Everyone really needs to chill the hell out over John From Cincinnati. Stories are told in different ways, and just because this one is taking a more original approach doesn’t mean it should be shunned like it has been by most of the media.
As for the source of all the shunning, the vague arc of John is actually starting to take shape. The supernatural undertones are becoming overtones (or is it just tones?), with “resurrection by parrot” and “spontaneous near-combustion” joining levitation on the roster of weird and unexplained. Thanks to the less than creatively titled episodes, we also know it’s only been two days in Imperial Beach since John arrived – leading one to conclude that the ten episode season is going to play out over the period of just one week. Unfortunately, most America viewers thrive on the pace of 24, and a week is probably too long to hold their interest. For that reason alone, I’m inclined to worry that John From Cincinnati will follow in the footsteps of Carnivale: awesome, underrated and ultimately unwatched.
HBO is not failing to live up to its long tradition of TV’s strongest character studies. And while I’m fully onboard with the Yosts, their friends and the antagonistic duo of Luke Perry and Emily Rose, those three dudes at the motel aren’t going to find a fan in me anytime soon. In a cast that seems to be growing every week, the less time devoted to peripheral folks, the better. Also… mysterious hotel rooms are seriously played out.
What remain to be inarguably amazing about John From Cincinnati are the opening credits. There might be no more sublime way to cap off a weekend than with shots of longboard surfers of yore set to a simultaneously tranquil and rowdy Joe Strummer. It’s becoming my favorite minute and a half of the TV week, and the 58.5 that follow are pretty damn good too if you’re willing to check your unfairly high expectations at the door.