I was quite keen on this series, for the first 3 episodes that is. The acting is brilliant and the characterizations good, but it becomes apparent that the dialogue is just sounding off, not advancing the action to any great extent. It's cheap posturing really, and wears pretty thin as the episodes unravel. With Richard Gere's character, the mouthiness is fine, as he is a man who uses verbal bullying to shape other people's opinions and actions. Pretty early on, the mother and son work out he is an awful person who has ruined their lives. Decision point, guys - walk away and try and forget him! Instead they hang around, for dramatic purposes clearly. There is some talk of exposing him, but it's feeble and inconclusive. The political stuff I find of close to zero interest, except for its value illustrating the Gere character's personality. Some of the episodes are gratuitously unpleasant/shocking. At 8 episodes long, the series decidedly overstays its welcome. I hope the writer can find a good story for his next effort. I'm giving a 6/10 which is probably a bit charitable, but acknowledges the talented actors and sophisticated production values (largely wasted).
Review of MotherFatherSon
