Skip to main content

PILOT REVIEW: Dracula

DRACULA











Starring: Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Jessica De Gouw, Thomas Kretschmann, Victoria Smurfit, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Nonso Anozie, Katie McGrath

Created by Cole Haddon
Written by Cole Haddon, Directed by Steve Shill

Dracula is a new NBC drama with a fresh take on the Dracula story. In this imagining, Dracula (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) lives in Victorian London in the late 1800s posing as American Alexander Grayson, a wealthy businessman promoting new scientific innovations. In reality, Dracula is seeking revenge on those who have wronged him but he may be sidetracked when he meets a woman, Mina Murray (Jessica De Gouw), who reminds him of his dead wife. Rounding out the main cast is Grayson's butler and confidante Renfield (Nonso Anozie), Mina's fiance, reporter Jonathan Harker (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), a woman entranced by Grayson, Lady Jayne Wetherby (Victoria Smurfit), and the man who revived Dracula from the grave, Abraham Van Helsing (Thomas Kretschmann).

THE GOOD: The thing I liked most about Dracula was the unique setting. It's not every day you see 1800s Victorian England as a setting for a network drama. It was lavish and interesting to watch. I'm not one to nitpick details but it seemed like they did a nice job with committing to the era and style. Jonathan Rhys Meyers is a standout in the lead role. He is mysterious and dark and that works perfectly for the image he is trying to create. He delivers a subtle approach to Grayson and a nearly manic approach to his altar ego and strikes the balance quite well. The supporting cast seems solid too but so far, it seems like it's all about Meyers in the lead role.

THE BAD: There were times where the pilot was slow moving which seems to be a common pratfall of period dramas. I'm all for taking time with stories but there were a few times where it felt like there was no reason that nothing was happening. The show did a good job of its style but then it seemed to switch it up with the fight scene on the top of the roof. All of the sudden, they had a slow motion moment and obviously choreographed fighting. That seemed to clash with the vision and mood of the show up to that point and I hope they stay away from those types of moments in the future.

BOTTOM LINE: I'm not a vampire or Dracula fan so I don't really have any way to compare this with other shows in this family. That being said, I was intrigued enough by the setting and premise to come back for another week. I'm not sure if it will eventually veer into the "too creepy" or "too boring" territory because I could see it heading down either of those paths, but I enjoyed the pilot and specifically Meyers. It's a good dark companion to Grimm on Friday nights.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

EPISODE GUIDES: Rhoda Season Five

On Thursdays, I go through classic series with a critical look at each season. Today I am looking at Season Five (the final season) of  Rhoda ! RHODA: SEASON FIVE 1978 13 episodes Rhoda' s final season was a truncated one as the show was cancelled in December 1978 after only 13 episodes had been produced (and only nine had aired). This feels like a continuation from season four in many ways except with the ill-advised split between Ida and Martin (more on that below). While  Rhoda  has an occasional good moment and even a couple decent episodes, it is a show that seems so wildly different from season one and not in a good way.  Rhoda  could never figure out what it fully wanted to be and only made it four and a half seasons as a result. Starring Valerie Harper as Rhoda Morgenstern  (13 episodes) Julie Kavner as Brenda Morgenstern  (13 episodes) Ray Buktenica as Benny Goodwin  (11 episodes) Kenneth McMillan as Jack Doyle  (9 episodes) Nancy Wa...
Post a Comment
Read more

SCHEDULES OF THE PAST: 1995-1996 Thursdays

On Tuesdays, I take a look at schedules from yesteryear. Here's a look at Thursdays in the 1995-96 season! ABC 8:00 8:30 9:00 10:00 Sep Charlie Grace The Monroes Various Programs Oct Murder One Nov Various Programs Dec Various Programs Thursday Night Movie Jan Feb World’s Funniest Videos Before They Were Stars! Mar Apr May NBC was the powerhouse on Thursday nights but ABC still gave it the old college try in the Fall of 1995 with a trio of new dramas that they hoped would help them cut into the Peacock's dominance. Headlining their night was Murder One , a high profile new show from Steven Bochco that received much of the network's attention before the season started. The series focused on one murder case for an entire season, whi...
Post a Comment
Read more

DECADE IN REVIEW: The Best Comedies of the 2010s

During the month of December, I will be looking back at the decade that was the 2010s on TV. I will be sharing my favorite sitcoms, dramas, the best episodes, the best performances and the worst shows of the decade. To be eligible for this list, a show had to air the majority of its episodes in the 2010s. However, for the rankings and determination, all episodes were taken into account, including ones that may have aired before 2010. I will also preface that there are comedies that have aired this decade that I haven't watched yet so this is the best of what I have watched. To be fair, that preface is more true for dramas. There's not a ton of unwatched comedies sitting in my Netflix or Amazon watchlist. So here are my Top 10 comedies of the 2010s! Close Calls:  Master of None (Netflix) - An inconsistent but occasionally fascinating commentary on many life issues done so with innovative storytelling. The Good Place (NBC) - A show that aims high with a fascinating premis...
Post a Comment
Read more