TVSquad

I hope Milch now takes time to write the 2 two hour Deadwood movies and gets those produced.

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I thought this show was so boring. I'm glad it won't be back.

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ok that was fun but now let's go back to the black hills

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Yeah, John would have been nice if...the plot was something you could follow without needing to watch the show three times.

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Now I'll have to download that Joe Strummer song - a highlight of watching the show. I was hoping it would have a second season to help sort out the mysteries and see if it couldn't mature a bit, but there you go.

Can't say I'm unhappy to see Cissy go into the ether - her extreme, unrealistic, anger was really getting to me.

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I wasn't a JFC fan... in fact I watched the first episode twice and the second episode once and decided that enough was enough... but HBO (and the networks) need to commit to seeing a series through to its conclusion instead of letting fans just hang.

And series creators need to learn to tell a complete story in a season... networks clearly can't be bullied into renewing a series because you end it with a cliff-hanger.

The lack of closure kills future DVD sales as well. I was totally hooked on Carnivale and bought the DVD box... but once I found out that there was no season 3 and season two didn't wrap things up... I didn't bother picking up Season Two and wished I hadn't bothered with Season One.

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I'll probably be picking up the box set for JFC if it ever comes out. I enjoyed the show, didn't understand much of it, and hopefully a more studied viewing of it now that I\'ve seen where it led might help sort things out.

Then again, maybe not.....

But I agree with the sentiments that producers should be prepared to wrap it all up in a season because the networks aren't going to sit back and renew a show just because it ended on a cliffhanger. How many shows have left fans frustrated by such a stunt? 'Twin Peaks', 'Soap', 'Now & Again' are just a few that come to mind right away....

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If anyone really wants the theme song to the show it is by Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros. The album it's on is called Global A Go-Go.
It's actually a good album. Especially if you like different sounds that probably won't ever make it on the radio. Highly recommend it.

As for this show.....what can you say? Was it really worth all the bashing it got? Really hard to tell with me. At times I was intrigued by it. Other times I was flat out annoyed & desperate for it to end. Hard to say if it ever would have found it's way. It's probably for the best it's not coming back.

Bring Deadwood on now HBO! It's your only chance to be redeemed.

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I watched the whole thing and I will say that at the end I was just merely watching to try and figure out what the hell was going on. the first couple episodes were entertaining, but then cissy went psycho and no one started making any sense it went down hill very fast.

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I'm going to dump out.

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Or bone Kai. One or the other.

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I actually enjoyed JfC. So sue me. Guess I'm in the minority.

As a big fan of Twin Peaks, back in the day, I found this show's odd metaphors and mystifying non-narrative a refreshing change from TV-as-usual.

Then again, I enjoyed unwinding Lynch's film epilogue of Twin Peaks (and his other films such as the byzantine Mulholland Drive)...A lot of TV viewers seem to have the opposite desire: spoon fed linear narratives only, please. *shrug*

As long as they keep Milch busy, I'll be happy...

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I think there were a couple of problems with J from C. First, it wasn't Deadwood. There was a certain standard that Milch fans became accustomed to. Also, it was almost like JC was trying to be Deadwood. I for one was willing to give JC a try, but watching old Deadwood characters (along with Ed ONeil) give the same sort of solo dialogue that made Deadwood terrific (i.e. Farnum's rants) just seemed out of place on JC. Whenever Ed ONeil spoke to his bird, I thought I was watching Deadwood. It was definitely out of place for a surf noir show. Second, I didn't like a lot of the characters. Obviously that shouldn't always be the goal, but Sissy was over the top annoying, the kid who played Shawn couldn't act to save his life, and I found myself liking the characters with smaller roles. Milch signed up Luke Perry, Bruce Greenwood, Willie Garson, and a ton of other great actors, but gave almost more screen time to his Deadwood Alums. It's almost as if Milch thought he was still writing for Deadwood. Let's hope he ties Deadwood up.

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Please don't confuse the desire for coherence with spoon-feeding, ProgGrrl.

I too loved Twin Peaks. I loved it because, for every "who killed Laura"-type question, there were several other mysteries to dwell upon (While I don't watch "Lost", there appears to be no dearth of mysteries.).

There was a sense of direction, of momentum. There was an implicit promise to the viewers that, yeah, it's nutty but if you stick with it, it'll pay off like a slot machine, however long it might take.

I got none of that from JFC. I got probably three episodes in a row where no one did anything that helped the plot or enriched a character.

The mysteries were few. John is who exactly? Mitch floats why exactly? Cissy is an intolerable fishwife why exactly?

And when John & Shawn returned? We had a parade.

If no one is going to be upset upon his return, why should I?

And for my attention? Bubkes. No closer to answering than before.

I loved Deadwood and was willing to let DM play in his narrative sandbox if I could get a little satisfaction.

He seems unable to supply any of that lately.

Peace.

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Ha! Good riddance. Next time try writing a story that people LIKE and UNDERSTAND!

This show was a pretentious exercise in throwing money at bad ideas. I'm actually surprised that HBO had the common sense to boot this waste of a series, since they're light on replacement (hit) series to offer viewers (compared to Showtime).

But dumping this show was a no-brainer.

I can't figure out why the ensemble cast (many GREAT actors/actresses) went along with this trainwreck of a story in the first place. I wonder if they get peeks at the upcoming episode scripts or if they're tightly controlled by the writers (although this show had no discernible plot). I wonder what their feelings were when they saw this storyline slip into nowhere.

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HBO must have Steve Perry on retainer.

"Don't Stop Believin'!"

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I have watched the show religiously. It is fantastic and one of the most ballsy shows on TV. I promise, if you watch it, and watch them all, you will see that special TV magic that makes it all worth it. It just clicks, and I can't quantify it. TV and acting and depth like this have put HBO on the map. This show was launched in the shadow of a Monster (that very easily could have been cut itself after its first season.) The Sopranos easily could have turned out like the bad Billy Crystal movie. But it didn't. It worked. It worked with a great cast, great writers, and the right people trusting their judgment and giving it a chance. I've been an HBO fan (and subscriber) for over 20 years. When I devote time to watch television I trust HBO with that experience better than any other network on TV. And it's off-kilter, gutsy, art like John from Cincinnati, Taxi Cab confessions, Entourage, and Chevy Chase movies (for no other reason than they're funny as hell) that keeps that check coming in from me. My point being: Don't let "bloggers" destroy the house that Rodney Dangerfield and Eddie Murphy built for you. Stick to your guns and keep this show on the air.

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Bye J from C.

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What I'll miss the most is the weekly verbal masturbation over at that other site (the one Without Pity.)
"JfC is magical, mystical, lyrical, spiritual, divine, life-affirming and holy. And I get it because I am smarter than you!"

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Mike, I think your issues are exactly what I’m talking about – you and I have very different perspectives on this.

Where you see no direction and no momentum, I see plenty. The show very clearly set up its direction from the get go: surfers catch a new sort of wave that they have no idea how to ride. It upends their entire routine, and the routine of all the hangers-on, company men, webmasters, and family that revolve around them. It realigns their entire universe - and it is definitely mystical by nature.

Where you see no one doing anything that helped the plot or enriched a character, I saw a constant stream of teeny character details being fed to us nonstop (in a very similar fashion to Deadwood). I saw plenty of plot – but it’s so blended seamlessly with poetry, metaphor, dreamstate, and surrealism, that it can be quite tricky to piece together. As I said above – linear narrative obviously has become boring to Milch after 20+ years working the one-hour-drama format. He’s moved on. Those of us who are also bored with the format, SALUTE HIM.

In my viewing, John is a vessel of God. Why Mitch floats is an unimportant detail...pretty much a McGuffin. Cissy’s reason for her infamous ball-buster-ness is clearly explained: she is actively pushing everyone away because she is so guilt-ridden over what she did to tween-year-old Butchie, oh so long ago.

Why have a parade? Because Linc is a very, very savvy marketing man. And he has just signed a 3-generation surfing dynasty. What corporation wouldn’t want a parade?

Sorry but it all made sense to me. *shrugs again*

Peace back.

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