हाइ डेज़र्ट

When I first heard about this show I was excited, it had a good premise and cast. So what went wrong? Ultimately, I think the problem is Jay Roach. Who I often like, don't get me wrong, but his direction is too silly. I'd have rather watched this premise taken seriously, at least to SOME extent, but it's just an outright farce. (e.g. I'm currently watching a man dance to Brittney Spears while his accomplice, a heavyset woman, beats up a cop off camera.) I was rooting for Patricia Arquette, Matt Dillon, Brad Garrett, and Bernadette Peters, I really wanted to like it, but it's just not very good. I'll keep watching, maybe it'll surprise me, but I doubt it.

It is a very nice watch and very fast paced not stuck in supergeneric dialogues and plottwists yada yada. It just has a nice offbeat'ish flow and it flows well.

Patricia Arqueutte really nails this role, which surpsided me. I was a but skeptical at first, but when you catch your depressed semi-cynical self laughing about her ways of personifying the character than you just have to give it up.

Sadly they chose to go a bit less offbeat/weird as it could be, with some safe commercial mainstream ingredients in it, and some generic acting from others. If that was different it could have been even great. But I dig it.

This and White House Plumbers kind of share some of the same quirkiness, and I'm down for it.

Also, I'm a sucker for the desert town scenery.

The performances and storylines are huge and over the top at times. It's clearly by design and it's simply brilliant. I laughed so much, and so consistently, throughout episodes 3 and 4 that I had to keep replaying scenes so I didn't miss anything. Patricia Arquette is genius (yet again) here. She is fully invested in this high camp, voracious for a new life, wannabe gumshoe character. And the scenes between her and Brad Garrett are absolute comedy gold. Looking forward to the final few episodes to see where this wacky and winding road takes us! I suggest viewers just go with it and enjoy the ride.

I don't know why the lowish reviews!! I don't care where this story is going. I could watch Patricia Arquette in her role as Peggy forever. She is CRASS (WITH CLASS according to her) with absolutely no filter. She absolutely makes this Series. Arquette is so perfect as this wanna be P. I. looking to make the Big Score catching the Bad Guy....

You need a Very Dry and Twisted Sense of Humour to appreciate this HILARIOUS Show. If you are expecting a Network TV Comedy, this is NOT IT.

High Desert is a DARK COMEDY that has Quick Wit and Brilliant Writing. I wonder how someone can dream up these crazy ideas. I just love this Show.

Not in one million years would I put this Cast together but they are PERFECT. Brad Garrett as Peggy's Boss is hilarious. I couldn't even RECOGNIZE Rupert Friend as Guru Bob with that Hair !! Bernadette Peters on TV ? I love her as MOMMY/Ginger. Matt Dillon is Peggy's SMARMY Husband who has been in and out of Prison/Jail. He's the one who got the family in their VERY DYSFUNCTIONAL WAY to begin with.

Ben Stiller is the Executive Producer and is owning Apple lately ! I love that he has his Wife Christine Taylor as Peggy's "Normal-ish" Sister.

Highly recommended if you like dark humour.

The opening of episode one was a great hook. Pulled me in and had me interested...

But...

After that point, there wasn't any real "storytelling". There were a bunch of scenes strung together to hopefully make some sort of story.. but no ACTUAL storyline or overall plot.

No clue where it was going.. often bored by how it was getting there.

Sure some moments were humorous and Arquette does a great job with the role.. but.. it's meandering.. wandering.. seeking to find a reason. There is not clear plot.. no expectation for anything that's been foreshadowed.. no mystery to solve... no outcome to hope for... no future.

With about 5 minutes left in episode 4 I bailed.. bored to tears.. never to look back.

Why doesn't anyone focus on good storytelling any more??? It would appear most newer productions either want to make a puzzle out of any overall plot.. or just avoid any overall plot altogether. This series was the latter.

If I can't see any light at the end of the tunnel... it's a trap... not a tunnel. This.. this is a trap.