I loved the first 2 seasons of Bloodline. Great story and acting. But WOW!!! season 3 was terrible. I assume the writers did not know what to do to conclude this show. My wife and were so eager for this release but man what a let down. This is my first time to submit a review to IMDb as I tend to just read other reviews. However, I felt compelled to express this opinion. If you have not watched Bloodline yet, my advice is to watch and enjoy seasons 1 & 2 but stay away from this 3rd season.
Add a Review
-
mplag2793913 June 2017
-
This rating is based on 10 for the first two seasons and a 2 for the last season. I don't think there has ever been a more captivating story that fizzled into meaningless garbage in the end. The last two episodes can only leave me to believe that the writers either quit before then, or they decided that since the show was being canceled that they would deliver crap to fill out the rest of the season. What a disappoint.
-
bhester08066 February 2021Season 1 is among the best television to ever be made. Season 2 lacks luster and season 3 is a joke.
Luckily season 1 is mostly self contained and can and should be watched as a solo show. -
cherold13 January 2017It took me a long time to start watching Bloodline. I felt I should, because it got such solid reviews, but the description - black sheep brother returns home, did nothing for me.
When I finally started watching it, though, I realized the description didn't in any way convey the intensity of the series.
This is a show about a brother whose homecoming raises old conflicts and causes new ones. The characters are all distinct and real, beautifully written and acted. Ben Mendelsohn is particularly memorable as Danny.
The story is punctuated by flash forwards that are brilliantly put together in the season finale.
Bloodline was designed like a great mini-series. This made the season ending satisfying, but it also meant that things happened that made it harder to make a good season 2. The best character goes and the writers decide to do the worst thing they can do; create a new character that is very similar but inferior. After a couple of episodes I gave up on it.
My recommendation: watch the first season as a mini-series, then stop. -
Rob133128 September 2022I've wanted to watch Bloodline for the longest time but kept putting it off for other shows for some reason. I finally gave it a chance and I loved it. I'm now mad at myself for putting it off for so long. It starts a little slow for some but stay with it because before you know it you can't stop watching it. Season 3 wasn't quite as good as the first two but it's still worth watching and really only speaks to just how good those first two seasons were. I do have to admit that the ending was just awful. The acting and writing are what makes this show so special. I can't say enough about the entire casts performances, they all do an incredible job and are led by Kyle Chandler, Ben Mendelsohn and Linda Cardelli. Those 3 all give award worthy performances. I know Mendelsohn and Chandler were both nominated every season for an Emmy and Mendelsohn even won an Emmy for best supporting actor. It's a show that's absolutely worth watching!
-
Supermanfan-1312 December 2023Bloodline is every bit as good as everyone says it is. I can't say enough about how good the acting was. Ben Mendelsohn and Kyle Chandler give as good as performances as you'll see on a television show. The only negative thing about this show was how bad the ending was. There have been plenty of good shows with bad endings before but this has to be near the top for all-time worst. The show is still a must see but prepare to be disappointed by the finale. It's about a popular Florida family who dark secrets start to come out and make them do things they never thought possible. The story and acting is what makes this show so special. If you give this show a chance you'll most likely become hooked and want to binge it as quickly as possible.
-
camsod-9515231 May 2019How can you rate 3 seasons when they are so different? I loved the first 2, but the third was really bad. Don't know what happened in production but something must have happened. The third season didn't have any of the qualities and ideas in the first two. Too bad... I'm leaving this on a very bad impression.
-
cdb-227 December 2018I really enjoyed season 1 , this series really promised a great deal, season 2 was a disappointment in comparison with the plot becoming more and more far fetched and with some new characters who just didn't fit , you know when the script writers start running out of ideas when "ghosts ' or figments of imagination start appearing and by season 3 they were running riot and haunting the whole show with dream after dream and whatever! and after a while I just didn't care at all what was dream or reality it just all became totally pointless.
-
jeffpsy22 March 2015Bloodline is a quality Netflix series, that totally validates their strategy of delivering a season in complete, binge-worthy form, rather than an episode at a time. I watched it over two days. It's hard to imagine a movie with a better cast; the performances from top to bottom were sensational. I also appreciated the salty, adult, realistic language of the characters. One of the earlier reviewers spoke of all the characters as being "terrible people." Couldn't disagree more; virtually all the the characters from Kyle Chandler to Sissy Spacek to Cloe Sevigny are likable, compelling individuals who find themselves in a difficult situations. It's about good people making fateful decisions. Bloodline is a beautifully produced, deeply human drama, that, once it gathers speed, will grab ahold of you. Kudos, Netflix.
-
Welcome to Rayburn House - a quaint family inn situated in an idyllic part of the Florida Keys. It is the perfect place to forget troubles if you're there on vacation. But it is a near constant reminder of tragedies that have plagued the family who own and operate the resort.
The place in the sun the Rayburns enjoy is one they have carved out through hard work and determination guided by the vision of their folksy yet menacing ex-sailor/ex-ranch-hand patriarch Robert Rayburn (Sam Shephard) and his adoring yet industrious wife Sally (Sissy Spacek).
Though seemingly every tropical acre evokes painful memories they have put far too much in to consider leaving. Life there is just that much more sweet than bitter. The very thought of losing it makes them so defensive it scares them.
Their dutiful children - John the cop (Kyle Chandler), Megan the lawyer (Linda Cardellini), and Kevin the boat captain (Norbert Leo Butz) each maintain their own strong presences in the community whilst helping run the inn in various capacities as needed. John and his own wife (Jacinda Barrett) and children live in one of the bungalows the inn used to rent out.
The periodic return of the troubled eldest son Danny (Ben Mendelsohn) elicits feelings of anger and guilt for all of them. Often an embarrassment, hard-living low-level criminal Danny is their chief tormentor yet also the victim of past family excesses. His cringe-inducing antics are continuously forgiven because they know they own the biggest stake in why he is the way he is.
All the men in this family, as it turns out, have criminally violent tempers. All, including the women, tend to like their alcohol a little too much and do illegal drugs and have sex in inappropriate places. Danny will pretty much take a leak anywhere. If anything this is a soap opera family people might look down on. Their tendencies are THAT redneck.
This is a more realistic take on the genre of night-time soap opera. Unlike the super wealthy families of other night-time soap operas of the past the Rayburns don't seem that different than the average viewer. Innkeepers who live where they work are obviously more down to earth than oil tycoons or corporate raiders.
Megan is a lawyer who attended Florida State instead of an Ivy League school. Kevin has a boat and a business which repairs boats but he is no yachtsman. Failed restaurateur Danny went to cooking school and is a decent enough cook but he's no world class gourmet even though he acts like one. Their parents aren't educated people and the most romantic night of their marriage was spent in the back of a pick-up truck.
The Rayburn family fortune is presumably substantial but it isn't so much to be beyond comprehension. The less they mention amounts of money the more identifiable they seem. They have been successful because they picked the right location (even if it is in the way of hurricanes) and somehow stayed there long enough to learn the business, establish a reputation and manage their expectations. They live well mostly by living at their own inn.
There is a precariousness to it. These people are also highly sensitive and suspicious. Danny gets the worst of it. They cloak their treatment of him in family but to them he is more like the jittery member of their criminal gang that they are afraid will talk. They watch everything he says and does looking for signs of betrayal of their secrets.
The rivalries within families about the direction of their legacy play out in a more compelling way in a more believable setting on this show. But where the narrative really takes it a step further is in capturing those private moments we all have with family making it seem that much more common to the experiences of audiences. That recognition elicits real emotional attachment.
Danny bonds with each of his siblings, his mom and his young niece in ways that suggest this family has hope. But the tension beneath the surface bubbles up every once in a while particularly when something happens that reminds them of past friction. The normalcy of it has a disquieting effect when juxtaposed with ruthless criminality.
This is a story that with universal themes and timeless appeal. It could be set in Australia. It could be set in South America or the Mediterranean etc. It could even be set in a different age up to a hundred years in the past if not more. That is how good the writers were in finding that commonality.
The opening montage with its time-lapsed view of the beach during a thunder storm is coupled with suitably haunting theme music beginning each episode with dark mysticism. It is perfect for the intricate rhythm of each teleplay.
Bloodline is nothing less than exceptional viewing worthy of multiple Emmys particularly for writing and for the acting portrayals delivered by the entire brilliant cast. A show this subtle, nuanced and thoroughly appealing could only be on cable or Netflix. -
jparker-985-7691242 July 2015The acting and production are solid. The location and sets are superb. However the storytelling and pace are maddeningly slow. In all honesty, I am probably not the "TV Series" type. I just don't have the patience for long drawn out dramas. In this case, the character developments could have been fully accomplished in 'half the time', leaving the other half for something interesting to actually happen. I get it: "black sheep addict/dysfunctional family/dark secret". Do we really need 50 minutes of tedium to compose this hackneyed image??? The production is actually quite skillful at building suspense. And again the piece is 'professional and polished'. However in each case of heightened suspense the piece falls flat. It just doesn't deliver 'grist for the mill'. I will concede there is an audience for this one given the many positive reviews. C++
-
jill_grant-rowe21 March 2015Having now watched the complete series in an utterly unstoppable binge I can say without a shadow of a doubt that, for me, this is up there with the greats like True Detective, Breaking Bad and Rectify (to name but a few). Never so much has a show swayed my feelings towards the characters; I had several about faces with regards to my sympathies but it left me feeling that nothing is ever black or white. This is not for those who want a fast pace and constant excitement. The characters are developed slowly and cleverly as is the storyline which keeps you guessing. The cinematography is phenomenal and I bet you will all be wanting to move to The Keys after watching this I do hope they make a follow up series, however if they want to leave us wanting more but very satisfied at the same time stopping here would do just that. The cast, without exception were stellar in their performances.
-
rwh13484 June 2017This could have been a 2 1/2 hour movie and not a long drawn out TV series . Much was confusing and boring. This could have been great. Solid cast and great acting . Scenic Fl. backdrop and story line is appealing. Ben Mendelsohn outstanding performance a nomination win made this series worth watching. Of course other standout performances by all star cast. Problem was the time lapse between season 2 and 3. Where was this headed? The story line was muddled in season 3 and confusing. It's as it they didn't know how to wrap it up. Much like Dexter it was disappointing ending to what could have been memorable.
-
colinvernon3037 June 2017I CANNOT BELIEVE WHAT THEY HAVE DONE TO ONE OF THE BEST SHOWS I've SEEN IN YEARS !!Season 1 and 2 are excellent ...Season 3 is an absolute mess , not one bit interesting exciting ,it seems it was made by a totally different production company its just horrible ..every episode is slow meaningless drawn out , its simply lazy writing to wrap up a once good story ! Kyle chandler is the only good thing in the show he is a great actor . but man season 3 is miss able even if a fan of 1 and 2 .
-
tightspotkilo12 September 2017This seemed in its first two seasons to be a most promising show. Leading with Sam Shepard and Sissy Spacek as Robert and Sally Rayburn, it has a great cast, Ben Mendelsohn, Kyle Chandler, and Norbert Leo Butz particularly stand out, but there are no weak acting performances. The setting is the Florida Keys, and the story line taps into Southern Gothic elements and into the prime time soaps of the 80s such as Dallas and Flamingo Road to draw inspiration. Lots of long-buried but not forgotten family secrets and lies swirl around, creating intrigue, mystery, things that happened long ago, but still loom large.
We tend to like the John Rayburn character (played by Kyle Chandler) the best, but as the show progresses we can see his flaws and feet of clay. Indeed, every character in this show is fundamentally flawed. Probably the Chelsea character played by Chloë Sevigny is the best person in the story.
It appears as though show runners Glenn Kessler, Todd A. Kessler, and Daniel Zelman believed they had five or so seasons to tell the tale of the Rayburn family, and they plotted for it to unfold over that kind of time frame. The viewer could see where they wanted to go, into the secrets and lies of Robert (who, exactly, is Beth Mackey?), as well as the secrets and lies of Sally (what is her relationship with Roy Gilbert?). Lots of little Easter eggs hidden here and there to be returned to at a later time, but never done, because Netflix pulled the plug on the series before they could. There were so many threads and not enough time.
It's not too much different from what HBO did to David Milch with Deadwood, when HBO just pulled the plug. Milch never even tried to wrap it up, but here the show runners made a weak effort to wrap it, but then gave up trying. Too much to tell, and not enough time.
Watch it and enjoy it. it's good enough. it's just way too short and maddeningly incomplete. Attribute that to Netflix and their business decision. -
mbrown-5877722 April 2015A wonderful tale and a spellbinding story. Great slow pace that was perfect for the setting of the Keys. I loved every episode. Masterful writing and top notch acting. Very good cast with several new actors that did a phenomenal job. Cant wait for season 2!
I loved the movie with Tommy Lee Jones "In the Electric Mist" and this series seemed to have a similar pace but spread out over 13 episodes. I was something to look forward to watching each night when the kids went to bed. If the wife was out of town It would have been a non-stop marathon for me!
Go Netflix! Your series with House of Cards and Bloodline are wonderful and are better than any other series going at this point in time. Please keep up the good work!
Thank you for the great entertainment! -
ocbigdaddy27 March 2015Watched all episodes in 4 days, found it to be compelling and interest escalated with each episode. Which is what I believe a series should do. After each episode we had questions which spawned much conversation, then on to the next episode. Questions answered , more questions created. It became fun and compelling at the same time. Characters developed and relationships became important. Typical family hierarchy and troubles . Flash forwards were awkward at first but then it all started to fall in place. Last episode provided a lot of answers but also created more questions and tantalizing interest for more. Some critics panned it as being slow, some as being cliché or predictable, maybe so, but it was excellent and left most with wanting more. Looking forward to a possible season 2. All in All worth watching completely and form your own opinion! Also Love opening theme song.
-
nonerb4 July 2020First time review. I typically don't bother since movies/shows can be so highly subjective.
Started out to be at least one of our top 5 series... Gripping story, great writing, superb acting. What more could you want?
Season 1....10 stars Season 2....9.5 stars
Waiting for season 3 was agonizing, and the result was a total failure for an ending. What a monumental disappointment.
Season 3....0 stars -
avocadotoast21 March 2015Wow. I love love the show by the second episode it really sucks you in. Ben Mendelsohn is a genus. I don't want to give anything away, but if you a fan of the True Detective, the first two seasons of House of Cards, you will not be disappointed. And for all the fans of Empire, it's time to upgrade to a different family drama! I also love the title song, I usually hate them and fast forward through them, True detective and The Bridge songs being an exception. And this song, by Book of Fears, it took a little digging to find out a little more about the song, is up there for me with Ryan Bingham and Handsome creations. The Water Let's you In is hunting, soft and oh so right for the show. It sinks in and stays with you. It's lovely. I can listen to it over and over.
-
Season 1 was great, i enjoyed every bit of it, danny was such an interesting character but after his death season 2 was bad but tolerable but season 3 was outright horrific especially the 9th episode where they dedicate entire episode for a dream/reality. I made a bad decision watching this show. DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME on this stupid series. Also one of the beloved character meg was totally missing for the entire season, there are only a few shows where the endings are this bad.i guess kevin was the worst and most hated character because he has virtually no character developement, first i hated him for his behaviour towards danny and then his lack of remorse for the murder he commited.
-
I'm gonna keep this short and sweet.. After binge watching House of Cards - I was searching the streets... literally billboards and MTA Bus Stop Posters.. for my next Binge IV Drip "fix" and I saw Bloodline.. the tag line intrigued me because in real life, Good People sometimes do Bad Things.. so I tapped a vein and went for it... and this is where I stop to say.. Trust me!!! Bloodline is extremely top of the line true Blue.. 99.999% pure; you know.. like the stuff Walter White used to make before his season was over.. I couldn't stop watching.. I did all 13 in 24. I highly recommend it and I am looking forward to Season Two because the Cliff Hanger almost sent me to the ER... but my insurance is for poo and my co-pay is too high.. so I'm currently going cold turkey off the 13's. Gonna take up hiking and juicing for a spell. xo
-
Bloodline is kind of an acquired taste. It starts out like a typical family drama, each of the kids with their own stories but quickly picks up steam as the family's horrible history catches up to them and the 3 living Rayburn children participate in the murder of their eldest brother, Danny. Those familiar with Damages will recognize some typical signature moves of Kessler shows: playing with time frames and flash backs, fantasies. The idea of one of the main character's being murdered in season 1 and still having a strong presence in the show is a good one. It also puts strong emphasis on the multi-generational issues of a family in chaos and how secrets and tragedies from long ago can become new tragedies.
Basically, the family has wracked up 2 murders by the final season and the creators do the smart thing of NOT having it neatly wrapped up with the cases being cracked. Instead their punishments are meted out through karma and they get their just desserts in other ways.
Less forgivable are the humongous plot holes in season 3. The team had around 5-6 years of story ideas and was forced to compress these ideas into one final season. But to accommodate the plot, they just have to ignore major issues of the plot. For example, Kevin ends up killing the police detective who has found out the truth on the family. But the cover-up is so ridiculous - the police chief who is 99% sure John had killed his brother in season 2 turns around and lets him run investigations on his own brother and a man is obviously and clearly railroaded, including police abuse for killing a cop he did not kill, and the police chief seems okay with this. Even when John confesses at the end, the chief basically says, "Nah, I'm going to a better job in Boston." What? Then later, Kevin is supposed to make a deal with the feds re Roy, the big kingpin, yet even after he dies, they ask him is he is going to testify. Against whom? The guy is dead. Chelsea seems way too friendly with the Rayburns move longer than it would take her to figure out her brother was screwed over by them. The John Leguizamo role seems kind of aimless, he basically kind of goes bananas. And there were many other things which seemed rushed and not well thought through.
Having said all of this, the acting is stellar and the gut-wrenching dynamic of this family is really entertaining. Spacek, Chandler, Norbert Butz, Mendelson and others give amazing performances. All in all a very good show, just wish they could have thought through season 3 a bit more. However, the collective punishment on the family does ultimately seem appropriate. -
cheyyenne21 March 2015Wonderful, amazing plots and people--Kyle Chandler is total eye candy:)Netflix is doing a wonderful job in the original series department...Just say no to cable TV:) Netflix Keep up the great work....I loved this series--because its real~real people, real family problems,no veneers, fake boobs, lips or face jobs or other distractions to take away from the great story line...very refreshing~ I hope that you bring more indie type series as well, cannot stomach sitcoms or the totally fake reality TV- thank you for carrying the new artists and new talent in the production services as well-It is going to be a great summer:)
-
asis-0020730 June 2018We really enjoyed the first 2 seasons, but the 3rd was a disappointment in a way of the storyline, acting and the ending.
-
weybug2 October 2017Bloodline has a great cast and had a great first season. The wife and I burned through that first season in a weekend. You cared about the characters and you so wanted to know what had happened in the past.
Without spoilers I will just say that season 2 was dumb and boring and season 3 was weird and stupid. Characters changed motivations and behaved in ways at odds with season 1. Smart characters did dumb things.
If you can watch Season 1 and then stop, good for you. Season 1 is an 8 or maybe even a 9.
Season 2 might be a 5. Season 3 is rated at 1 unless zero is allowed.