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Showing posts with label Lucy Cohu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lucy Cohu. Show all posts

Monday, August 6, 2007

Meadowlands Concludes: Long and Winding Road Leading...

MeadowlandsMeadowlands concluded its first of who knows how many seasons tonight on Showtime with a satisfying eighth episode.

Best tonight was the acting - especially of the core family. David Morrissey put in a top-notch performance, acting making Danny look happy when needed. Felicity Jones as Zoe and Harry Treadaway as Mark were the best they've been all season, too. And Lucy Cohu as Evelyn was excellent.

The writing was outstanding, too. Zoe probably had the best lines - my favorite was her "bullet in the sun feels the same as a bullet in rain" (sun being out of Meadowlands, rain being in) - but just about everyone had memorable zingers. Kudos to writer Robert Murphy.

The plot was good, too. We were treated to Brenda's back story tonight - and these back stories, as I mentioned last week, are making Meadowlands feel ever so slightly like Lost. Which is a high compliment, in my book.

And speaking of Lost ... Danny is told the truth of his non-paternity of Zoe and Mark (Evelyn tells him, because the awful Dr. York is drunk and really about to) ... Danny drives away from Meadowlands without Evelyn, Zoe, and Mark (after working hard to convince them to leave, after they didn't want to) ... and he drives and drives ... only to get to the end of the road, and find himself at a precipice looking out at some desolate who knows what territory ...

And Dr. Jack Shephard comes walking up a hill ...

No, only kidding about the last ... would have been a good twist, though.

So where does that leave us on Meadowlands?

It has its moments - mainly propelled by the attractive cast - their dialog as well as acting. But a lot of it was too soap-operish.

If there's a second season, I would vote for it being more like this final episode in pace and plot. Would I like to see a second season? Yeah - on balance the road, though long and windy, did offer some intriguingly miasmic possibilities...

reviews of other episodes: Meadowlands Opens ... with Tongues and Grooves ... Episode 2 ...
Episode 3 ... Episode 4 ... Episode 5 ... Episode 6 ... Episode 7






The Plot to Save Socrates


"challenging fun" - Entertainment Weekly

"a Da Vinci-esque thriller" - New York Daily News

"Sierra Waters is sexy as hell" - curled up with a good book

Monday, June 25, 2007

Meadowlands: Episode 2

Meadowlands is clearly a dangerous place - everyone who is there, unless they're there with a family member who is there, is there for a reason. In case anyone doubted that, we see it played in scalding violence in Episode 2...

Jack the handyman is attracted to Zoe, who enjoys and invites his attention. Jack's played by Tom Hardy. To give you an idea of the mix of sensitivity and brutality he projects, think of Mickey Rourke with Harry Connick, Jr and even a little young Humphrey Bogart thrown in. (I know, that might seem like a stretch, but it's there.) So Jack comes over to the Brogan's house to see Zoe, but finds her brother Mark instead, dressed as Zoe ... Jack soon realizes this, but is excited by the situation nonetheless - he feeds on fright - and tries to rape Mark-

At which point Danny comes home, pulls Jack off Mark, punches Jack and- Jack is dead.

And to make matters worse, if that's possible - but making things worse may be the intriguing hallmark of Meadowlands - a mysterious man with a blue cap, whom we've glimpsed before, stands in the doorway and thanks Danny for taking care of his job for him...

Meadowlands is place teeming with danger. But at least Mark is talking now...

Excellent acting and set design and production all around. In addition to Hardy, especially fine performances by Harry Treadaway (Mark) and David Morrissey (Danny) in that crucial scene.

Showtime's MeadowlandsBut I think my favorite scene is the opening of every episode, with the four Brogans, backs to the camera, walking to their new home. Kudos, especially, to Mrs. Brogan - Evelyn, played by Lucy Cohu - who walks best, with a shiny stud on each cheek of her black jeans, and the music keeping beat...

Useful links:

Intriguingly Miasmic Meadowlands: A Preview

reviews of other episodes: Meadowlands Opens ... with Tongues and Grooves ... Episode 3 ... Episode 4 ... Episode 5 ... Episode 6 ... Episode 7 ... Episode 8






The Plot to Save Socrates


"challenging fun" - Entertainment Weekly

"a Da Vinci-esque thriller" - New York Daily News

"Sierra Waters is sexy as hell" - curled up with a good book
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