Take Three: Feed the Beast

Feed the Beast: Season 1, Episode 3 “Screw You, Randy” (C+)

I think I’m done with this show since it’s not showing any signs of improving and doesn’t seem to be headed in too interesting a direction. Most problematically, there’s absolutely no sense of subtlety. Every scene is articulated to such an excessive degree that absolutely nothing is left to the imagination. Tommy and Pilar’s near-romance, for instance, didn’t include too much conversation but they still managed to say everything they felt even if a good portion of it could have been left unsaid. That’s doubly true for the Tooth Fairy and his late father, who had no qualms about very loudly announcing the specifics of their extralegal exploits and telling his son just how stupid he was for not making the smart moves in business, namely allowing those who crossed him to live so that he could go around threatening to pull out their teeth. It seems foolhardy to think that there will be no implications for stealing $100,000 worth of wine from Tommy’s former employer, and Dion bringing an unstable member of Tommy’s support group with him on the job knowing nothing about him other than that he is shifty and reacts badly to surprises was not his brightest decision. The episode’s title is meant to indicate the new outlook that Tommy has on building up his business and his success, and it’s not a pretty sight, nor a terribly compelling one. This show could have been good and interesting, but it’s a pale imitation of other AMC series which it shamelessly tries to mimic with its musical cues and brooding storylines.

Round Two: Feed the Beast

Feed the Beast: Season 1, Episode 2 “Father of the Year” (B-)

I’m still deciding how I feel about this show. What continues to hold me back from becoming truly invested in it is the unfortunate manner in which villains are portrayed. That the Tooth Fairy acknowledges his nickname, carries around a pair of pliers, and intimidates people by giving them money for their next dental procedures is hard to get around, and I just don’t understand how he’s supposed to be taken seriously. I’m equally unimpressed with Detective Giardano’s chosen method of persuasion, and he’s supposed to pose just as much of a threat to Dion’s livelihood save for the fact that he’s not threatening to kill Tommy and TJ. Ultimately, it’s Dion who is putting them in danger, especially since he’s going to go ahead with the contract now that the Tooth Fairy has reviewed it despite Tommy’s objections. Aidan agreed to give them the money but did it in the harshest and most awful way possible, demanding time with the grandson he hadn’t bothered to get to know while Rie was alive and was content to take blame for hitting him even though he didn’t actually lay a finger on him. This show is all about daddy issues, as every single character, including the lawyer who wants nothing to do with Dion anywhere because her father is a character we already know, has an extraordinarily complicated relationship with their patriarch. As it happens, TJ is the best character on this show, building friendships with a graffiti artist at school and fill-in parent Dion without saying a word.

Pilot Review: Feed the Beast

Feed the Beast (AMC)
Premiered June 5 at 10pm

This show is the latest series that I’ve seen advertised nearly everywhere across New York City on billboards. I had very little idea what it was about aside from two guys opening up a restaurant, but wherever I first looked it up didn’t immediately point me to its two stars being Jim Sturgess and David Schwimmer. I couldn’t think of a stranger pair. Strugess is a British actor known for “Across the Universe,” “21,” “The Way Back,” “One Day,” and others. I suppose his recent role in “Kidnapping Mr. Heineken” is his best qualifier to play a criminal type, though I think that nice guy Dion has much purer intentions than his money-seeking abductor in the so-so film from last year. Schwimmer spent ten years on “Friends,” and the only time that he reappeared since then was in a well-received role on season one of “American Crime Story” playing Robert Kardashian. Putting the two of them together does feel weird, and they’re obviously from different worlds, though the drive-by shooting of Tommy’s wife connects them both to the gangster business. The opening credits were appealing with a dinner table appearing in a subway car and all across the city, and I’m definitely down for some appetizing storylines. What doesn’t get me is a villain named the Tooth Fairy who celebrates his moniker by carrying around a pair of pliers to inspire fear in those he meets. I haven’t made my mind up about this show just yet, but with another installment aired just two days after this, I’m up for another look.

How will it work as a series? The Tooth Fairy made it very clear that he is going to kill Tommy and T.J. if Dion’s restaurant idea doesn’t take off and enable Dion to make enough money to pay him back. The biggest problem is that it is sure to take a while to get it off the ground, but some creatively time representation could help get this show off the ground and to enticing action soon.
How long will it last? I think this is going to be one of the few AMC shows not to take off as a hit. Both the reviews and the ratings for “Preacher” were far better than they were for this premiere, and I think that’s going to spell a short future for this show. We’ll see how it improves over the next few episodes, but I predict one season will be it for this one.

Pilot grade: B-