John From Cincinnati (HBO series)

[goodguy]

John From Cincinnati (HBO series)

Backcover summary: Just north of the border, in the tired coastal town of Imperial Beach, CA, live three generations of Yosts: surfing royalty turned society misfits. The Yosts' reign and reputation, once defined in the curl of a perfect wave, has been eroded by years of bad luck, addiction and hubris. But just as things are looking like they can't get worse, a stranger named John arrives – and the Yosts' banal existence is lifted into something profound, miraculous and, possibly, universal.

When I first read that David Milch was moving on from Deadwood to make a series about a surfer family, my initial reaction was along the lines of: Dude? Baywatch?? Not interested.

Luckily, I didn't stay that ignorant.

The series combines the rich and floral language of Deadwood with the magic and wonderment of Carnivale to portrait a family that is even more dysfunctional than the Fishers of Six Feet Under. That's not to say the series is derivative - I'm just using shortcuts, because I'm to lazy to write a real review. And if you liked those series, you will probably like this one, too.

The first six episodes are absolutely amazing, after that, the series falters a bit, and the ending, while satisfying, feels a bit rushed. That's mainly because HBO not only cancelled the series, but also shortened the season from the originally planned and ordered 12 episodes to only 10.

[Kathy]

Matthias thanks for the review; I had never heard of this series before. It sounds interesting; one more for the wish list!

[MEJHarrison]

I loved John From Cincinnati when it was on last year.  But from following the discussions on various sites while it aired, I think we belong to an extremely small minority.  Nearly everyone I know was confused and frustrated by it.  So while I loved it and will pick it up when I find a decent price, I'd suggest people rent the first disc if at all possible before buying the full series.

[MEJHarrison]

So while I loved it and will pick it up when I find a decent price...

Best Buy had it on sale for $30 (normally $55) and I had a $5 coupon, so I couldn't pass it up for $25.  Can't wait for more senseless yapping about God only knows what.  I'm not sure I'd call it a good show, and I certainly wouldn't recommend it to anyone, but it sure is a joy to listen to.  The dialog is almost poetic in an odd sort of way.  Who knows, maybe it will make some sense the second time through.