I could be wrong (and in fact frequently am), but I feel like Bloodline kind of went under the radar. In the slate of new programming for Netflix, Marco Polo got attention for being set in a foreign country headlined by non-white actors, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt for Tina Fey (and being sold by NBC), and Daredevil for its comic book origins. I blinked and Bloodline was available, but I saw nearly no attention online for it.
In any case, Bloodline deserves to be more known. It's the age old story of a seemingly perfect family that's actually dysfunctional due to the expectations and actions of the father. I'm only through four episodes, which I feel the need to point out because some crazy people have already seen the entire series somehow. I'm not saying this show is not binge-worthy, but I don't know how you people do it.
When introduced, the Rayburn family seems like the mostly perfect family with one outcast brother. The father and mother, owners of a nice beach resort, are models of the community. John is the best representation of their children, the county sheriff and all-around good guy who helps out. Kevin is an outgoing, warm person who maybes gets a little too passionate at times. Meg, well she doesn't immediately stand out except for being played by Linda Cardellini, and that's a pretty good indication she's a good one of the family. The first episode is the 45th anniversary party of the parent's marriage. Danny, the outcast, comes home and he seems like a lot of trouble, but at first he seems like the only troubled member of the family.
As you can expect, that would be a somewhat boring TV show if that were the case, and it turns out everyone in the family has their demons. It becomes more clear that the father has a very clear idea of what his children should do. One child is letting them down because they aren't married yet and another child still doesn't have a kid. The mother has her own problems, such as being unwilling to discuss a will despite a health scare from the father, but so far in my run of episodes, it hasn't been well-detailed (though I'm sure they are coming).
You can't really discuss the merits of watching Bloodline without mentioning the insanely stacked cast. There's Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights), who plays the same character he always plays, but really you got a problem with that? The aforementioned Cardellini (Freaks and Geeks) plays the sister in a way that she seems like she's trying to impress everybody (no doubt because she could never impress her father). I've never heard of Norbet Leo Butz, but he's very good as the hothead brother. And hell if Sam Shephard doesn't nail the patronizing disappointment of a father who doesn't exactly say he's disappointed in you, but you leave the conversation feeling like you did. (Also: very easy to imagine him as a man with heavy burdens). Lastly, Sissy Spacek doesn't really have that much to work with on the surface, but she sure as hell makes it seem like her character is fleshed out.
With all that said, none of them have the standout performance. That belongs to Ben Mendelsohn who, despite all the acting talent, is the reason to watch this show. He's fantastic. I know there have been some grumblings about his accent, but - with the necessary caveat that I don't give a shit or tend to notice accents that much - I didn't have a problem with it. You can never quite tell if he's sincere in his intentions. He wants to work back home, but he might be escaping his past and he seems a little more concerned with money than you'd probably like for a guy desperately trying to get another chance. (It's unclear how many times he has been given another chance, but he's probably higher than five)
This isn't a perfect show though. For one, and I'm not sure if they've stopped this because it wasn't in the fourth episode, the voiceover narration bothered me. It basically worked in the first episode (mostly for the cliffhanger), but I think it was completely unnecessary in the next two episodes. For example, the second episode established that Kevin was a hothead, but if you watch the episode, you'd figure that out for yourself. Voiceovers should only be used in film noirs and Martin Scorsese movies as a general rule.
Secondly, this show is remarkably humorless. I'm not saying the show needs to be a comedy, but there should be some lightness injected into the script. Unrelentingly bleak is not fun to watch. Frequently missed in the age of anti-heroes is that all the good shows about antiheroes were sometimes funny. You don't need to be serious the entire time.
Lastly, so far, the murder behind-the-scenes seems out of place and incredibly slow-moving. In the first episode, they find the body. In the second and third, they look at the body and determine what happened to it. Finally, the fourth episode focuses its attention more on the death. Just because I know they will get to the body doesn't make the storyline more connected to the story in the first few episodes and that's a weakness.
But, through four episodes, would I recommend this? Sure. But you should expect an extremely bleak and depressing look at a dysfunctional family. Honestly, I don't know how people can binge-watch this show, because I don't think I could watch two in a row. It's a little too serious for my liking. I watched four episodes so I could talk about it, but I'm afraid it will take forever to finish the show for that reason. Or I'll finish it quickly because it gets addicting. Who knows?
Grade - B
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Speaking of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, I am taking the opposite approach to this show. I have seen the whole season by now and it's about two weeks later than when it became available. For fans of 30 Rock, obviously you should watch this show, but you probably already knew that. I've seen it described as having the wit of 30 Rock and the heart of Parks and Recreation. I say that not because I agree with it, but because some people believe it. Personally, the show is a little too cartoonish to have that much heart for me.
In fact, if I have a complaint, it's that the show's too cartoonish in general. I like Tim Blake Nelson a lot from O Brother, Where Art Thou and Holes, but his character does not work at all to use an example. He's the sheriff who looked for Kimmy and never found her. Some of his jokes work, but his character is the definition of broad and his dumb ineptitude reaches absurd levels. And I got to be honest, Tina Fey's character disappoints too, though I'm guessing it might be better for people who experienced the OJ Simpson trial.
Ellie Kemper is great as is Jon Hamm when he makes a surprise appearance. Jane Krakowski plays a very similar character to her 30 Rock character, which is right up here wheelhouse. And Titus Burgess is also hilarious as Kimmy's roommate.
I'm in the position of liking this show, but not loving it.
Grade - B+
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