This show will not appeal to all audiences and in fact it has taken me the entire first season and 3 episodes of the 2nd season for me to truly appreciate how good this show really is. I would call it a Thinking Person's Drama, because it's not your typical run of the mill procedural or action show.
By this time, most people probably know what the show is about: the superior Benjamin Bratt portrays a recovering addict William Banks, who is trying to save other addicts, with varying degrees of success, while trying to deal with the wreckage his addiction caused in his own family, also with varying degrees of success. Doesn't sound very appealing, does it? I first became interested in the show because I had a close relative who died from her addiction at a young age, so you'd think this not be a show I'd watch, right? Wrong. Turns out, even if sometimes watching this show is like pulling the scab off an unhealed wound, it really is enjoyable for the viewer who wants a viewing experience that leaves you really thinking deeply about the human condition, whether afflicted with addiction or not.
I like that the show is accurate about the actions of addicts and the effects of addiction on the addict's family and friends. I also enjoy the fact that not every story is a success. A complex relationship exists between Banks and his family, who learn that the cure they wished to happen does not guarantee that the family will survive as a unit. Banks himself is still struggling with his addiction and wonders if his commitment to saving other addicts has just replaced one addiction with another - a position held by his wife and family.
There's obviously a lot to see here and the production qualities, cast and writing are first-rate. I think the show works for any viewer who enjoys a good story and believable characters with complex relationships to themselves and each other. You don't have to be a recovering addict or someone coping with a family or friend with addiction to appreciate the show and in fact it's a great teaching tool for those who don't know much about the topic.
This is a unique show with a unique view that delves into a topic that is the unspoken curse of many people: the monster of addiction. It drags into the light a topic that most families wrongfully will not discuss and admit: the addiction issues of a loved one.
After long consideration (and jettisoning of my own personal garbage), I give it a 10/10. Give it a chance.
By this time, most people probably know what the show is about: the superior Benjamin Bratt portrays a recovering addict William Banks, who is trying to save other addicts, with varying degrees of success, while trying to deal with the wreckage his addiction caused in his own family, also with varying degrees of success. Doesn't sound very appealing, does it? I first became interested in the show because I had a close relative who died from her addiction at a young age, so you'd think this not be a show I'd watch, right? Wrong. Turns out, even if sometimes watching this show is like pulling the scab off an unhealed wound, it really is enjoyable for the viewer who wants a viewing experience that leaves you really thinking deeply about the human condition, whether afflicted with addiction or not.
I like that the show is accurate about the actions of addicts and the effects of addiction on the addict's family and friends. I also enjoy the fact that not every story is a success. A complex relationship exists between Banks and his family, who learn that the cure they wished to happen does not guarantee that the family will survive as a unit. Banks himself is still struggling with his addiction and wonders if his commitment to saving other addicts has just replaced one addiction with another - a position held by his wife and family.
There's obviously a lot to see here and the production qualities, cast and writing are first-rate. I think the show works for any viewer who enjoys a good story and believable characters with complex relationships to themselves and each other. You don't have to be a recovering addict or someone coping with a family or friend with addiction to appreciate the show and in fact it's a great teaching tool for those who don't know much about the topic.
This is a unique show with a unique view that delves into a topic that is the unspoken curse of many people: the monster of addiction. It drags into the light a topic that most families wrongfully will not discuss and admit: the addiction issues of a loved one.
After long consideration (and jettisoning of my own personal garbage), I give it a 10/10. Give it a chance.