I Just Finished "Bloodline" On Netflix And Everyone Should Watch It
When I saw Netflix was releasing a new show starring Kyle Chandler, I couldn’t have been happier. If you’ve seen Friday Night Lights, you know he’s basically the best actor of our generation. Just owns the screen whenever he’s on it and is as good in the patriarch type role as anyone. The only downside to the release of Bloodline was that it coincided with opening weekend of March Madness. But after 2 nights of staying up until 4-5 AM, I’ve finished with season 1 and can’t recommend it highly enough.
The best part of Bloodline, as I alluded to with mentioning Chandler, is the cast. Everyone crushes it. You recognize almost every actor immediately and they all flourish in their roles. The only surprise to me was the best character: Danny, the fuck up. I’ve never heard of or seen Ben Mendelsohn before, but from his first moments on screen he excels. The performances from Chandler, Mendelsohn, Linda Cardellini (Meg, the youngest daughter) and Sam Shepard (the father) give Bloodline a legitimate claim to one of the best acted shows on “television” right now.
Another excellent aspect of Bloodline is its appeal as the somewhat basic family drama. Unlike Kevin Spacey in the White House or Bob Odenkirk as the fast talking lawyer, it’s a situation you can relate to. Every family is fucked up, every family has their secrets, every family member has their roles. Throughout the show you find yourself placing your family in the roles and seeing connections to your own life. Maybe not exactly, as some of the stuff gets pretty hairy, but a familial drama allows you to make connections that you don’t find in everyday television. And, while directing and camera shots aren’t something I often notice outside of True Detective, Bloodline was shot wonderfully. Tons of scenes are filmed from the outside looking in, be it through the kitchen window or some bushes obstructing your view, always letting you know that you’re an outsider and not getting the full story.
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My one problem would be that it’s somewhat Tarantino’d. Through flash forwards, they let you know what’s coming and by the end of the first episode you have a pretty firm grasp on how the season ends. You’re not completely aware of what’s coming, but you’re aware enough that it takes away some of the tension. I’m personally not a fan of that, but Bloodline is from the creators of Damages which was shot the same way. While I haven’t seen Damages, Kmarko says it’s one of his favorite shows ever and maybe the most underrated. So maybe I’m just wrong on that part.
All in all, it’s an excellent show even though some people complain it started slow (I disagree with that, as I was hooked by episode three), but everyone seems to be in agreement that the last 4 or 5 episodes are some of the best that Netflix has produced and are chock full of edge of your seat excitement.