skinnybert

Let's appreciate the work of everyone who made sure the sound was well-recorded, the picture in focus, the sets and costumes and makeup were all solid. But the story here feels pieced together out of reused bits from other episodes. There is no chemistry between the principals, the plot fails to keep us involved, and it all feels thrown together. Even the numbers sound like the first idea come to mind: a thousand miles, a thousand dollars, two hundred thousand -- all easy round numbers. I don't normally review anything we don't finish -- and maybe this gets better -- but if the first 20 minutes of a 50-minute show are this bad , well -- you don't have to eat the whole apple to know it's rotten.

Not much of a Maverick story, but more of a story that Maverick guest-appears in. Only in the jury room does Maverick step forward as an important character, which gives us a story more about how juries work than about him. Well OK, you say; it's fine to have a story that isn't all about Maverick. And it would be, except it's not really well done: there's not enough time to do it well, so it's done sorta not-so-well done. Some would say that's just the nature of television: less than an hour, with dramatic breaks for commercials. But that's a format which can be written well, and any adaptation has to fit it. The problem here is that they could have done it well, but then it wouldn't have worked as a Maverick episode. In my opinion, the result doesn't actually do very well: either as a vehicle for Maverick, as a court-room drama, or as a morality play about jury decisions. But it does manage to do all these things sorta, highlighted by the card trick which determines the jury verdict. And if using a card trick to determine a jury verdict sounds kinda weak as a means of justice, then you see why I say this episode doesn't do any of its goals very well.

Sure glad I hadn't read the reviews, because I enjoyed this one as much or more than any other, before or since. Yes, it shows its budgetary restraints: Gatsby's misplaced lavishness is neither as garish or opulent as we expect. But that's only saying how this production isn't like the book; if we're going down that road, we can start criticizing every other production for lacking any of Fitzgerald's language, which this one includes in several voice-overs. I'm not saying that makes it better (arguably it doesn't) but it does make this version closer to the novel in a way that was always important in Fitzgerald's work.

So, what's to like? Mira Sorvino, for starters -- she know this kind of character and plays it well. Toby Stephens has been dismissed by others, but I disagree: he's got that shallow smile mastered, and IMO is a very convincing Gatsby: determined, mercenary, selfish. Rudd's Nick, in contrast, is just sorta vaguely there -- like he doesn't know why, or even really wonder, so it's not a surprise that Rudd disowns this work. Meanwhile, Heather Goldenhersh has no such issues, and rocks the Myrtle Wilson character with as much zest but more subtlety than Karen Black's marvelous turn in 1974. Finally, Francie Swift's Jordan Baker feels note-perfect, leaving us appreciating the casting director understood what actresses could inhabit the female roles.

Next up is the pacing: this version zips along fairly well, compressing and cutting what could otherwise get tedious. Yes, there are changes -- but I can't say they don't work, only that they differ from the novel. This is arguably a plus. Also, the costumes and settings all serve the story -- again, even when they differ. It's still the same story, just streamlined and altered to fit the made-for-TV format.

Now, I'm not overlooking the obvious shortcomings; more than once we see a boom mike, and I laugh every time someone drives away oh-so-carefully in those sparkling-clean vintage cars. And honestly: the final fifteen minutes drags like a car with a flat tire limping over the finish line. But I turned this one on just to see if it was even worth watching, and ended up staying for the whole thing. Pacing and editing are strong, performances are at least solid to memorable (Swift's eyes, Stephens' smile, Mira throughout). The final question (for this, or any adaptation) -- does it work? Did it do well? Would I enjoy watching it again? And the answers are yes, and mostly, and yes.