"Mob City" - Frank Darabont's new TV show...

[MinionZombie]

Has anybody checked out "Mob City", the new show from Frank Darabont? It's six episodes spread over three weeks and the first two were on last night.

So far I dig it. Obviously it takes some settling into, new characters to figure out, new names to learn and such, but I dig the whole 1940s noirish LA thing anyway. It's almost like a Walking Dead reunion as well - Shane (Jon Bernthal), Dale (Jeffrey DeMunn), and Jim (Andrew Rothenberg).

Looking forward to seeing how it pans out. It certainly looks the part and I'm enjoying the vibe. :)

What do you folks think of it?

[clanglee]

I'm digging it so far. The hit in the restaurant was awesome! The casting is great. Glad to see Darabont away from AMC after all the hulabaloo. Good stuff.

[bassman]

I enjoyed it, even with a few parts that seemed to lag. Surprisingly, Bernthal didn't bother me as much as he did in TWD. Maybe Darabont's directing pulled a better performance from him. Out of this first part of the mini series, I think Simon Pegg stole the show. Especially his monologue at the oil rig.

It wasn't anything ground breaking, but I'm looking forward to what the future holds.

As for it being a reunion of TWD....hell, that's just Darabont! :lol: He always calls in his friends from previous projects. DeMunn of course being the biggest of that group. I believe he's been in everything related to Darabont since the 80's remake of The Blob?

[shootemindehead]

...Simon Pegg...


Is there nothing he ISN'T in these days?

[bassman]

lol....no. He's in everything. He really brought something to Mob City, though. Changed his voice rather than slapping on a usual American accent and gives one of the best performances of the show thus far.

[shootemindehead]

I actually don't mind him...but...jesus, take a day off Simon.

[MinionZombie]

haha, Pegg is getting around a bit, but far better him than some vapid and generic Hollywood dunce. :) He was really good in the episode.

Yeah, to be fair, it's not breaking any boundaries at the moment, and there were a couple of portions that felt a little bit slow (or just in need of a little extra oomph), but I was overall pleased with what I saw and I look forward to the remaining four episodes. :)

[bassman]

MZ - Is Mob City actually airing on your side of the pond? I ask because you mentioned four remaining episodes, but over here they're airing them all in three two-hour segments. A sort of three week mini series.

[MinionZombie]

MZ - Is Mob City actually airing on your side of the pond? I ask because you mentioned four remaining episodes, but over here they're airing them all in three two-hour segments. A sort of three week mini series.

*ahem* No idea when/if it'll air here. :shifty:

Three weeks. Two episodes each week. Six episodes in total. :)

[MinionZombie]

So what did everyone make of it now that the first season is wrapped up?

I think in the final two episodes it was really finding it's feet, and I hope we get a second season. You can see them settling into the groove over the course of these first six episodes (two a week for three weeks).

Final episode spoiler:
When Bugsy Siegel got taken out - bloody nora! It just kept going on and on and on, heh ... you think he's done and then another three rounds to the face with an eyeball lying on the rug afterwards, crikey! :stunned:

Great to see some of the Walking Dead alumnus back together, and to see more of folks like Andrew Rothenberg ("Jim" in season one of TWD). I wonder if we'll get Laurie Holden in season two - providing there is a second season - but hopefully there will be. I certainly think the show deserves a second season now that's it's more into the groove of things. I think Bernthal has done a cracking job and, likewise, settled into the role over the course of the season.

It's not been as compelling as TWD - but then, in spite of the zombies, TWD is instantly more relatable to an audience (present day, all the "what if you were in that situation?" water cooler topics, issues of survival, everyone brought down to the same level so profession doesn't play too much of a role in the episodes etc) than Mob City, but at the same time it feels familiar ... they just have to make sure they keep it fresh and don't let too many cliches slip in. Beautifully designed too, and they've certainly set the stakes higher for a second season.

A strong start, certainly, and I really hope to see more. :)

[shootemindehead]

Only saw the first two and I wasn't too mad about it have to say.

Looks too much like a TV imitation of a better film, if that makes sense.

[MinionZombie]

Only saw the first two and I wasn't too mad about it have to say.

Looks too much like a TV imitation of a better film, if that makes sense.

At least give the other four episodes a spin. It's only a short season. :)

[EvilNed]

I loved this. Much better than what TWD is today, or at any point past Season 1, really.

The production value has been highh, but I doubt it's been cheap. That's probably the biggest problem when facing a potentia season 2.

Myself, I don't mins these shorter season. If they can get another season of 6 episodes, that'd be awesome. It's been like watching a real high quality TV movie every week.

[MinionZombie]

Myself, I don't mins these shorter season. If they can get another season of 6 episodes, that'd be awesome. It's been like watching a real high quality TV movie every week.

It's been an interesting way to do it that I've quite liked - you get more content over a shorter period of time, but ultimately it's a modest amount of time, so it's not like embarking on some twenty-four episode season which is rather daunting (and possibly not even necessary at that length). Over the six episodes they can tell a concise story arc that doesn't leave you hanging around waiting for events to develop.

[ProfessorChaos]

a little late to the party on this one, but the girlfriend and i finally got around to watching this over the weekend. i was hooked from the start, but she thought it took off a little slow and took some time to get in rhythm. she came around though, and by the end we were both cheering as the bullets zinged for the finale.

still no announcement on a second season, which is a bit of a bummer. i have a feeling they'll renew it though. i hope they keep it around the same length, as i felt that six episodes made for a very tight and evenly-paced narrative.

[ProfessorChaos]

no plans for season 2:

http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/02/11/mob-city-cancelled

[EvilNed]

It's a shame. It had great potential and I really liked what I saw!

[MinionZombie]

Ach, that's a bugger.

Yes, the first (and, now, only) season could have used some tweaks to give it a bit more oomph, a bit more tension, a bit more originality (less noirish tropes that we're overly familiar with), but over the course of the six episodes the show was finding itself and was set up pretty well by the end of the six episodes.

A damn shame, but at the same time I'm not overly surprised TNT didn't pick it up.

With something like The Walking Dead, there's a very broad appeal to it - not to mention the watercooler factor, the "what would you do in that situation/who would you be out of that group?" discussions - as well as a very clear premise. It's also presenting a familiar genre in a new light (an extended TV drama storytelling format) ... whereas Mob City was lacking a USP ... the pace was a bit slow at times, and the payoffs not as grand as you were hoping, but it was a solid show generally and one which I enjoyed.

I wonder if the three week format harmed it at all. Might the show have faired better with one episode a week, rather than three feature-length doses?

The show definitely needed work, but it's a bugger that it's not going to get a second season. :(