Here's one that might be worth recording
Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2014 9:04 pm
"Legends": TV Review
The pilot showed Wednesday at 9 p.m., but there will be a repeat at 9 a.m. Sunday on TNT.
by Tim Goodman
HollywoodReporter.com
New TNT drama currently lacks the heft to be truly riveting. But maybe in the world of complicated fare, a little easy escapism isn't such a bad thing
Television needs its comfort food even more so now that so many complex and difficult dramas are available. Sometimes you just need a show that feels familiar, keeps you entertained and ends without, say, someone being stoned to death or some sort of mysterious, ominous clue.
That's where TNT's Legends comes in. It stars Sean Bean — who, unlike in so many of his past roles, will not be killed off — as undercover FBI agent Martin Odum. What Legends is eager to tell viewers is that in the undercover world, "legend" means a "fabricated identity." The twist to the show is whether Odum is really who he thinks he is. Sure, he gets to be lots of interesting "legends" — a stuttering construction worker willing to commit an act of terror against his own country, a suave international arms dealer, a cowboy — all fake identities. But is "Martin Odum" real? And if he's not, does he understand that he's not who he thinks he is?
See, that's a show I'd watch. It's not overly complicated, but it has meat. And an actor like Bean, who has done excellent work in Game of Thrones and The Lord of the Rings, has the gravitas to pull off all kinds of roles. Plus, he looks like he's having fun doing it — probably because he's been assured that he won't be killed off.
And yet, after watching the first two episodes, it's a shame that Legends isn't a bit more ambitious. The pilot is splashy and action-packed, but overall the lack of complexity — and yes, I know I cited that as a plus earlier — makes it less satisfying.
Maybe that's the real issue with middling fare these days. There's a lot of it out there. And a lot of it's absorbing — like Strike Back and Banshee on Cinemax, The Blacklist on NBC, or Elementary and Person of Interest on CBS. We're beyond the Law & Order standard of hour-burning here, people. The average TV comfort food is now almost too good; you have to pay attention while watching, which almost defeats the purpose.
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The pilot showed Wednesday at 9 p.m., but there will be a repeat at 9 a.m. Sunday on TNT.
by Tim Goodman
HollywoodReporter.com
New TNT drama currently lacks the heft to be truly riveting. But maybe in the world of complicated fare, a little easy escapism isn't such a bad thing
Television needs its comfort food even more so now that so many complex and difficult dramas are available. Sometimes you just need a show that feels familiar, keeps you entertained and ends without, say, someone being stoned to death or some sort of mysterious, ominous clue.
That's where TNT's Legends comes in. It stars Sean Bean — who, unlike in so many of his past roles, will not be killed off — as undercover FBI agent Martin Odum. What Legends is eager to tell viewers is that in the undercover world, "legend" means a "fabricated identity." The twist to the show is whether Odum is really who he thinks he is. Sure, he gets to be lots of interesting "legends" — a stuttering construction worker willing to commit an act of terror against his own country, a suave international arms dealer, a cowboy — all fake identities. But is "Martin Odum" real? And if he's not, does he understand that he's not who he thinks he is?
See, that's a show I'd watch. It's not overly complicated, but it has meat. And an actor like Bean, who has done excellent work in Game of Thrones and The Lord of the Rings, has the gravitas to pull off all kinds of roles. Plus, he looks like he's having fun doing it — probably because he's been assured that he won't be killed off.
And yet, after watching the first two episodes, it's a shame that Legends isn't a bit more ambitious. The pilot is splashy and action-packed, but overall the lack of complexity — and yes, I know I cited that as a plus earlier — makes it less satisfying.
Maybe that's the real issue with middling fare these days. There's a lot of it out there. And a lot of it's absorbing — like Strike Back and Banshee on Cinemax, The Blacklist on NBC, or Elementary and Person of Interest on CBS. We're beyond the Law & Order standard of hour-burning here, people. The average TV comfort food is now almost too good; you have to pay attention while watching, which almost defeats the purpose.
MORE