This is just an excellent ensemble of veteran actors who agreed to participate in this six (6) part series outlining the historical criminal events of the Montreal crime family, led by mob boss Vito Rizzuto played by Anthony LaPaglia. After watching the pilot episode my only disappointment was that it ended as quickly as it seemed to just begin and I wanted to see more, a lot more! The supporting strong cast includes Kim Coates (best known for his role as Alexander 'Tig' Trager in Sons Of Anarchy), who plays Vito Rizzuto's confidant and mob muscle. The series also stars Paul Sorvino, Enrico Colantoni, Tony Nappo and the new dark horse to the crime genre, Brett Donahue, who plays third generation son/grandson Enrico Jr. Rizzuto.
Some viewers may say that there is one scene in the pilot episode of Bad Blood which takes place in a bar back in 1981 that may remind viewers of the violent animal rage displayed by Joe Pesci in the 1990 film Goodfellas. The scene shows a young Vitto Rizzuto and two of his cronies going back in time to 1981 in the dead of winter when they are asked by the bar owner Big Mike, to repay a favor owed to his father, and when called upon by passage of the secret word "zoo" Vitto and his two cronies are to proceed to come out of hiding from behind the door and first rough up then rob the three Bonnano mob bosses that will be in the bar with the bar owner who himself is also a mob boss. I will not go into detail other than to say that this particular nights event will come back to haunt the older Vitto Rizzuto three decades later.
If you are not yet familiar with the Montreal based Rizzuto crime family, this six (6) part TV mini-series will not only enlighten you on some factual events but I trust based on the strong showing of this pilot episode and the all-star cast of veteran mobster actors such as Anthony LaPaglia, Paul Sorvino, Enrico Colantoni, Tony Nappo and Kim Coates, you will also hunger for more episodes as quickly as the last one ends, you will want another episode to begin.
I give Bad Blood a superior Badda-Bing, Badda-Boom, 10 for 10 rating.
November 01st, 2018 Update
As much as I liked all of season 1, season 2 is so much better as Kim Coates who plays druglord Declan Gardiner takes over as the series lead role since Anthony LaPaglia's character mob boss "Vito Rizzuto" has bitten the dust. The second season has Declan really taking care of (his) business but he has a few distractions, one of those distractions being his troubled and abandoned nephew Reggie Ross (Ryan McDonald), and another being two ultra hip young immigrants from the old country Italy who have come to do the bidding of their Don father who wants a bigger take of the Canadian drug market. Not if Declan has anythig to say about it though.
Season 2 is fantastic with lots of twists and turns and strategies, and of course a string of deserving murders/executions. Hang in there for season 2 as its twice as good as season 1. Kim Coates shows why he is a star and I hope to see more of him on the big screen in the near future. Badda Bing Badda BOOM!
