A neighbor and his dog wanders onto Nicole Brown's property and finds her and the pizza guy both dead. I didn't pay all my attention to the case when it happened back in '94, but I can tell you that I always thought she was found dead inside the house and not outside on the stairs. I also thought that she was found closer to the back of the home rather than the front, but I could be wrong and it's neither here nor there.

Predominantly visual, it relies on little dialogue to communicate the drama, a pro-trick on the writers' behalfs to let crucial scenes speak for themselves without staking claim to either side. There is no confirmation nor denial of a possible police conspiracy to frame OJ, or if he did it. When the cops do come, they gather all the evidence and special care is taken to show things like the glove, the droplets of blood on the Bronco, the statue that OJ had in his yard, the familial feel to Nicole's home and the flashy nature of OJ's--all stark images that serve to conjure an emotional roller coaster. The Bronco was parked askew from the curb as if he had rushed to get home after possibly committing the murder. Kato Kaelin makes an appearance in OJ's pool house and plays closer to a doofus than the real actor might have liked (after that he virtually disappears from the narrative but that's forgivable). OJ is alerted that his ex-wife has been found dead and the most captivating image of the episode is shown: OJ, played by Cuba Gooding Jr., sitting with his back to the camera as he slumps forward just slightly and curls his shoulders and arms inward toward his chest. Even from the back it makes him look both vulnerable and as if he could be hiding something. Without the face, it's too hard to tell--a very smart aesthetic.

Cochran / OJ Simpson / Marcia Clark

From there, we are introduced to the real main players in this courtroom soap drama. While I will acknowledge that OJ plays a big role in earlier episodes, later it is mostly between the lawyer teams on either side, which reduces Cuba's role to a B-level player in my opinion. As an aside, I want to point out now how dissatisfied I am with the makeup and wardrobe department on their lack of artistic creativity taken in regards to Cuba Gooding Jr. To me, he doesn't look anything like the Juice nor does he do a good job of acting like him to me either. While his performance isn't bad, it reminds me more of the character that OJ played in the Naked Gun movies rather than the real OJ, or even worse... Cuba Gooding Jr. himself. This I cannot blame wholly on Cuba as in an interview he said that the directors and producers didn't want him to try mimicking OJ in a true-to-life performance, but rather wanted him to capture the emotion behind the character.

Judge Ito

Chris Darden

With that said, I think that everyone else on the show, from John Travolta's Shapiro, Sarah Paulson's Clark, Courtney B. Vance's Cochran, Kenneth Choi's Judge Ito or Sterling K. Brown's Darden, not only give award-winning performances but look the part, too. In fact, there were times when I literally saw Vance as Cochran in the previews and forgot that it wasn't actually Cochran. He is convincing in manner and tone and is the best part of the series, with Paulson's Marcia Clark pulling in right close behind him.

To backtrack, for those that don't know the breakdown of the case or series. OJ is suspected of killing Nicole Brown Simpson, his ex, and her suspected new lover before fleeing back to his house and eventually across country. While evidence is gathered in the first episode, one of the LA county prosecutors Marcia Clark is given point on the case before they even have a legitimate suspect. They pull OJ in for questioning for formality sake. The questioning goes... strangely to say the least. He tries both to be charming and simple, while being evasive and innocent. Pre-arrest, public chatter starts about who did it and if Juice is a possible suspect, already dividing the country into two distinct camps. Fearing something bad, OJ seeks comfort from his family and friends, one of them being the now famed Robert Kardashian Sr. (I'm guessing he's the senior. Don't know how many of them there are). A past lawyer, he hasn't practiced law in a long time and even when he did, he didn't practice any kind of criminal law. He and Juice both know of another good lawyer for OJ as a precaution.

Meanwhile, Cochran is doing a lot of work both on TV and in the courtroom. After just returning to the county's office, he and his old, uh... let's say friendly rival/nemesis Chris Darden discuss the influence of race in their jobs. Cochran is a private attorney and Darden will be working for the DA's office. Cochran tells him to keep his wits about him because like it or not he is playing a game in which his blackness is something that will never go away, nor be ignored, and may actually be manipulated. So long as he is the one manipulating it, he should be fine, rather than playing an uncle Tom to "these white people."

Then comes the actual arrest warrant. To the DA's and police offices' credit, they try to keep OJ's arrest low-key by having him turn himself in by noon on June 17, 1994. In a dramatic twist that has been damned as patently false by many of the people involved, the scene plays out with OJ writing a slew of suicide letters to his family, friends and fans, before threatening to blow his brains out in Kim Kardashian's childhood bedroom in Robert's mansion (note: At this point in time, Robert and Kris have been separated and divorced for some time). The kids are with their mother, but it still drives home the heart-pounding drama of the day. After a doctor checkup deemed necessary by John Travolta's Shapiro, OJ decides to run instead of go to the station. His reason: He just wants to visit his momma before he goes to jail and/or possibly dies. And this is what leads to the infamous white Bronco chase.

Interestingly, what some may have forgotten (I know I did) was that he was neither driving the slow-moving vehicle, nor was the white Bronco his. The Bronco in question belonged to his best friend who was such a Stan for him that he bought an identical Bronco to OJ's because, you know... friendship.

And here gave birth to the 24hr news cycle, especially influenced by celebrity. While, yes, there were news channels that already existed and tried to report the news all day, most of them did not get anywhere near the ratings they get today as most people didn't care to hear nothing but bad news (all news is generally bad) all day. Also, because of fledgling ratings, many of them didn't stay on 24hrs with news programming, often filling the late and early morning hours with paid programming infomercials. CNN had only started in 1980 and still took over a dozen years to live up to its revolutionary label, earned by showing this breaking news over countless hours as every station preempted their programming to show the biggest and craziest sports story ever. A few years ago, ESPN, in their wonderful 30 for 30 series, documented this one day in history. A total of six (if I remember correctly. You can check me on that) front page news stories happened that day including the NBA Finals, and a huge LA earthquake, but this led everything, and ended with a standoff in his driveway with the police. From then on, the court of public opinion was set: you either knew that OJ did it, that he killed that young and beautiful white woman; or you thought he was an innocent man being railroaded by the system. And after looking at the amount of police time and dollars wasted on pursuing him through the empty highways of SoCal, anyone could be inclined to believe the latter.

And then things dig in. As an aside and shameless plug (hey, it's my blog. I should be able to plug whatever I want), my novel A Negotiation of Wounds follows the vitriolic, poisonous and corrosive manipulation and power that public opinion has on celebrity's lives. In my book, two high-powered LA lawyers try negotiating through a contentious divorce between a former model and her movie producer husband. They sink to new lows that rival Amazing Amy from Gone Girl and the characters from War of the Roses just to get their clients the settlement they want. The pressure to stay perfect in the public's eye can make you accept a lot more than you otherwise would.

Back to the show, I mention my book (#NegotiateWounds; A Negotiation of Sorrows out soon) because the show plays heavily into the narrative the different sides build around the OJ case. The fame-whoring but smart lawyer that Shapiro is, he begins to build a team for OJ that includes the recently bar-re-instated Robert Kardashian, Shapiro's mentor F. Lee Bailey and a few others. It isn't until a few episodes in when Cochran and his team are finally added as the last pieces, and this only happens when they realize the kind of jury they could possibly get and the fact that Cochran is better at dealing with a more "urban, downtown" audience. Plus, Cochran wins and is able to control a narrative most effectively. He's the showboat that they need to get the black vote, basically, as OJ is whiter than Casper outside of skin tone.

On the defense's side, Marcia pairs with senior attorney Bill Hodgman, and adds Chris Darden later in the trial after Hodgman has an unexpected in-court breakdown. For some reason Darden at first seems not to realize that they have him on the case as the token black guy. He quickly realizes just how much of a shiny Sambo he is when they don't listen to him on countless things and assign him the job of crossing their most feared but "important" expert witness, the extremely racist cop Detective Mark Fuhrman--one of the investigators on the night of. I have to mention that Steven Pasquale in the role of Fuhrman I thought was quite good. Remembering him from his days on Rescue Me, I am glad to see he still has a working relationship with the execs at FX and hope to see him on future American Crime Story installments.

Anyway, this show has tension coming from every nook and cranny, whether it be between the two teams or in-fighting amongst the teams, it's there. Darden argues they shouldn't put Fuhrman on the stand because he's racist. Cochran argues that they shouldn't settle and that even if Shapiro stays on as lead attorney, Cochran should be the one doing much of the talking and not Shapiro. Clark thinks that she has an open and shut, slam dunk, close the book 'cause it ain't no mo' words to read easy case. Neither side has any other suspect to consider nor do they look for one. Instead, they twist what they got.

A wrinkle that comes into the case later-on is that the Japanese judge, Lance Ito is married to an LAPD officer who happens to be a superior over Fuhrman, but we're getting ahead of ourselves. This, they both know, will be the biggest case of his life; career-defining. And so the stage is set.

A battle of perception and presumption, everything is called into question. Marcia Clark, despite her best behavior, is seen as having little appeal as a female and as a lawyer. Words like: bitch, cold and unlikable carelessly fly around in focus groups and the media. She undergoes two haircuts and starts to play the game of smiling more to look softer, more feminine.

Lest ye think this is solely a game that is enforced on women, think again. Not only does race, racial equality and racial police profiling factor heavily into this trial, but Darden and Cochran unabashedly go after each other in comparing and contrasting their blackness. Darden is seen as a coon for the prosecution, jumping, dancing and cracking-wise whenever his white lady boss orders it. "Yessa, Massa, I'll put the racist white cop on the stand. I's talk to him real nice like, too." Of course this backfires in two ways: not only does Fuhrman prove kryptonite for their case later in the process, but because Darden hasn't been listened to, he takes initiative on his own (slyly prodded by F. Lee Bailey) to make OJ do the infamous glove fitting. Face. Palm! Face. Palm! This comes after Marcia tells him not to do that. In this way, the show displays a very unique perspective on interracial relations between different sexes, too. The oppressed white woman still won't listen to or take advice from the black man, just as he grows fed up with the same old oppression and rhetoric that pushes him into society's corner in the first place. Both are supposedly second class, yet neither listen, and still within that paradigm, they show a great deal of sexual chemistry toward each other. And while the show never makes the footprint in the sand, they do heavily hint that Darden and Clark have a bedroom relationship of some sort, but just as in real life, this is neither confirmed nor denied. Looking back now, I wonder if the producers intended this to be a microcosm of OJ and Nicole's relationship? Hm?

Speaking of race as a broader topic, the series speaks from the voice of the race issue quite similar to how most people saw it during the time. Be not fooled, while there were plenty of other scale-tipping narratives to follow, be it celebrity vs. normal person, spouse vs. spouse, man vs. woman, or even abuser vs. victim, all of which the show touches, there is no bigger card played than that on race, the story of whether or not this big black man could kill this little, innocent white woman. And it is for this specific reason that the show is perfectly timed in the American conscience and pop culture.

To do another plug of one of my books The Provocateur, in it the titular character is quick to point out that change is somewhat of an illusion. Nothing really changes or progresses, but rather, we are all in a loop which we choose not to see. Everything is cyclical. It is only our current levels of intellect that allow us to placate ourselves in the illusion that things have progressed from one level to the next. There is no greater example of this than this show about a country-dividing legal case that happened 22 years ago that, outside of costumes and other fad styles (soon to make their own comebacks) is not only relevant but could literally play out the exact same today and nobody would find it shocking and it would still have the same effect. In fact, when considering what Ryan Murphy and the other creators have said of the show and how they want to base each season on a new crime (not necessarily always a courtroom drama, however) the case most similar to this that comes to mind quickly is the Trayvon Martin case. Majority Blacks may side one way, and whites another. Just as the Provocateur emphasizes, what we see as change has roots wholly in perception. Twenty-two years ago they argued about the dangers of a black man in a world in which he seemingly doesn't belong--a rich, gated community/higher society--and they do the same thing today. There is the bias of cops, black or white, against brown and black-skinned people, which plenty of people are quick to say is none existent or in our past. The Provocateur argues that somehow even the most liberal and educated of us all tend to forget the things of the past, or of the distant past in favor of the most recent suffering.

So while we are quick to push a post-racial or progressed America, we can't forget that we still have an entire generation of Baby Boomers who were born into racial and political turmoil that saw people killed and treated like animals mere 50 years ago. Or that we were quick to divide down a racial line a mere 22 years ago when assessing whether a black man killed his white ex-wife or not. Because for all the progress we've supposedly made, it's similar to a line said on one of my other shows, Rosewood, recently (and I paraphrase): A black man killing an Amber can get life or even the death penalty, but turn Amber into Shanique-Diamond and he might be able to get 5-8 years in the pen.

Be not chastised by those comments as this show is brilliantly written and even better acted. Even considering the overall insanity of the case itself, the show serves to ratchet up the drama to new heights one might have thought impossible in '94 and '95. The very definition of riveting, American Crime Story, you are. It is funny when levity is needed, hits all the proper sentimental and quiet beats, and actually makes you feel as if you finally have been welcomed into the inner-working of what went on during that landmark trial. And best (or worst) of all, it reminds us of just how dominated by the trial and the events surrounding this murder that today's pop culture still is. Faye Resnick, Nicole Brown's best friend at the time, still makes the occasional guest appearance on Bravo's Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. CNN's coverage and other networks' news coverage spawned the media news cycle we see today (Fox News was birthed in '96). We are more obsessed with the culture of celebrity than we've ever been before and want to know not just the trouble are favorite stars get into, but the run-up that led to such a downfall.

Even networks like ESPN and NBCSports find time between their wall-to-wall sports coverage to talk ad nauseam about domestic violence allegations of the biggest male athletes, their home stories, their rises and falls off the court, and pass judgment on whether they should be commended for being an elite player in their profession because of what they may or may not have done. Most of all--and I'm gonna get flack for this, but I don't give a damn--it reminds us that the biggest reality star(s) currently in the public eye The Kardashians, are not famous because of their own talent. But nor are they famous because Kim released some sex tape years ago involving a current B-list R&B singer (I say that even being a Ray J fan; swag swag!). No, she is famous because a young white woman who died younger than she ever will, was violently murdered possibly by her ex-husband... and her father potentially helped to clear a possible murderer of the charges. Brings a whole new morbid meaning to dying for fame, no?

David Schwimmer as Robert Kardashian / John Travolta as Robert Shapiro

My grade? You really haven't been paying attention? It's clearly an A. Any series that can give me anticipatory chills about how it'll end when I've known the ending for a full score of years already has to get an A. They based their view of the series off of a book, which I'm going to hope also is just as riveting. This is quite possibly both Sarah Paulson's and Courtney B. Vance's finest performances after years spent in Hollywood and acting. Most importantly, while it seeks to entertain it never loses sight of the most important thing in all of this circus: Two lives were extinguished far before their time. It ends the season on the two best images of the deceased. RIP.

Nicole Brown / Ronald Goldman

Should you be watching? Of course. Catch this on FX OnDemand on most of your cable and satellite providers or you can buy the DVD and they should also have it soon on other broadband distributions. It is a one season, contained story and the start to a new anthology series like American Horror Story. With that said, remember that each show's tone is different. Don't expect this to play like Mr. Robot, Breaking Bad or Game of Thrones. It's captivating in its own unique way. Also, don't confuse this with ABC's American Crime. While they may deal with similar issues at times, it's vastly different. Expect the two shows to compete against each other come award season.

What do you think? If you didn't watch the show, why? Could you just not muster a single damn to care anymore about OJ? Or did it interest you but you didn't know when it was on so you didn't watch? If you did watch, how did you feel about the show? Did they get right the things you wanted them to get right? What about the added-in drama in certain instances? Just because the glove didn't fit, did they really have to acquit? With that said, and since this is a show that seems to want to stick with following true crimes, what real crime case would you want them to cover next that has happened in America? Trayvon Martin, Laci Peterson, Amanda Knox, Jonbenet Ramsey or something else, maybe older? With NBC already having Aquarius which chronicles the Manson family case, and having just greenlit an anthology on the Menendez brothers, I doubt they'll do either of those but maybe. What crime interest you? Let me know in the comments below (hint: click the no comments button if you see no comments).

Check out my new 5-star comedy novel, Yep, I'm Totally Stalking My Ex-Boyfriend. #AhStalking

If you’re looking for a scare, check the YA novel #AFuriousWind, the NA novel #DARKER, #BrandNewHome or  the bizarre horror #ThePowerOfTen. For those interested in something a little more dramatic and adult, check out #TheWriter. The full first season is out NOW exclusively on Amazon; season 2 coming this summer. If you like fast action/crime check out #ADangerousLow. The sequel A New Low will be out in a few months. Join us on Goodreads to talk about books and TV, and subscribe to and follow my blog with that Google+ button to the right.

Until next time, "Dudes better come correct wit' dey mustaches, man. It's flagrant disrespect to come 'round here with a little bitty ol' pencil thin 'stache. If the 'stache ain't thick, you get beat wit' a stick."

P.S. OK, that has got to be the stupidest sign-off I've ever written. What the hell was that? To be fair, I did fall in love with Johnny's mustache. Y'all realize that Steve Harvey got the Johnny Cochran right now? Craziness. See, I told you... still a modern-day influence 22 years later. I'll think of something better next time.

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