The Riche$

[thedeadlyhook]

It's raining today. Not a bad rain, but rain. Yech. I swear, rain makes me want to stay indoors way more than snow ever did. I'd be terrible in a really wet climate unless I had, say, a gym to flop around in, or a martial arts studio to practic my kung fu. One can get bored with TV.

Speaking of which... last night, I caught The Riche$, the new FX show. Given how much I loved Nip/Tuck and Dirt, I was expecting to really dig this one too, but....

Based on the second episode, my reaction was:

1. Um, it's The Beverly Hillbillies. Only the family doesn't really have money.
2. Without a bank president to cover for them, the family has to figure out how to fit into society on their own. So... it's The Beverly Hillbillies meets The Grifters.
4. The "gypsy" thing allows the story to avoid talking about actual working poor people who might like a shot at the American Dream. Because that would be a bummer.
5. Trailer park antics. Whilst simultaneously making fun of the rich and their gated communities. Win-win!

And you know, I can see the bones of a good story here, but also too many stereotyped ideas about "poor" people, what they're like, and what they want. I don't get an impression for a minute that anyone on staff has seen or talked to an actual gypsy, or knows anything about what their lives are like. I'm seeing a hall-of-mirrors instead - the poor as seen by the rich, and then dressed up in drag to impersonate the rich. Kind of like Victor, Victoria!, now that I think about it.

It's well-acted, beautifully filmed, and I like all the performers involved, but... no.

Comments

[toysdream.livejournal.com]

The thing that was bugging me about The Riches was that the writers couldn't seem to make up their minds, from one scene to the next, whether their protagonists are ignorant clods (i.e. not knowing what a corsage is) or slick grifters (the banter about Allstate insurance). Really, they seem to be as savvy or as dumb as the scene requires, which just seems like a TV writer's cheat. There are plenty of other shows I could be watching if I wanted to see people seesawing wildly in and out of character to fit the needs of the plot.

But enough about that. What about Richard Dean Anderson's mastery of the infinite nuances of the uncomprehending blank stare?

[thedeadlyhook.livejournal.com]

I am in awe of Richard Dean Anderson right now. This S2 stuff they're currently rocking on Sci-Fi is pretty awesome. And don't forget Teal'c, and his boilerplate, "indeed!" raised-eyebrow look, which seems to communicate "I puzzle at your strange, alien ways" along with whatever sympathy/empathy/critique he might be offering at the moment. It never gets old! That takes talent, I tell ya.

[asta77.livejournal.com]

What about Richard Dean Anderson's mastery of the infinite nuances of the uncomprehending blank stare?

He is the master. And I feel that's pretty much how I look during Sam's exposition.

I'm still ambivalent about 'The Riches'. It's an intriguing scenario and there are good performances, but I don't buy these people as travelers for a moment. Eddie Izzard's character seems too refined. And his accent and Minnie's are...not good. Plus the entire family seems as if they are acting at coming from an aimless, impoverished existence rather than actually coming from one.

[thedeadlyhook.livejournal.com]

Plus the entire family seems as if they are acting at coming from an aimless, impoverished existence rather than actually coming from one.

That was definitely my impression. I just was really not impressed.

[darling-effect.livejournal.com]

I want to like The Riches, but the show keeps undermining itself with its own lack of conviction. The scripts seem to be written by committee, with characters seesawing back and forth between a variety of personalities. The pacing is also completely ...off. I love Eddie Izzard, and I'm watching this for the time being —but I have no idea why. Certainly not because of the writing.

(The American accents are also TERRIBLE. That helps undermine the show's credibility for sure.)

[thedeadlyhook.livejournal.com]

I have to admit that I wasn't even listening to the accents, because I was still in the midst of trying to figure out if the family was supposed to be ethnically signposted or what, but... yeah. The main leads clash pretty severely with everyone else, who seem to be either working the genteel Southern or "backwoods" thing pretty hard. And I was really looking forward to Eddie Izzard, too, sigh...

[queenofattolia.livejournal.com]

And you know, I can see the bones of a good story here, but also too many stereotyped ideas about "poor" people, what they're like, and what they want. I don't get an impression for a minute that anyone on staff has seen or talked to an actual gypsy, or knows anything about what their lives are like. I'm seeing a hall-of-mirrors instead - the poor as seen by the rich, and then dressed up in drag to impersonate the rich. Kind of like Victor, Victoria!, now that I think about it.

It's well-acted, beautifully filmed, and I like all the performers involved, but... no.

Yeah. I love Eddie Izzard to distraction and I used to love Minnie Driver (can only tolerate her now due to many horrible stories from friends who've crossed her path), but you're absolutely right: there's no there there. It should work, but it doesn't, and I think it's due to the strained "reality" of the premise and that all the actors are visibly acting, which is always a turn-off for me. It's too bad; I wanted to like it.

[thedeadlyhook.livejournal.com]

I wanted to like it too - I was really surprised when the pilot episode didn't hook me. I was honestly bored, and only gave the second episode a chance because of Izzard and a slim hope that things would improve. But I couldn't even make it all the way through the ep, and ended up switching away to a South Park rerun. Really not a good sign.