Martini Sigil Posted July 7, 2017 Share Posted July 7, 2017 Loved the first episode... FX is really pushing the envelope with this show, but I don't think they could pull it off otherwise. It's about the early days of the crack cocaine epidemic in Los Angeles .... and the CIA's involvement while trying to fund the Contras in Nicaragua ... it takes place in the early 1980s..... during the Reagan administration... Created by John Singleton... it looks like it has major potential. .... the lead.... Damson Idris... is a really talented young actor.... the show hinges on him... and he really pulls it off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astromech Posted July 7, 2017 Share Posted July 7, 2017 1 hour ago, Martini Sigil said: Loved the first episode... FX is really pushing the envelope with this show, but I don't think they could pull it off otherwise. It's about the early days of the crack cocaine epidemic in Los Angeles .... and the CIA's involvement while trying to fund the Contras in Nicaragua ... it takes place in the early 1980s..... during the Reagan administration... Created by John Singleton... it looks like it has major potential. .... the lead.... Damson Idris... is a really talented young actor.... the show hinges on him... and he really pulls it off. The straw? I enjoyed it as well. Some intriguing characters and potential arcs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SerHaHa Posted July 7, 2017 Share Posted July 7, 2017 Based on both of your posts I gave this a shot today. Very impressed, I've been waiting for a new TV program, and this series holds a lot of promise. Can't recommend it enough, excellent in so many ways so far. There were many subtle things that reminded me a lot of Boyz in the Hood, a film that was very popular with my crowd when I was in high school when it came out - low and behold I read and find out John Singleton is behind Snowfall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iskaral Pust Posted July 9, 2017 Share Posted July 9, 2017 Very good. I loved the nostalgic golden sunlight suffusing the scenes in South Central (which looked much more pleasant than in Boyz In The Hood). Lots of characters introduced, no doubt in converging arcs eventually. Really well written, directed and acted. It didn't open with a bang but established some opening interest and tension for each of the three main story lines. I'm looking forward to more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astromech Posted July 13, 2017 Share Posted July 13, 2017 Decent episode. The plot thickens. Enjoying Gustavo's arc the most, but primarily interested in seeing the CIA arc. I'm telling myself Avi's inconsistent characterization is due to too much cocaine use. At one point he's paranoid about Teddy wearing a wire and at another people are just entering his house with seemingly no security. He gives Franklin his inconspicuous gold-trimmed Rolls-Royce to drop his man at the hospital? Avi is either extremely careless, stupid or just a loose cannon. I'll lean towards loose cannon until further evidence. That ending was expected after the scene at the club. Franklin needs to wise up to the game. Idris was excellent again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martini Sigil Posted July 14, 2017 Author Share Posted July 14, 2017 God damn.... maybe its me... but this is a really good show thus far... terrific exchange between teddy and Avi...... and teddy and Lucia.... Gustavo is a really interesting character.... and Franklin's story just sucks you in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astromech Posted July 20, 2017 Share Posted July 20, 2017 Well, Franklin was going to have to get his hands dirty eventually. His arc this episode was excellent. Waiting to see how much he changes throughout the season. Didn't care too much for Teddy's relationship, but it does humanize him a bit. The Tehran bits were interesting. Gustavo's scenes were a bit slow. And Pedro is a chump. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarGalley Posted July 20, 2017 Share Posted July 20, 2017 To my misfortune and regret, last night was the first episode I watched in it's entirety.. and I haven't even seen most of the pilot which is making it hard to follow along (I have no idea what's going on with the wrestler and the lady). But I am getting VERY positive vibes from what I've seen so far. This show is good right? Edit: Spelling and stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astromech Posted July 20, 2017 Share Posted July 20, 2017 9 minutes ago, WarGalley said: To my misfortune and regret, last night was the first episode I wanted in it's entirety.. and I haven't even seen most of the pilot which is making it hard to follow along (I have no idea what's going with the wrestler and the lady). But I am getting VERY positive vibes from what I've seen so far. This show is good right? It's only 3 episodes in, but so far I would say it's very entertaining and intriguing. Yeah, Gustavo and Lucia's arc is the least straight forward so far. If you don't mind the spoiler : Spoiler Lucia and Pedro hired Gustavo to rob their organized crime father so they could use the cash to buy drugs for their dealing operation. Gustavo ended up killing one of their father's henchmen during the robbery. Now their father knows it was an inside job and wants answers. Gustavo, Lucia and Pedro are now trying to frame someone else for the robbery. I'm really interested in seeing how this arc converges with that of Franklin's and Teddy's. You can watch the three aired episodes online on FX if you have a cable account. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martini Sigil Posted July 21, 2017 Author Share Posted July 21, 2017 There will come a time when Franklin crosses the line... eventually he'll understand that he can't be in the life without being violent... and I feel bad for whoever is the person that prompts that change in him... Seriously.... How cute was teddy's kid? Gustavo is a more complex character than I thought he was going to be... there's a lot going on inside his head... you think he's just a brute at first... but he is smarter than Pedro... who, btw... is a douche. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iskaral Pust Posted July 22, 2017 Share Posted July 22, 2017 I caught up on eps 2 and 3. Really very good. I was terrified for Franklin as he was being set up and then got further into trouble. It was so obvious but he doesn't have the instinct yet and he needs to learn fast. Gustavo is a good character but his moral fixation is a bit odd. Obviously Lucia will grow to rely on him and they'll eventually clash with Pedro. Teddy's story is good for bringing a different angle. Franklin's mom and family are a fascinating culture story outside of the central drug story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astromech Posted July 27, 2017 Share Posted July 27, 2017 This latest episode's predictability irked me a little. It was obvious Popeye was a spy and also entirely too predictable that Karvel wasn't dead and Franklin and Leon would have to kill him. Also didn't like how Gustavo, Lucia and Pedro's murder of their father's associate was only described briefly in conversations. It was built up last week and then just skimmed over this week. And please don't tell me Franklin is getting out of the game this week only to jump right back in next week because he has to help his mom.(I am jumping to this conclusion based on the preview for next week) I really don't care for this trope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martini Sigil Posted July 29, 2017 Author Share Posted July 29, 2017 I wanted Karvel to go out better than that... He's such a piece of shit that he deserved a more graphic end... Obviously.... Franklin will be back... and my guess, is with a vengeance... I expect it will have something to do with the hottie in Ari's pool Pedro is not long for this world... he can't handle it... Lucia will give gustavo the nod, and the big fella will end his bitch ass....lol I liked the Teddy in the jungle scenes... and killing the kid off camera was the right move.... unlike karvel, there was no real payoff for that...we barely knew the kid... Leon singing "even the nights are better" by Air Supply in the car to cover for Karvel banging in the trunk was really funny... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astromech Posted August 10, 2017 Share Posted August 10, 2017 Excellent. Now the arcs are starting to intersect. Really enjoyed this week after last week's Independence Day episode. I thought last week's episode was a bit slow, Singleton seemed to be more interested in adding in grooving at the July 4th party. And the LAPD encounter was completely unnecessary, especially with Franklin's mom's party not skipping a beat after the encounter. This week I really enjoyed the extra tension added to the character arcs with the dead girl's family sending out flyers and Leroy and Ray Ray wanting payback. Loved Gustavo/Lucia and Franklin running into one another while fishing for a new connection to sell to. Also nice to see Bokeem Woodbine again after Fargo s2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martini Sigil Posted August 11, 2017 Author Share Posted August 11, 2017 The intersecting arcs were important at this point in the season... I love how --knowing what we know about the rise of crack, Nicaragua, and the drug trade in general-- all of the main characters are in the infancy of their arcs... seeing how they get to where (we think) they are going is really entertaining... The Leroy and Ray Ray revenge subplot is wrought with anticipation.... Franklin should survive... but at what cost?... Love Bokeem Woodbine in everything he's in ....this was a really strong episode Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iskaral Pust Posted August 11, 2017 Share Posted August 11, 2017 I'm still enjoying it but it's a very slow build and I spend a lot of time worried for Franklin. We all know there are potentially huge arcs ahead for these characters but, in an age of so many competing TV shows, I'm surprised that the pacing on all the arcs is so slow. I doubt this is building a big audience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martini Sigil Posted August 31, 2017 Author Share Posted August 31, 2017 Nine weeks in, and I'm enjoying it more and more... the characters and their arcs are developing nicely... with the three major storylines, there isn't one i don;t care about. I appreciate the slow burn, rather than getting from A-z in 2-3 episodes. ... and i'll say it again.... Damson Idris is going to be a big star Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astromech Posted August 31, 2017 Share Posted August 31, 2017 I was surprised to see next week is already the season finale. Some of the arcs don't seem to have progressed enough for my taste, mainly Teddy's which I think stagnated with his involvement with the girl's sister. There are more interesting paths his arc could be taking. However, Gustavo and Lucia's pushed forward enough and Franklin's is probably the most interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astromech Posted September 7, 2017 Share Posted September 7, 2017 Decent finale and set up for next season. It took a while to get there. The pacing of the season could have been a bit better. While enjoying Franklin and Gustavo/Lucia's arc, Teddy's bored me a bit. I thought his arc went in the wrong direction with the murdered girl's sister. I was hoping it would stick a little closer to the actual CIA's role. It felt a bit too much like a digression. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iskaral Pust Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 I didn't know that was the season finale but it sure felt like one. Teddy's arc has been torturous. The detour with the sister just to set up the conflict with Alejandro wasted our time. Alejandro could have just died in airplane crash in the desert several episodes ago. Hopefully Franklin finds Teddy now and the three arcs converge. Teddy's perspective and role is potentially a good angle for the story, but only if the character stops moping around all the fucking time. He has stunning bursts of competence that are frustrating for their brevity. Franklin is growing into his role but that also means that we must eventually judge his character. For all his charisma, intelligence and moral qualms about killing, this is a crack dealer motivated by his own impatient greed (and a college drop-out who had more options than his friends). As he continues selling crack in his own neighborhood and the consequences emerge, being likable and buying ice-creams won't exempt him from audience judgement. Lucia and Oso have a good arc too, although their new friends seem so violent and untrustworthy, even for a drug gang -- I'm sure that will end well. Franklin's mom has an interesting story, almost completely separate from the main story. His uncle's girlfriend (wife?) has a story of her own too, although not as complex. It will be interesting to see if they can continue to add layers to these secondary characters. Overall, a really well made show with a great lead in Franklin and some really solid supporting cast. It's a pity Teddy's arc is so slow and mopey but I'll be back for S2. It doesn't seem to have found a huge audience yet but I heard FX renewed for another couple of seasons. Perhaps people will binge watch S1 On Demand or on Hulu, which should reduce the pacing problem. I don't think I want to watch any shows at a weekly pace anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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