Bridge and Tunnel

The first episode was decent, not too bad for a start. The biggest problem was that the F word was used in nearly every other sentence. Not really understanding why. Oh yeah, authenticity. So you can't write an authentic show without using it in constantly? It's very jarring. Seems like lazy writing to me.

This looked like something I would love. I grew up in the eighties. First of all - why are they dressed and styled like the seventies?? There's nothing eighties about this.

And is so slow. I didn't feel any connection with the characters. I just didn't find them interesting.

Guess I'll skip season 2.

I watched Bridge and Tunnel blind-only knew it was an Ed Burns project-and initially thought the characters had just graduated high school, not college.

After two episodes, I wonder: is their collective, extreme arrested development supposed to be the only (charming?) point? Because their JV mentality and acting makes every thin-on-the-ground 'serious' discussion feel like it drifted in from another show.

How someone with Ed Burns' experience and success could go so far over the line between adult-adjacent and shrill kids is honestly puzzling. The tone is just off; even the nostalgia flows crooked. Burns errs w/the '80s slang and period details.

At least Ed Burns as wise, cursing father is a rewarding, if brief, presence. Besides his son/protagonist Jimmy, the strongest character by far is the music.

I'm very surprised at this product considering Ed Burns is in it, producing it, directing it... I can tell the actors are probably great... But the writing is so bad. Incredibly cheesy and nonsensical a lot of the time. Unless they meant for this to be a teeny bopper show, it needs more depth and certainly better writing. I really wanted to like this show because it's my era, and I'm loving the clothes and the music, but that's about it.

Many years ago I watched a movie by Edward Burns called "Sidewalks of New York" - and I absolutely hated it. I thought it was total trash. Art imitating much better art by much better directors.

The other day, the above movie popped into my head, and I googled the director... As it turns out, Edward Burns has just made a TV show! Why would I watch it when I hated his movie so much all those years ago? Honestly, I have no idea.

Cut to now. I've just watched the first episode. Lo and behold; it was heaps of fun. Despite some scathing reviews and a very low score of Rotten Tomatoes, I thought it was an enjoyable, nostalgic 30 min romp through fork-in-the-road troubles of youth.

The beer flows, the cast are young and unrealistically sexy, F-bombs are dropped every 5 seconds, and there's plenty of angsty pathos woven into the story. It reminds me a little of the Tv show "Togetherness" - sort of a Woody Allen-ish cast of characters directed with a mumblecore sensibility.

It won't be everyone's cup of tea. But for me, I say turn off your brain and enjoy the ride. It's a lot of fun (so far at least).

** Update ** Four episodes in and I'm still enjoying it... but I do acknowledge the one-track story is starting to drag a little, and a few clunky scenes (particularly with the parents going on dates) bring this one down to a 7/10. Still a lot of fun though.

*After watching more, I may come back and update this review.