Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Previewing Good Behavior



Michelle Dockery of Good Behavior

There may be fewer people better at what they do then the people who make trailers. If only the trailer editors were the ones actually made the movies because ninety percent of the time, the actual movie does not live up to the trailers. Even when you know there is no way the movie was going to be any good, these trailers put that seed of doubt in your head. So it is very noticeable when there is a bad trailer (like the Ghostbusters reboot). Weirdly enough, the best show in recent memory, Mr. Robot, also had a really bad trailer. It was so bad I was going to pass on it until I saw Dalia Royce had a starring role.

I had a similar reaction when I saw the first trailer for Good Behavior. Like Mr. Robot, the Good Behavior trailer was very vague and like many shows in the post-Golden Age era seemed way too self-important. After seeing the first episode I understand why the trailer is vague; there is a pretty big plot twist at the end of the first episode and it would be hard to properly market the show effectively without spoiling the very interesting reveal. But wisely, TNT is running back to back episodes for the premiere so you will not have to stew waiting to see where the show goes next.

Unfortunately the show is not running back-to-back-to-back episode for the premiere because the second episode could give you a false idea where the show is going next because another curveball comes in episode three. And I cannot really talk much about it because I do not want to spoil anything for you. But the thing is, three episodes in and I still am not sure where exactly the show is heading and that is a refreshing when most everything on television these days is telegraphed from the first frame.

It is hard to explain the show without spoiling it (which is probably why this is one of the few trailer fails in recent memory. One of the few things you can deduct from the title Good Behavior is that our main character, played by Dontown Abby’s Michelle Dockery, is a recent parolee who is released from prison early because of good behavior. Now she has to decide to continue that good streak, which could lead her to reuniting with her son, now under the supervision of her mother, or go back to her petty theft past. A chance encounter throws all that up in the air.

Unlike Mr. Robot, the Pilot of Good Behavior is not a tell all your friend to get on board early type of show but what I really liked about it was that I had no idea where the show was going. Okay, I was not a fan of the direction I thought the show was taking after the big plot twist at the end of the first episode, but by the end of the third episode I was back to guessing just exactly where the show was heading next and in a landscape where most television shows are telegraphed fairly easily, Good Behavior is a refreshing show that actually leaves you guessing as to what is coming next.

Good Behavior airs Tuesdays at 9:00 on TNT. You can download Good Behavior on iTunes.

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