The story has the general framework of Golden Age detective/adventure comics from comic books and newspapers, and the art direction follows these lines without going to the extremes of Dick Tracy or Sin City. Period details are intentionally highlighted: for example the protagonist eats regularly in an automat, the 1940s equivalent to a fast food restaurant.
Likewise, the characters are period storytelling stereotypes, with standard 1940s hard-nosed G-men, a chatty waitress, a proper English butler, etc., and the story follows the Golden Age comic adventure formula. Added to the usual period elements is the modern theme of sexism and misogyny, which, consistent with Golden Age style, is blatant and encountered frequently.
Having watched the first three episodes, my assessment is that while they stick to the Golden Age adventure formula, they haven't actually done anything with it. The larger story arc isn't really advancing, so we're left with action and conflicts that seem like arbitrary back-and-forth struggles followed by a scattering of a few bits of suggestive exposition when the sequence concludes. MacGuffins are sought, clues followed, villains fought, chases occur, government investigators get in the way, a final plot hook is presented, and then on to the next episode. It's possible they intend to invert or subvert the stereotypes of the characters they've presented, but this would break the period feel without actually adding anything.
A story like this is framed around the assumption that the audience simply likes the main character and enjoys watching her operate. I suppose this would be my objection: I find the most engaging and sympathetic character to be the waitress, with a majority of the regular characters coming off as obnoxious or a bit boring. Without an intriguing mystery or an exciting adventure story, there's very little to watch if you don't find the central characters interesting.
Likewise, the characters are period storytelling stereotypes, with standard 1940s hard-nosed G-men, a chatty waitress, a proper English butler, etc., and the story follows the Golden Age comic adventure formula. Added to the usual period elements is the modern theme of sexism and misogyny, which, consistent with Golden Age style, is blatant and encountered frequently.
Having watched the first three episodes, my assessment is that while they stick to the Golden Age adventure formula, they haven't actually done anything with it. The larger story arc isn't really advancing, so we're left with action and conflicts that seem like arbitrary back-and-forth struggles followed by a scattering of a few bits of suggestive exposition when the sequence concludes. MacGuffins are sought, clues followed, villains fought, chases occur, government investigators get in the way, a final plot hook is presented, and then on to the next episode. It's possible they intend to invert or subvert the stereotypes of the characters they've presented, but this would break the period feel without actually adding anything.
A story like this is framed around the assumption that the audience simply likes the main character and enjoys watching her operate. I suppose this would be my objection: I find the most engaging and sympathetic character to be the waitress, with a majority of the regular characters coming off as obnoxious or a bit boring. Without an intriguing mystery or an exciting adventure story, there's very little to watch if you don't find the central characters interesting.