2 out of 5

Developed by: Robert Rodriguez

covers season 1

It’s actually more entertaining than the 2 stars would imply, but DtD: the Series is hindered all season by a thought that I think most of us had before the show even started: What exactly is this going to be about?  And with season 1 ended, that question still kinda hangs in the air.  The 10-episode season has the right elements in its favor to keep us watching: well-cast actors, and well-planned production.  D.J. Cotrona is a perfect step-in for George Clooney, eschewing the actor’s indispensable ‘cool’ shtick for a more natural vibe.  On a series like this, Clooney would’ve just chewed scenery, but Cotrona brings in enough humanity to make Seth Gecko’s journey a bit more relateable, while making the role his own and yet leaving in enough cues to remind us of Clooney’s original portrayal.  Similarly, Zane Holtz more than satisfies as a replacement for Tarantino’s Richie Gecko.  Wisely, they ditch some of Richie’s more over-the-top eccentricities – maybe because Tarantino isn’t playing him, or maybe because that would’ve been annoying in a TV series – and TV Richie is much more stoic than the film version, something the tall, square-jawed Zane does well – and yet still, clearly, nuts, which works as a nice juxtaposition to his quiet, seemingly reasoning demeanor.  The rest of the cast is filled out with some recognizable faces – Robert Patrick, Wilmer Valderrama – and they all bring a surprising level of conviction and weight to side characters that, in film-to-TV shows, generally don’t work as well.  And the show looks good.  The lighting is sweaty and sultry and dirty, as it should be, and Rodriguez’s influence is all-over the professionally campy vibe – slightly hinky FX presented with energetic glee.  But then we’re back to that main question – and DtD: the Series pretty much ends up being DtD: the extended movie.  About half the season is lead up to the bar, and then the other half is the fallout.  Things are, of course, fleshed out, but unless you’re sitting there comparing notes with the film and marveling at what was changed or given more attention, a casual viewer will wonder why it’s taking so long to actually get anywhere.  And before they can drop the curtain on the monsters for good, we get quite a bit of repetitive build-up with Richie’s visions.  This becomes even more ridiculous when, in episode 10, Seth does clarify that the entire season has taken course over 1 day…  The season concludes about where the film does, but because season 2 has been confirmed, it’s certainly left more open.  That question still hangs in the air, but since Rodriguez got all of the “history” cleared away with this season, that gives me hope that what’s to come can actually grow what was planted, and not just perpetually dust it off for display.  DtD is surprisingly entertaining and well put together.  But it lacks its own identity yet, and will need that to burst past the notion of it being simply a curiosity.