Have you ever been at a loss as to what to watch? Too many shows to pick from? We’re here to give you our opinions on what we feel is worth watching. Check it out and then let us know in the comments below what you’re choosing for tonight!
Kyle’s Choice
Tonight, the AT&T/DirecTV-exclusive Audience Network premieres the new thriller Mr. Mercedes, which is based on the Stephen King novel of the same name. The series is set in 2011. Former homicide detective Bill Hodges (Brendan Gleeson, Braveheart) has been retired for two years and still doesn’t know what to do with his time. He spends most of his days drinking, though that may partially be due to the fact that his final case, an unsolved brutal mass-murder, still haunts him. Hodges’ next-door neighbor Ida (Holland Taylor, Two and a Half Men) is constantly trying to fix him, but he’s a stubborn man. When the Mr. Mercedes killer suddenly starts using technology to taunt Hodges, his obsession with the case only gets even more reinvigorated, and he enlists the help of whiz kid neighbor Jerome (Jharrel Jerome, Moonlight) to assist him. Meanwhile, Brady Hartsfield (Harry Treadaway, Penny Dreadful) works two jobs in order to support his home-bound mother (Kelly Lynch, Magic City, 90210). In addition to his crappy job at a dying electronics box store, he also moonlights as an ice cream truck driver in Hodge’s neighborhood. His only friend is co-worker Lou (Breeda Wool, UnREAL, Betas), and the two of them often bond of their mutual hatred of their thankless, bigoted boss.
I’ve checked out the first four episodes of the series, and while I found it a bit slow initially, by the end of that fourth episode, I was totally hooked and anxious to see more. The series starts off with a bang and then resets, slowly building the tension once again as we learn more about the characters, their backstories, and their motivations. I really enjoyed this entire cast — they all do an excellent job of bringing these interesting, well-developed characters to life. If you are familiar with any of Stephen King’s work, you know that there will be plenty of death and creepiness to come, and I’m really going to miss some of these characters if/when they fall prey to Mr. Mercedes! Harry Treadaway is so perfectly creepy, giving off a Norman Bates kind of vibe. There is also a fun chemistry between Treadaway and Breeda Wool — it really feels like Brady & Lou have been commiserating coworkers for a long time. While she’s not in tonight’s premiere, Mary-Louise Parker (Weeds) is also an excellent part of the cast. I wish this series was on a channel that was more generally available so more people could check this out. Hopefully they’ll release it elsewhere soon after it airs for those of us without DirecTV/AT&T UVerse.
I had the wonderful opportunity to speak with some of the cast and the creator of the series at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con. You can check out my press room videos at NoReruns.net.
On tonight’s premiere, “Pilot,” two years after retiring, former homicide detective Bill Hodges is still haunted by his last case. When the demented culprit begins to torment Hodges, he embarks on a crusade to bring the killer to justice.
If you’re able to, check out the premiere tonight on the Audience Network at 8/7c.
I’ll also be watching/recording Big Brother, The Carmichael Show, MasterChef, Odd Mom Out, Swedish Dicks, Blood Drive, I’m Sorry, Younger, and The Sinner.
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