The Hudson River runs up the west side of the island of Manhattan. By walking up the river or taking a cruise down into the harbor, you can see great memories of a New York past in the old piers, the rising spirit of the Freedom Tower, or the natural beauty of the bluffs on the shore of New Jersey beyond. It’s a must do in New York City.
ENTERTAINMENT
Album Review: Dirty Beaches – Drifters/Love is the Devil
Dirty Beaches: Drifters/Love Is The Devil
Similar Artists: Suicide
Genre: Loner Music, Experimental
Label: Zoo Music
Some may disagree, but personally, I’ve always felt the main reason double-albums are often so prone to failure because the artist attempts an exploration of genres outside their forte, and in doing so creates a listening experience that is ambitious, but overall uneven and not representative of his/her talents. Plus, especially in these backward looking times, cohesiveness has been something to strive for in music. While it’s certainly impressive to make songs that run upwards of 20 minutes, or an album that requires 2.5 hours worth of subway trips to finish, in the end are those really the albums you are going to play again and again throughout the year?
Alex Zhang Hungtai, mastermind behind “Dirty Beaches”, has avoided many of the pitfalls associated with double albums by making one in which each disk appropriately complements the other. Both are entirely distinct from one another and even have their own titles. The first one, titled Drifters, is an outward looking record heavy on freak-outs and detailed drum programming, while Love is the Devil is a more personal, ambient heavy affair. If you are familiar with Dirty Beaches’ first proper full length, Badlands, which was released in 2011, you will likely be very surprised with how radical a departure much of this music is. While Badlands was a grimy, 70’s inspired lo-fi record heavily influenced by Suicide, here the influences are much harder to pinpoint. While I seriously doubt these were primary influences, without the saxophone that is heard throughout “Landscapes in the Mist”, it could easily pass off for a Wolfgang Voigt track, and similarly, “Berlin” has an ethereal piano backdrop that wouldn’t be out of place on an Eluvium record.
Thankfully, despite his broadened horizons, Hungtai hasn’t abandoned what made his first album such a standout. This guy is a loner if there ever was one, and his lack of a proper home (a statement he has made in several interviews) is felt throughout the entirety of the album. Many people are saying that the first disk here is much more accessible, but let me make this clear; in the traditional sense, absolutely none of this music is accessible. Only on Elli do we arrive at what could be considered a “song” with a naturally flowing chord structure. Furthermore, it took me until the end of my first listen to realize I had yet to understand, or ever properly hear, any of Hungtai’s lyrics. While part of this is because he occasionally sings in a different language, such as French on “Aurevoir Mon Visage”, mostly, it is because he sings/screams in a deadened drawl that is so drenched in reverb it is almost 100% indecipherable. Everything here, including the edgy guitars and pulsing synths, is heavily corroded and bursting at the seems with dense, mind-altering pressure. However, instead of being too harsh, these factors actually give the album a lot of personality.
The two disks here represent two sides to a very experimental coin, and each style is sought out with the utmost precision. Which disk you prefer is ultimately based on your musical tastes, as I have to deem them equal in quality. With that said, the majority of people are going to find Drifters more appealing than its ambient based counterpart. As most of Hungtai’s work has been released on cassette-only labels, what he has given us here feels like a very generous offering. While 75 minutes is a big chunk of music and time, I find this album to be relatively easy to listen to, because hidden under the brutal textures and noise there is something here that remains interesting, unique and undeniably beautiful.
Track Listing:
Drifters
1.) Night Walk
2.) I Dream in Neon*
3.) Belgrade
4.) Casino Lisboa*
5.) ELLI
6.) Aurevoir Mon Visage
7.) Mirage Hall*
8.) Landscapes In The Mist*
Love is the Devil
1.) Greyhound at Night
2.) This is Not My City*
3.) Woman
4.) Love is the Devil
5.) Alone at the Danube River*
6.) I Don’t Know How To Find My Way Back To You
7.) Like the Ocean We Part
8.) Berlin*
Album Highlight*
It’s easy to avoid being tempted by Mistresses
Mistresses: Mondays at 10p.m. Eastern on ABC
When reviewing shows, I often look not only in terms of the show itself, but at the identity of the network (or in context of the specific evening of a network if it’s one of the big four). I often do so because as much as a show’s quality and ratings will determine it’s first-run lifespan, how a given show fits within that networks brand identity will in turn often affect it’s ratings. For example, a show like Happy Endings was excellent, but it also stuck out like a sore thumb amid ABC’s proclivity for soapy prime-time dramas, family oriented comedies, and Dancing with the Stars. Their newest show Mistresses, however, seems to fit firmly within this identity.
Mistresses follows the story of four lifelong female friends and their personal and professional struggles. Savannah Davis (Alyssa Milano) is an ambitious lawyer who also wants a child, only to be stifled by her husband’s fertility issues. Her sister Josslyn (Jess McCallan), meanwhile is a real-estate agent whom is more interested in hooking up than any sort of long term relationship. Together with their close friends: the recently widowed April (Rochelle Aytes) and unethical therapist Karen (Yunjin Kim), they navigate the complex web of deception they’ve created.
We open with Savannah running into her husband in a hotel bar and demanding he pop back on his ring only to lead to a bunch of random shots of torrid major network broadcastable sex intertwined with a bunch of shots mocking the sudsiness that comes from romance movie cliches. Savi and Josslyn then have a snippy conversation about Savannah’s fertility issues. She then runs into Karen at a funeral for one of her clients (whom she had an improper relationship with). Our four principal leads then rendezvous at April’s house where they catch up during a birthday party for her daughter.
After the party, Karen receives a call from her clients’ son Sam, asking to talk to her, before seeing he is at the front door. Savannah and Harry find out that the medical issues were related to Harry’s sperm. Karen arrives to work only to find that Sam has made an appointment and is confronting his issues about his father’s affair. Meanwhile, a mysterious and handsome stranger enters to ask out April and buy throw pillows. Savannah meanwhile has a disagreement with Harry after visiting him at work, and gets recruited by April to babysit, while receiving bawdy texts from Dominic.
All of these proceedings are brought to a screeching halt with the arrival of a distraught Karen. Karen took the opportunity to finally open up to her friends about her illicit secret, only to be advised to continue lying. When ultimately confronted, she continues to live the lie, solely for what she feels is Sam’s sake. Meanwhile, Savannah takes in Josslyn before ending up in a full blown argument with Harry.
We return to check in on all of our plot lines. April finds out what happened to her mystery date and that her ex-husband had been sleeping around. Josslyn struggles to move a seaside house to an uncertain couple. Karen is panicking about a potential malpractice suit involving her former client and is shredding documents. Last but not least, a distraught Savannah gives into temptation and does something she never thought she’d do.
As one could probably see above, the show juggles a number of plot lines and manages to do so pretty deftly considering that our principle four ladies are kept fairly separate. Where Mistresses truly thrives though is in its’ lighter moments, where it provides the right amount of snark to elicit the occasional chuckle (particularly with Joss, who gets the lion’s share of catty lines).
The show however, struggles with the drama and particularly with the tears. Over the span of an hour, a lead character breaks out into hysterics 7 times. None of them look the slightest bit believable. This is made worse when you consider that the game changing last ten minutes of the show have characters taking seemingly irrational actions in relation to the characters we meet in the first 50 minutes (Savannah deciding to hook up with a coworker, Karen coldly shredding documents, April learning about her husband’s love affair and Joss managing to not make a snarky comment).
Another issue the show struggles with are the often very one-note characters. While this is particularly prevalent with the male characters whom are generally background, it seems even more egregious when you consider that the main characters are as flat. For example, if I were asked to describe April’s character to a potential watcher, the only words that would come out are “mother” and “widow”. Considering that the writers are clearly wanting for us to root for Savannah throughout the show (she doesn’t really possess a negative trait until about 55 minutes in), this is a huge problem because it doesn’t allow for the sort of organic plot development that is necessary to create serialized drama.
The Final Verdict: Mistresses is the sort of show that could have been so much more if it had taken the “Sex And The City-lite” track it seems to take over the first few minutes over the awkward drama-laden train wreck that occurs over the course of the episode. While it tends to generally act like a pedestrian prime-time soap, it’s final act leans heavily on a suspension of disbelief but ultimately fails due to a seeming lack of internal logic (the natural response to obvious workplace sexual harassment is not to sleep with the harasser a couple of days later when stuck late at work). This lack of build to what should be major plot points ultimately makes it very difficult to emotionally invest in characters whose actions become morally questionable in a hurry. I’d recommend skipping this one unless you really need something to fill an hour on a Monday night.
Game of Thrones Recap: George R. R. Martin Hates Us All
Last week on Game of Thrones, Matt Damon pranced around in a speedo, looking all fine and dandy, while Michael Douglas . . . wait, no. Last time on Game of Thrones, Dany wore a beautiful robe for some long haired hippy punk and Sam killed an ice zombie. [Read more…] about Game of Thrones Recap: George R. R. Martin Hates Us All
Real Housewives of New Jersey Recap- Hurricane Season
The long awaited return of one of the more popular Housewives franchises came back tonight with the fifth season premiere of “The Real Housewives of New Jersey”. Amidst a ton of rumors after last season of cast members leaving like Caroline, Jacqueline and Kathy, those were put to rest tonight when all of them have come back again. This series is a little different from the rest in that there really hasn’t been “recycled housewives” and there is still three of the original cast members and Melissa and Kathy have remained a series regular for the past three seasons.
We left off last season with everything in insane turmoil, notably from the intense three part reunion that left Teresa at odds with pretty much, well everybody. The show started tonight with everyone dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, in which the Jersey Shore was one of the areas in the east coast that got hit the most. To put it simply but beautifully, Melissa said- “Sandy, you are a bitch”. Incredibly true. Melissa, Teresa and Kathy go to the Jersey Shore to find their houses pretty destroyed from the inside. All seem to have pretty great attitudes about this in particular Caroline, who said “We lost power for 11 days, so what”. I am enjoying all the positivity in this episode so far, but we all know there is a different storm a brewing.
The majority of the episode focuses on Teresa and Melissa and getting their daughters together because respectively they each miss each other. Rightfully so. There is so much insane tension between the two women that even though they want them to hang out, they don’t know if being around each other is the right thing to do. Mind you, these women are acting more immature than their daughters themselves, in that they should look at the bigger picture and focus on making the relationships right with their children so they don’t wind up acting like Teresa’s mother and Kathy’s father who didn’t speak for years.
Besides the usual gab fest that is Terlissa, Jacqueline reveals more struggle in dealing with her son’s battle with Autism. You can see how incredibly frustrating it is for her and to see the relief on her face when he was able to say the word “iPad” was truly remarkable to watch. I can honestly say that Jacqueline has been my favorite throughout this besides Caroline because she truly is a good person that just happens to be going through a lot family wise with a disobedient daughter (although from the preview this season that might be changing) and a son who is going through a very tough condition. Love you Jacqueline.
The story line for Caroline seems to be family oriented yet the one curve ball here is that she has become somewhat of a sister now to Joe Gorga, Melissa’s husband. Joe sees her as a sister type that he feels he doesn’t have with Teresa, which somehow seems to irk Melissa. Rumor has it that they are making Melissa the villain this season which I thought should’ve happened in her original season as the new girl is always portrayed that way to a certain degree until the audience gets comfortable with them. WATCH WHAT HAPPENS!!!
Album Review: Majical Cloudz – Impersonator
Majical Clouds: Impersonator
Similar Artists: Sigur Ros, James Blake
Genre: Loop Based Music, Ethereal Vocals
Label: Matador
It’s funny that there has been near unanimous praise for Montreal based group Majical Cloudz’ live act, because earlier this year, when I saw them opening for Autre Ne Veut at an intimate Brooklyn venue, almost no one was paying attention. It’s sad too, because Majical Cloudz are doing something really different with the live experience. Upon arriving on stage, frontman Devon Welsh asked the audience to sit on the floor, and then he proceeded to walk amongst the audience while performing. Unfortunately, only about an eighth of the audience followed his order. The duo were clearly going for grand and original, but due to the audiences reluctance, the performance ended up being awkward over anything else. I wouldn’t normally mention something like this in a review, but it goes along with the fact that Majical Clouds make music that requires attention to enjoy.
I have to admit, I almost completely forgot about the group after that night. Then, a few weeks ago I began hearing about their 2nd LP Impersonator, and how Devon Welsh’s vocal performance was being considered one of the finest of the year. It’s true, for a vocalist who isn’t even classically trained, Welsh has a spot on baritone that proves unusually commanding and affecting. What’s more impressive is how he carries these songs almost entirely by himself. While he never goes entirely a capella, the music is composed of very minimal keyboard loops, and it even borders on being ambient at times. However, this simpleness helps to intensify the music, as our mind becomes focused on the subtleties, such as Welsh’s epic vocal changes, and the slight nuances in Matthew Otto’s keyboard programming. Most songs are only made out of four or five elements, and they each develop at a glacial pace. While at first you might think this album would be more entertaining if there was more of a beat drop, we eventually realize the build-up is the release, and although it is restrained, it proves to be as cathartic as any piece of music you’re likely to here this year.
The individual songs here are harder to make a statement about, because the album emits such a natural flow. Each song carries many of the same lyrical themes, and it is occasionally hard to distinguish when one ends and another begins. Although there certainly isn’t much in the way of variety, the conciseness actually benefits the album as it feels like a thorough exploration within a distinct sound. While lead single “Bug’s Don’t Buzz” was easy enough to ignore on its own, within the course of the album its effect is magnified, because the album eases us into its own mood of tranquility.
While these guys are part of a post Arcade-Fire Montreal indie scene that includes Grimes and Doldrums, Majical Cloudz isn’t nearly as “cool”, or even as fun, as either of those acts. In fact, many are going to dismiss this band for those exact reasons. While this certainly isn’t music you could listen to all the time – and you should under no circumstances play it at a party, this is a complete listening experience, and if you are in the right mood it can also be a perfect one.
Track Listing:
1.) Impersonator
2.) This Is Magic
3.) Childhood’s End*
4.) I Do Sing For You*
5.) Mister*
6.) Turns Turns Turns*
7.) Silver Rings
8.) Illusion
9.) Bug’s Don’t Buzz*
10.) Notebook
* – Album Highlight
New York City Photography- Central Park
At the very heart of the vast urban sprawl of New York City lies Central Park. Call it what you will. An island. An oasis. From The Plaza to the old Band Shell. The park itself and the buildings which surround it are as quintessential New York as you can get.
Netflix’d: Spaced
Yep, I’m back to my ol’ Netflix’d column. It’s been a busy month for me with me completing my thesis (here), but thankfully there was a masters degree at the end of all those dead-lines. Seeing that Arrested Development season four has already received review treatment on this site, I feel obligated to review another wonderfully witty show, and one that should immediately interest people that have taken note of the recent roles of Simon Pegg (Star Trek, Shaun of the Dead). The creature in question, is no other than Spaced!
Format: Half-hour long sit-com
Episodes: 14
Air Date: 1999-2001
Genre: comedy, satire, British television
Cast: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jessica Stevenson, Mark Heap, Julia Deakin, Katy Carmichael
Similar Too: Community, Peep Show, The Office (U.K.)
Yep, this is that earlier television show from the same guys that brought you Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and the upcoming World’s End. That actually is reason enough to check out Spaced, but what if I were to tell you it was actually still the best project that actors Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, and director Edgar Wright have been involved in? Strong words for sure, as I often view Shaun of the Dead as the best zombie film of the aughts, and Hot Fuzz as possibly the very best buddy cop comedy of all time. Thing is Spaced is an even more down-to-earth take on fantastical stories, and what’s more, one can easily see it’s influence on both American and British television since it’s release.
The show focuses on two down-on-their-luck twenty-something Londoners, Tim and Daisy, whom are played by Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson respectively, and also served as writers for the show. Tim is a relentless pop-culture aficionado who dreams of being a comic book artist, while Daisy is an aspiring journalist. The two decide that they’re looking for a new flat to move into, when they come across an ad that reads professional couple only. They then decide to pose as a romantic couple to secure the flat, with the two proving themselves to the liking of the building’s sardonic landlady (Julia Deakin). Rounding out the cast is a perpetually disturbed artist (Mark Heap), a ditsy blonde (Julia Deakin), and a potentially insane gun-nut (Nick Frost), and you’ve got the perfect group of characters for a show about young adult life, and the joys/frustrations of being a nerd.
It’s not an understatement to call Spaced the most nerd-friendly sit-com ever made. Hell, I still don’t know if that description is fully satisfying, as this show is to pop-culture references as Kanye West is to arrogance. Simon Pegg’s Tim is the archtypical modern geek who lives and breathes media, whether shouting off his pet-peevs (“Compared to Jar Jar the Ewoks look like fucking Shaft”) or trying to express empathy (“Jesus I cried like a child at the end of Terminator 2“). Besides this though, the show is constantly referring to cinema, video games, and comic books through visual cues, dialogue, cinematography or even entire episode structure. You don’t even need to be British to be in on the jokes, as most of the references cater to American brands, such as The X-Files, Tarantino, George A. Romero, Star Wars, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and the references aren’t always flattering either. The second season aired shortly after the release of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace and Simon Pegg’s writing makes it crystal clear that he found the movie to be a disaster. Perhaps Clerks director Kevin Smith said it best, “Spaced is like watching a Kevin Smith movie, if Kevin Smith had any talent.”
Even though it’s rather accessible to American audiences, this show is undoubtedly a product of British television, as this show’s content could never air on a network station in the States. The show is often surreal, often placing its (relatively) realistic characters in increasingly more outlandish scenarios, from epic imaginary gunfights, to bar brawls with Matrix-esque special agents, to ludicrous avant-garde stage performances that both poke fun at the art world as well as acknowledge how the general public perceives it (this show’s deep, man). What’s more, the show often depicts it’s character partaking of recreational drugs, which certainly wouldn’t fly even on many cable American stations. Thing is Spaced uses the drug use to such brilliant effect, as not only does it allow the show to feel real in terms of it’s grasp on how people actually act, but it often uses it to hilarious effect. An episode that involves Tim envisioning a zombie apocalypse while under the influence of speed could of come off as absurdist humor, but the drug element gives it a degree of realism.
Spaced also has a rather timeless quality to it, which is no easy feat considering it is a low-budget show, filmed on technology circa the late 90s. One would thing that it might appear dated, but the show still feels very much afloat today. Those that were immensely impressed by the craft in Edgar Wright’s debut film Shaun of Dead, will find that this show served as the ideal set-up towards launching his film career. Budgetary concerns seem to be non-existent, as Edgar Wright uses images that recall great films using the tiniest of details (the season two opening montage which references Woody Allen’s Manhattan and Scorsese’s Goodfellas most immediately comes to mind). The editing on the show is also very fast, somewhat reminiscent of early Sam Raimi, and gives it a more feisty energy to it than other British shows like Extras and Peep Show.
Which finally brings me to the show’s performances, and yes they’re all for the most part great. Simon Pegg is fantastic as Tim, who never fails at hitting a joke right on the nail, and it’s no wonder he would go on to appear in summer blockbusters after this film. Jessica Stevenson is also great as Daisy, playing the often more straight-laced character, who still has her moments of comic zaniness. The bizarre side characters that Nick Frost, Julia Deakin and Mark Heap play as are all really genuine too, and their characterizations only grow stronger as the show goes on. Perhaps the only weak link in the show’s cast might be with Daisy’s friend Twist. While certainly integral for Daisy as a confidante, the character doesn’t have too many great moments, even when a twisted romance arises with her and another character. Had the show continued into their planned third season, I feel they might have given Twist more characterization.
In the decade since Spaced ended, it has become both a cult favorite, and a seminal work. Dan Harmon has cited Spaced as a great influence for his show Community, which also utilizes stories that run on pop-culture references, while never sacrificing character growth (both shows also feature paintball episodes that mock action-movie tropes). Sure, it may not have blown the doors off the hinges as blatantly as Ricky Gervais did with The Office, but it’s still a spectacular reminder on how British television has such a sturdy refusal to speak down to it’s audience. Highly recommended for all those who think Family Guy is stupid.
Album Review: Dean Blunt – The Redeemer
Dean Blunt: The Redeemer
Similar Artists: James Ferraro, Hype Williams
Genre: not club/dance, electronic
Label: Hippos in Tanks
Throughout his career, Dean Blunt has specialized in crafting albums that offer musical experiences that lie far from the norm – yet are rooted in genres that are somewhat familiar and nostalgic. From being one half of Hype Williams to his plentiful amount of solo albums (one such being The Narcissist II, which draws a fine line between being a gem and a trash heap) DB has remained an enigmatic figure of the highest caliber. He has also presented himself as the ultimate prankster, as his methods often send fans scurrying on endless internet chases that end up being ultimately worthless as an insight to his work. This guy really doesn’t want us to know the deeper meaning behind his music – and as it turns out we really shouldn’t be concerned with such things. Even without the anonymity and hidden meanings (and with or without his partner in crime Inga Copeland) DB’s work has proved to be captivating in its own right. God knows this isn’t your everyman’s music, so if Blunt wants to go on creating an unknowable presence out of everything surrounding his music, than so be it.
Last year, when the confounding Black is Beautiful was released on Hyperdub, many saw it as a sort of breakthrough for the artist. However, if anything, the music presented on that release was even more confusing than what came before – and the brief interviews Dean Blunt and Inga Copeland gave didn’t help to clear up much of anything either. These last few releases from DB have shown him working at the height of his powers, where each song sounds like it’s own unique interpretation of a forgotten pop song, only reinterpreted through an experimental, even alien lens. It would be too easy, however, to describe this music with a term as simple as abstract, for it is deserving of much more analysis than that.
As it turns out, against all odds, The Redeemer is DB’s most accessible and human release to date – but not necessarily for the reasons you would expect. Keep in mind, there are still plenty of muddy textures, samples of breaking glass, and a whole lot of moaning and groaning from Dean himself – but the compositions here are often a perfect blend of acoustic and electronic instrumentation. The broadened orchestration complements DB’s damaged, always expressive vocals, which is impressive in its own right. On tracks such as “Flaxen”, which is carried by an elegiac harp, delicate piano and minimal horns, DB shows off his skills at arranging a multitude of complex sounds into one. Most surprising of the standouts however, is by far “Imperial Gold”, which is a finger-picked folk song featuring the assured and beautiful vocals of Joanne Robertson. There are also several orchestral vignettes that tie together the bigger pieces of the story. Each of the 19 tracks build upon an expanding instrumental palette to where the album comes off as something that is almost colorful.
It certainly carries more of an overarching theme than anything in his discography as well – with its themes of lost love it even begs to be called relatable at times. The album is riddled with answering machine messages, recurring characters, and ominous vocal samples that relate to a central plot. This is already being called DB’s breakup record, and he certainly does sound quite brokenhearted – especially on the piano piece “Brutal” where he comes off as a lonely drunk chronicling his sorrows at the local bar. Still, this is an artist who has never been honest before, so why is he suddenly starting now? Whether you read The Redeemer as a joke or an honest account is entirely up to you. Right now, however, we should just enjoy listening to it, because the sounds here should be able to hold us for some time.
Track Listing:
1.) Dread
2.)Y3
3.) Papi
4.) MMIX
5.) All Dogs Go To Heaven*
6.) Imperial Gold*
7.) Predator
8.) Brutal*
9.) Par
10.) I Run New York
11.) The Pedigree
12.) Demon
13.) Flaxen*
14.) V
15.) The Redeemer
16.) Seven Seals of Affirmation*
17.) Walls of Jericho
18.) Make it Official
19.) Need 2 Let You Go*
* – Album Highlight
Brooklyn DA Tries To Be Jack Of All Trades, Masters None
Brooklyn DA: Tuesdays at 10pm Eastern on CBS
It’s not every day you hear about a new TV show being stuck in some real political wrangling. However, CBS’s latest Tuesday night reality offering ended up being the victim of such a case with its’ new show Brooklyn DA which only finally was cleared to air earlier today when a political rival tried to get it delayed until after a political primary amid concerns that the show would basically turn into a multi-million dollar campaign ad for his opponent (district attorneys are elected by the general public in New York State).
Brooklyn DA follows the attorneys office of Charles Hynes, the real life lawyer in the titular role and his assistants as they piece together cases for real-life crimes. The six part series also looks into the professional and personal lives of many of the special assistants whom work in the office as they struggle to piece together high profile cases.
We open with Lawrence Oh, who’s in a local deli where he’s picking up food on the way to work. Mr. Oh is investigating a theft of three pieces of fine art and is looking to set up a sting for his proposed suspect. We then meet Kathryn Collins, an assistant DA who deals with human trafficking and is looking to put a pimp behind bars. Ken Taub handles our episodes third case: the murder of a Brooklyn police officer in the line of duty.
For a documentary, it’s an incredibly slickly shot show, with large amounts of stylish graphical packages (especially in transitions), inventive editing juxtapositions, and a staggeringly high number of camera angles. These are particularly notable in the places where they couldn’t actually send cameras, such as when they couldn’t bring cameras into the courtroom for the plaintiff’s testimony, leading to a composite shot of our plaintiff and Kathleen, while cross examination gave us a composite of the plaintiff and the defendant’s attorney.
One thing I was somewhat surprised about was that the show did not ever really delve deeply into the lives of its’ featured attorneys (whether or not the featured attorneys appear on every show is yet to be known, CBS was fairly mum about the exact details of the show). We get a couple of short segments of Lawrence talking about his love for food and that he’s forced to eat in the office (one of these segments involves him doing so) and a very brief mention of Catherine’s husband.
However, for all of the technical wizardry, I question the degree to which the producers drag the victims of these crimes through. While it can at least somewhat justified to have the family of the fallen police officer talk a little about their father, I felt completely uncomfortable about the fact that the victim of a sexual assault (and to a lesser degree human trafficking) was very heavily featured with no pixelation or voice alteration or name alteration. While in this instance the offender might be a small-time criminal, it seems very odd that you would open up a victim for potential retaliation on prime time national TV. This is even worse when you consider that the show is produced under the guise of the news department, whom typically have used some or all of these protection methods for years.
As for the other ethical question? Simply put, while the show seems pretty clearly within the law (Hynes doesn’t appear in the first episode, but a fairly controversial surrogate is prominent), I can also understand why the opposition would have their gripes. The fact of the matter is, politicians have sued for less and anything other than a perfectly neutral and unbiased portrayal could potentially swing an election with a megaphone that large. What makes this worse is that while the timing seems least important from a network TV perspective, it’s salient a little too close to the primary (the series will end in July, the primary in question is in September) for anyone to claim that this show won’t potentially swing a pivotal local election in the form of airtime that would run in value about the same as a full campaign for a high-end U.S. Senate election. Luckily, we’re one episode in with one big mistake and a second one illustrated in the preview for our second show so hopefully Brooklyn DA stays a fairly evenhanded portrayal.
The Final Verdict: Brooklyn DA tries to have the slickness of a drama while operating under the guise of reality. What we get instead is a show that seems pretty devoid of both, with a whole slew of other ethical questions as the cherry to this non-sundae. In a lot of ways, you get the vibe that CBS was looking for a less expensive reality analogue to it’s crime drama heavy Tuesday lineup. Skip this and toss on a rerun of Law and Order if you’re looking for some courtroom drama.