Paradise Lost

I had not heard about this show and was surprised to find it binge-worthy. It is a crime drama with supernatural elements thrown in. The characters are all unique and the acting is done well. Nick Nolte still has it, and I hope if there is another season, that we will see more of him. It is hard for other actors to not pale in comparison to him, but the cast was quite good. This show covers many things - murder, mental illness, clairvoyance, parental relations, spousal relations, political corruption, criminal justice/injustice, etc. Some of the legal/investigation stuff was a bit too drawn out.

There are a lot of surprises in this show. People push limits and makes it even better to watch. Hope they continue to make more seasons.

The series begins with Yates and Francis Forsythe adapting from their yuppie life in California to Yates' childhood home - a sprawling estate in smalltown Mississippi. They join Yates' parents, "the Judge" (Nick Nolte) and "Byrd" (Barbara Hersey). The manor is situated on vast property with green grounds and trees dripping with moss. The Forsythes are influential. Francis discovers secret-after-secret piling up and uncovering mysteries while much of the town dislikes her forward-thinking ways. She equally dislikes deep southern traditions. Along with Francis, I want answers to the questions she forms about the town and her husband. The characters are well constructed - many bigger than life - yet like the rest of us, no one is entirely good or bad. Each actor embodies the character he or she is playing so you believe. There are references to classic works of art: Paradise Lost (John Milton's epic poem) and Ophelia (John Everett Millais' painting). If you have access, Paradise Lost is worth watching. The greatest mystery surrounds Yates' dead sister Janus. She is the local legend with tales of her supernatural powers, which we see through flashbacks. If you think it is slow at the beginning, keep going because the last few episodes make it impossible to press pause. I am crossing my fingers for a Season 2. I want to know what happens next.

Entertaining watch with a mystery deeply intertwined with character relationships in a familiar but still satisfying setting. Is this show a groundbreaking new look at the mystery genre with small towns full of dark secrets? No and I doubt that there's really something remarkably new that the shows with a similar setting can bring. However, this was still a really enjoyable watching experience, with a good actor ensemble and grounded character drama that tangles with somewhat mystical aspects of Paradise Lost. You like the good guys and love to hate the bad ones. The setting is beautiful and camera work is alright, really enjoyed the music, though I'm not a big country fan. And the ending definitely makes you wonder in what direction the show would go next. Waiting for it to get distributed to other networks, because Spectrum's exclusivity definitely reduces the number of viewers and I'd really love to discuss this show with others.

Some of the characters are so disgusting that I cannot watch them just listen. Not one sympathetic to hang on to, all weird. The Deep South is portrayed as hell on earth and the people are all demons to a greater or lesser degree. Hollywood Politically correct in nauseating and bigoted way. Worth watching to see and understand how depraved the film industry have become.