“The Riches” — Believe the Lie
A lot of things can change over the course of the season. Last spring Rescue Me started its run with three fantastic episodes before ultimately spiraling out of control. Still, right now The Riches is without a doubt the best thing on television. I suspect that won’t last as both The Shield and The Sopranos return early next month, but at this moment Monday nights on FX is the ultimate destination for fans of medium.
Last night’s episode also highlighted the importance of giving a drama a couple episodes to let it show you what its all about. A good drama won’t reveal all of its cards in the pilot. It’s an organism and needs room to grow. This can, of course, work two ways. The Black Donnellys started strong, but by the third week I realized that the show just didn’t have any juice. Last night’s episode is on my DVR and likely won’t be watched. The Riches was good in last week’s premiere but it was last night’s episode that knocked it out of the park.
My only real complaint with the show (and lets get this out of the way early) is that the title sequence is absolutely horrible. It’s too vivid and bright and fluffy for this show, which is as dark emotionally as it is visually. It’s a shame because we’ve had a pretty good run recently with televised dramas having really kick ass titles sequences. Luckily, that’s why the good lord gave us the option of fast-forward.
Accent aside, Eddie Izzard is absolutely sublime in this role. He owns the frame when he’s in it, which is fitting since his character is a natural charmer and a natural lier. Really, we’re watching a great actor playing someone who is also a great actor, but living the role.
Perhaps it’s early to make a statement like this but The Riches seems to be the first suburban satire that really understands what suburbia means. It isn’t a depressing wasteland with “little boxes made of ticky-tacky” or a place where people have depressing existential actualizations about their life or lack of life. Suburbia is gated paradise where everyone, to some extent, is lying.
March 20th, 2007 at 1:55 pm
“It’s an organism and needs room to grow.” That’s classic.
Also, speaking of actors playing actors on shows, did you hear Ricky Gervais is ending Extras after the second season, a la The Office? Doesn’t surprise me, as it’s refreshing to see him maintaining some versatility and walking away while ahead. However, it would be nicer if there were more than six episodes per season.
March 22nd, 2007 at 3:27 am
[...] All right kids, we’re first and goal. Three more episodes left this season (possibly forever). Tonight’s entry, though uneven at times, was still amazing. Before I get into specifics I need to call foul on my earlier declaration that The Riches was the best thing airing on television. While at the time Friday Night Lights was, technically, still on hiatus, that comment was completely out of line. [...]
March 20th, 2008 at 11:10 am
[...] The Riches started just over a year ago and every step along the way felt like it was on the brink of total collapse. It never did and I [...]