George Jones was already a country music legend but heavy drinking was taking its' toll and he was on the way out unless he could do something about it. But there is no sign that he is about to do this or that he even cares what he is doing to himself until Tammy Wynette enters his life. Tammy was on the rise being only a year and a half in Nashville with three successful records to her credit. Tammy idolizes George or rather his music and finally is able to be hired as an opening singer for him. She is in love with him from the start but he is married and so is she with three kids of her own from a previous marriage and three inherited from her second husband. George falls in love with her and takes her away from her husband but their problems are just beginning and the biggest problem is that George is a self-destructive abusive drunk. I've only seen the first two episodes but it is pretty obvious how this is going to play out. Tammy is going to rise to the heights while George is probably going to sink to the depths and Tammy is going to hold onto him as long as she can but it will prove more than she can bare.
I know what happens later on and its' not pleasant. In fact, even episode two was hard to watch in places. So why do I think this is a 10 and plan to watch each episode multiple times as I have with the first two? First, it is extremely well written. It is very fast moving with each scene well thought out and placed. The scenes tell the story often without the need for dialog. George and Tammy are together and the scene cuts to her singing. He's singing and the scene cuts to her in the shower. She is singing "Stand By Your Man" and there are intercuts to George punching out Tammy's evil husband and retrieving the nude photographs he has been blackmailing her with. Second, the picture we get of the music industry in Nashville is revealing to say the least and the character development is sharp. Finally, the two main characters are terrific. Jessica Chastain as Tammy steals your heart as she stole George's and she is a heroine as she tries to rescue George from himself while putting up with his abuse. Of course she doesn't sound exactly like the real Tammy but to me she sings and performs the songs very well. George as played by Michael Shannon is probably a much stronger presence than was the real George Jones. He almost has to be in order to make the character palatable. The real George was 5-7 and quite ordinary looking while Shannon is 6-3, handsome and masculine. It is easy to see why Tammy, who was in love with his music, can also be in love with the man. And to me, Shannon not only sings like George, I think he sings the songs better than George. I love listening to him sing those great George Jones songs.
This is a long sad story about two people in a rut who work in a business populated by drunks, womanizers and con-men. And yet it is fascinating to watch. Highly recommended.
