hemsleystewart

My only other visual experience of Nin,s life is the movie Henry and June, one of my all time favorite movies. Having this mostly documentary approach was interesting. Yes, every time someone said Anice instead of Anais, it hurt my teeth like someone running nails across a chalkboard. But it was otherwise an hour of summarizing her life and impulses, and I found it usefully informative.

The finale didn't disappoint. No real attempt to artificially end on a cliffhanger. Just wonderful storytelling that consistently supports the great job that went into the previous 9 episodes.

Harriet Dyer continues to do a great job of portraying her character as do the others but she has to do the lion's share of the heavy lifting because she is the focus of the series. But that is not to undersell the contributions of her foster father, his husband, his partner, and the season's villain Sean Bolger.

I love the storytelling if you haven't got that from me before. All the main characters are beautifully drawn and get well rounded treatment. The recurring characters too don't get shortchanged in their limited appearances except for maybe Anne Marie Johnson, the captain of the precinct, but that is not a criticism. There are only so many characters you can attempt to fully realize.

It frustrates me that this kind of artful series doesn't get a lot more support. It's not treacly sweet, and it doesn't go out of its way to try and shock. Just perfect storytelling and beautifully balanced acting.

Here's hoping it gets a second season.