Monday, December 26, 2016

One of the Best TV Shows of the Year

Sometimes things, unexpected, pop up. There were two TV shows that did that this year for me. Both of odd little basic cable channels.

First: Eyewitness.
Julianne Nicholson - an amazing actress

It was based on a Norwegian TV series. And it was sensational. Not in a splashy way, but in a quiet way.

I think USA under-sold it because it might be a little controversial in the gay-ness.  Wait before you tune me out, it's not a gay TV show.

It starts as two high school boys are fooling around in the cabin owned by one of their fathers. They aren't really "gay" at this point, but experimenting and dealing with their attractions. As they are there, a car drives up and they hide - afraid to be caught.  They witness a murder and the killer spots at least one of them.

The son of the cabin owner swears the other boy to secrecy because there is no good reason the two of them would be in the place alone.  And it kicks off from there.

But the reason I loved it LOVED IT! was Julianne Nicholson.  I have seen her off-Broadway many times and she is an amazing actress.  And her is one of the rare changes to see her act her ass off on TV.  It isn't showy and histrionic. It is a quiet and difficult role and she makes you believe every second of it.

She plays one of the kid's foster mom. And she is not maternal. In the least. She isn't a bad foster mom, but she is doing it only because her new husband wants to. She is also the town sheriff trying to solve a murder that the FBI has told her to stay out of. She is on a slow boil and you have to watch the entire series to she what a fantastic job she does. It's best watch an episode very night or other night - and easy to do it is on USA On Demand.
The boys. The blond is Bill Paxton's son.


Don't get me wrong. Everyone in the show is great. And it is very Hitchock at his slow burn best. Scary as hell, but not bloody or terribly violent.

And it gets young love right. Not young "gay" love, but that first aching, hurting love that you know will never come again no matter who it is (you're wrong, of course, but you would never believe it then).

The show and the secrets were wonderful and opened up to the viewer slowly. It also showed women (even secondary characters), their reactions, emotions and strengths in three dimensional ways that rarely happen on TV.