Friday, September 19, 2014

Great Expectations

Great Expectations

TNT network, which has produced some really well made programs, might have another intriguing series.  The new show is titled Legends, which is the name given to cover stories for undercover law enforcement officials.   Part of my interest is due to Sean Bean playing the main character, an FBI agent, Martin Odum, who goes undercover.  Bean has played heroes and villains.  His characters have died in a variety of spectacular if gruesome ways. 

In this series it appears that he is an experienced undercover operative with a reputation for being difficult to work with in the office and unusually effective in the field.  After the first episode, it seems to me that the underlying issue is that agent Martin Odum may be living in a legend as an FBI agent.  What he believes to be his ordinary life could be an identity forced upon him by unknown people who have strong reasons for covering up his actual identity and who worry Odum may recover memories of who he actually is.

It was a treat to see Odum talk about a legend and immediately take on characteristics of the false identity.  I also liked that when Odum got into a scuffle with a mysterious stranger, the stranger showed better martial arts skills than the FBI agent.  It suggests that the hero may not be able to fight his way out of every situation. 

Odum is divorced. His son loves him, but Odum’s job keeps him away from his son for long periods of time. His life is less interesting than the lives of people he claims to be when undercover.  Three people who try to help Odum are killed in the first episode.  It may be that asking for help puts others at risk, leaving him ever more isolated.  I would speculate that his investigations into who he really is might also put his ex-wife and son into danger.  How his family members fit into his “legend” will be an interesting factor on the show.

One episode does not make a series, but I have hopes for this show.

3 comments:

  1. Legends sounds very interesting, Warren. I'm enjoy watching shows from TNT and other cable networks. I think some are more interesting and better made than movies. I will give this a try.

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  2. It does sound like an interesting show. I really don't watch much TV, but every once in a while a show does appeal to me, and if it doesn't conflict with my husbands' myriad sports programs, we watch it.

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  3. Sounds interesting, Warren. I don't watch much TV, but some of the series seem more inventive than they used to be. Was this series based on any book?

    I've watched a few episodes of Orange is the New Black, House of Cards, and Breaking Bad. All of them are too violent for me to enjoy. I can understand why audiences love these shows though--they are dramatic and shocking.

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