I had read Man in the High Castle by Philip K Dick, and remember it being quite different from the series on Amazon. I had started to watch the first season when it first came out but gave up in boredom and confusion and lack of caring. I decided to give it another try when a friend said she loved it. I accidentally started in the middle of episode 2 of season 2 (thinking it was episode 2 of season 1). It took a while to realize my mistake, but I decided to keep going because I was interested in the characters. Something that had not happened when I started with season 1. #
Anyway, it's a pretty mediocre story with the same characters meeting each other over and over, trying to get somewhere with each other, that they never seem to get. But it is beautifully shot, and a bit entertaining, so I got all the way to the end. And then I decided to watch the first two episodes of season 2, and then what the hell I watched the first season from the beginning. #
It is science fiction, an alternate history that plays with the idea of alternate history. That much of Dick's story they kept, and that was fascinating. #
I had a similar experience with The Deuce, the first time I tried to watch it. Made it through the first episode. I really don't like the star, James Franco. But also the first time I watched it I wasn't in binge-watching mode, as I guess I am now. This time I started where I left off last time, and cruised through the eight episodes of season 1. #
I am one of many people who think The Wire is the best thing ever on TV. I've watched it from beginning to end so many times I've lost count. All I have to do is start with the incredible opening scene of season 1, episode 1, and I'm committed to going all the way. I may watch it again now that I've learned that everything that streams has closed captions. It would be helpful sometimes to know the actual words Wire characters are saying.#
Okay, The Deuce, run by the same guy who did The Wire, follows the same formula and has many of the same actors cast in different roles of course. Levy the lawyer is now the sargent of the 14th precinct in Manhattan. The beat cop hero, kind of the equivalent of McNulty in The Wire is played by D'Angelo Barksdale (took me a while to figure it out, he's wearing a wig, and of course has aged quite a bit). Cool Lester Smooth even makes an appearance at the end of the last episode, making you wonder if he's coming back for season 2 (it started last night, btw). The star of season 2 of The Wire, Frank Sobotka, has a big part in this show too. #
And the structure of the cast is the same as The Wire. There's the journalist, there's a union, and the pimps are like the dueling gang bosses. And the cops of course. #
But the scale of this show is nothing like The Wire. It follows the formula, for sure, but it's a shadow of a shadow of the original. When you realize how closely they're following the formula it's a disappointment because it's so pale in comparison. #
No matter, I'm going to watch the next seasons of both shows. Because no matter how bad they are compared to the original, they're top notch compared to most of the schlock on Netflix and Amazon. Which is a subject for another post. #