I really wanted to like Feed the Beast. AMC has made some outstanding TV shows that push the limits on excellent television creation such as Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, and The Walking Dead. I also like David Schwimmer and was looking forward to seeing him in a drama instead of a comedy. Having watched about three episodes, I'm slowly losing more and more interest and wonder if I'll make it through this season.
There are many things wrong with this series. First off, the show is very paint by the numbers in how it's constructed. You've got the widower single father, who is in a deep depression because he lost his wife to a car accident. You have his son, who refuses to talk and expresses his pain through sketches. You have the best friend, who was let out of jail and now wants a fresh start. He's the rebel with a heart of gold. You have the mafia, who is coming after the best friend for past debts and will take out teeth if he isn't paid, aka his nickname, the tooth fairy. You have the estranged father, who is a racist bigot who thinks his son is a wimp. You have the naive Hispanic girl, who has a crush on Schwimmer and lies to help him out. You have the restaurant. Ho-hum.
The writing and everything seems very intro to creative writing level stuff. The dialogue is bland and boring. The situations predictable. The drama forced. The emotion artificial. The acting is wooden and lacks meaning. This show is similar to Vinyl in that it adds unnecessary elements that detract from the quality of the show rather than add to it. Why is the whole mafia thing needed? I think a restaurant show would be interesting if you showed the effects of gentrification, of all the struggles with opening and running a restaurant, etc. That would make it a character drama and likely add layers instead of this watered down rewrite of the Sopranos. AMC was likely going to strike out on one of their shows eventually, and it appears they have here on Feed the Beast.
There are many things wrong with this series. First off, the show is very paint by the numbers in how it's constructed. You've got the widower single father, who is in a deep depression because he lost his wife to a car accident. You have his son, who refuses to talk and expresses his pain through sketches. You have the best friend, who was let out of jail and now wants a fresh start. He's the rebel with a heart of gold. You have the mafia, who is coming after the best friend for past debts and will take out teeth if he isn't paid, aka his nickname, the tooth fairy. You have the estranged father, who is a racist bigot who thinks his son is a wimp. You have the naive Hispanic girl, who has a crush on Schwimmer and lies to help him out. You have the restaurant. Ho-hum.
The writing and everything seems very intro to creative writing level stuff. The dialogue is bland and boring. The situations predictable. The drama forced. The emotion artificial. The acting is wooden and lacks meaning. This show is similar to Vinyl in that it adds unnecessary elements that detract from the quality of the show rather than add to it. Why is the whole mafia thing needed? I think a restaurant show would be interesting if you showed the effects of gentrification, of all the struggles with opening and running a restaurant, etc. That would make it a character drama and likely add layers instead of this watered down rewrite of the Sopranos. AMC was likely going to strike out on one of their shows eventually, and it appears they have here on Feed the Beast.