Manhattan

I came into the pilot episode of Manhattan expecting the usual deal of bad production budgets, lackluster acting, and an overall cheap feel. Instead, I got a beautifully shot, smartly written, excellently acted, and a very "high quality" feel to everything.

Dare I say it, but I get slight Breaking Bad vibes from the cinematography and just the overall feel of everything. For example, the use of the music at the end of the pilot episode and the opening segment of the second episode that seemed random and unrelated to the main plot at hand. That isn't to say it feels ripped off, because it's not. It actually feels fresh and exciting to watch. Compared to most other shows this summer (example, The Last Ship) this is superior in every way conceivable, unless of course you're looking for the good guys blowing up the bad guys.

The second episode was just as impressive as the first. In fact, I actually watched it twice due to there being nothing else on TV. I never do that with anything.

I sincerely hope WGN picks this up for another season. The fact that there are still under 500 votes on IMDb as of the second episode leave me a little worried about how the ratings fare.

I guess the only thing the show could be doing better is having a better title sequence (think LOST, 24, Breaking Bad, etc. Just something simple but satisfying)!

I've read "109 East Palace," a very good book about life in Los Alamos during the Manhattan Project, and so far it seems that the producers of "Manhattan" have done their homework. Except that Oppenheimer was referred to as "Oppie" by many who were familiar with him.

This is obviously a fictionalized account of the development of the bomb; I doubt you'll see a "real" person portrayed except Oppenheimer -- and maybe Dorothy his trusted assistant. Seventy years later, the whole affair is still too politically charged to do a "real" docudrama. It might come out that the real troublemaker at Los Alamos, the guy who guided atomic weapons development from the '50s on -- after Oppenheimer had been gotten rid of -- was a raving jerk and backstabber. Can't have that.

But the show captures the urgency and the chaos rather well, and the details -- the human "computers," for example, were good and fun. The characters were attention-grabbing enough. I enjoyed it. We'll see if they can carry it through for 12 episodes -- or if 12 episodes of non-stop urgency and intensity are too much.

Update: November 2014. I like this show even better than I did at the start. You who say it became tedious: yes, for awhile it threatened to lose itself in subplots. But the last three episodes roared toward a conclusion that, if the show had not been renewed, would have been the capstone of an entirely complete and satisfying work of fiction.

In many ways, this season has been Frank's journey to answer this question: what things can a good man do, or not do, in the name of good?

I went in with low expectations. After all, how great could a show on the WGN network, with a presumably tiny budget, be worth a flip?

I'm SO glad I tried the show. From the pilot on (I'm on Episode 5 now), the show quality has been stellar. The acting is superb; the casting choices are brilliant. This show ranks with the best shows from HBO, Showtime, AMC, or FX.

I'm totally speculating, but I "imagine" some of the Breaking Bad crew in New Mexico is working on this production. They make good use of the New Mexico landscapes when appropriate, giving the show a nice organic feel.

Sure, the show is fiction, but the major elements that the show is based on are true. This is a great way to get some perspective on the war, the Manhattan project, and the lives of those who were involved with the project.

In summary, give it a chance ... highly recommended!

{review based on the Pilot + scenes from the 2nd episode}

This a semi-fictional depiction of what happened in Los Alamos, New Mexico during World War II. As you probably know the Manhattan Project was a research and development project for the first Atomic Bomb, thus the name of the show Manh(A)ttan with the middle A stylized as separated.

The series follows the lives of the families living in a strict, military controlled, village in the middle of the desert. In that place paranoia rules. Because of the big secret (the development of the "gadget" as they call it) everyone is considered a possible leak or a suspect for espionage. Their correspondence to the outside world is controlled, the army makes random checks to them and their belongings, they even have to take polygraph tests if they seem more suspicious than others.

The production has nothing to envy from a feature film. Attention to detail. Countless extras and above all a remarkable cinematography. The way they make you feel the "space", the atmosphere of this place is extraordinary.

I hope it will continue in the same fashion and not consume itself in many subplots and little dramas that will make it tiresome. (If it does, it wouldn't be the first time a great pilot is followed by mediocre episodes). But for now...

***Highly recommended.

{{{UPDATE after having seen 9 episodes}}}

Unfortunately my fears have been realized. The show is full of pointless subplots and is now boring and far from entertaining.

Oppenheimer's screen time is measured in ...seconds in the 10 hours I wasted to watch this.

The race for the atomic bomb and WW2 is almost absent.

It's all about the lives and the little dramas of the wives, the mistresses and the ..$2 prostitutes who live in the camp. Who gets high with what, who is screwing whom etc.

Maybe they should change the title to MANHATTAN HOUSEWIVES.

***Overall: Avoid it. I'm changing my rating from 8 to a (very generous) 4.

Manhattan is perhaps one of the most underrated shows currently on television. The fact that it comes from WGN creates a stigma towards that many viewers are unable to surpass. But trust me once you dwell into the first couple of episodes, you will not regret it.

The writers on this show have done an incredible job in incorporating historical events into a show that is mostly based around fictional characters (although Oppenheimer makes several appearances, and Neils Bohr and Einstein also make brief appearances) and events. This creates a encapsulating drama that accompanies the main storyline about the creation of the atomic bomb. If you are looking for a historically accurate show more about the physics and mathematics behind the atomic bomb this is definitely not the show for you. At its heart it is a fully fledged drama. In particular I would like to commend the writers on drawing out the psychological trauma and difficulties placed on the scientists and individuals responsible for creating the bomb. This creates a more emotional connection to the characters and thus creates a synthetic sympathetic connection to these fictitious characters. Although generic at some stages the story lines are generally full of surprises which you would not expect and forces you to view the next episode, as any good televisions show should. Manhattan is one of those shows that are better watched several episodes in a row as the episodes tend to jump between the main character in focus.

Overall this is a criminally underrated show by the television community and should be given more credit for what has become a gripping show.