Red Rock

I couldn't get enough of this show the first two seasons. There were likeable as well as unlikable characters. In season 3 the only characters who dominate the storyline are the unlikeables. Spending time with Keith or Bridget Kiely is not fun or enjoyable. Gone are the two Hennessy sons as well as Claire and instead we're stuck with their mother Patricia. I could give more examples but for me I like to spend my time with people I like. Season 3 doesn't provide that for me. It's kind of a miserable experience watching it. Lowering my rating from a nine to a seven because I did like the first two seasons a lot.

Before I started watching Red Rock I had seen a headline using a quote from an actor in the series saying they couldn't wait to be "knocking Fair City off their perch" with this new show. I taught this was mad as Fair City bad and all as it is, is still the main Irish soap opera around. After watching the first 6 episodes of Red Rock, I am sure it will knock Fair City "off their perch".

As the show opens with the death of a young man from a local feuding family we are drawn into every detail going around about the death as if we were members of An Garda Síochána. The show has so far shown how close the community is and has indicated at what the future holds with locals in corruption, law breaking Gardaí, the re-igniting of feuding local families the 'Kielys' and 'Hennessy's', behind closed doors relationships and the hopes and dreams of some members of the Gardaí being crushed.

While the show is still in it's early days and TV3 has commissioned the continuing drama for the next two years with 160 episodes to come. I hope to be for a long-haul of excitement, with every episode already ending on the note of the typical soap cliffhanger.

I will keep watching despite my huge irritation regarding McGonigle getting away so long with his heinous behavior on this show. Even I would know how to use my smart phone to record conversations and video of important liaisons depicted in this series. It's completely unbelievable that a cop would be too incompetent in this day and age to take proactive steps after being almost beaten to death. Come on!

I *hate* soap operas. I hate daytime drama. I wouldn't be caught dead watching an American soap opera and had I known Red Rock was a daytime drama, I would never, ever have even downloaded the first episode.

Let me say, I'm truly grateful I didn't know, because this is a great show. It's a lot more NCIS than it is Days of Our Lives.

I've given up watching anything American other than sci-fi shows, and have been scraping the depths of my Amazon Prime account for great international shows. Red Rock is definitely, wonderfully binge-able watching. The characters are flawed and real. The relationships are complex, and nobody is television "perfect." No blonde bombshells with vapid, overworked makeup, here. The cast seems to have been chosen because they have their own faces, and because they can...gasp...actually act. Villains you love to hate, lovers you love to love..Shakespearean tragedies...Red Rock has them all.

Episodes are like chips, you can't eat just one. Only 25 minutes long, I'll watch one episode and find myself, hours later, on episode 25. It's not deep or intellectual, but Red Rock will keep you entertained for hours and hours. I highly recommend it.

The good news is that this series does feature good acting, and lotsa cliff hangers, just as any self-respecting soap opera should. The bad news is that, much like "The Bridge" did to El Paso, Texas, USA, "Red Rock" shows (imho) Ireland and the Irish people in a very unflattering light. Gawd, these people are stupid and most of them are cowards, as well! I can't believe how many of them choose to do the wrong thing, over and over! And, then they compound their errors with even more errors!

I never thought I'd see any show where a Junkie shows more clarity of thought and courage than other, supposedly clean and normal people! Conor, a heroin junkie, is the only one who dares to face the thoroughly despicable Brian McGonigle in his own lair, and speak out against him.

We can't stop watching, but we are continuously amazed, mystified, and confused by the idiocy of the many characters! Watch at your own risk.