Wheresmandela

This is the story of a family, relationships, the lies we tell ourselves and each other. Dark yet warming, the pilot takes its time introducing its characters, revealing their deeply held flaws. Though the writing is naturalistic and a joy, the acting is what reveals the full possibilities of this wonderful series. Jeffery Tambor is a revelation, and his acting here merits Emmy consideration. Add to that the acting of Gabby Hoffman and Jay Duplass as the conflicted son and you have a sparkling main cast. I cannot recommend this pilot enough, and I urge you to watch it, enjoy it, and if you love it, tell Amazon as much. I eagerly await a continuation of this Families story.

Considering the pedigree of the creator (X-files, Millennium), I was ready to give this show a try. Unfortunately, I was disappointed almost instantly. Easily one of the worst pilots I have ever seen, I was shocked at the awfulness of nearly every aspect of this production. With one of the worst scripts you'll find outside of the flash drive of a freshman film major, the writing practically ensured it would be terrible. The flat set design, hapless direction, and uneven acting brought this into the realm of disaster. Whats worse, a couple of fine performances are brought down by childish dialogue, baffling character decisions, and the presence of the ever punchable Jamie Kennedy. With Transparent confirming that Amazon can make a HBO quality pilot, this is left with no excuse. Trash from top to bottom, I can't dissuade you enough from watching this mess.