grifters-related stories
Posted Mar 13th 2007 12:40AM by Joel Keller
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Other Comedy Shows, OpEd, FX, The Riches
(S01E01) If there's anything close to a certainty in this wacky world of 3,000 channels, it's this: When a new show premieres on FX, chances are it's going to be pretty damned good. Even the less-than-stellar shows are more daring, creative, and entertaining than most of what you might see on a broadcast or basic cable network. And
The Riches is no exception; in fact, it is one of the most well-done new shows of the year. The pilot, which aired earlier tonight, was nearly as riveting as that of
The Nine, wich was almost universally lauded before the fall season started. But unlike
The Nine, The Riches knows where it's going. And it looks like it's going to be a pretty fun ride.
Continue reading The Riches: Pilot (series premiere)
Posted Aug 3rd 2006 7:15AM by Annie Wu
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Cable, OpEd, BBC, Hustle
(S03E06) This was another great episode, but I was kind of disappointed finale-wise. The characters didn't develop any further, the story's complications weren't much more intricate than those of the previous episodes, and the sexual tension was still virtually untouched (hasn't really been talked about since Season One). I guess this is because each and every episode wraps up really nicely so that, even if you watch them out of order, everything still makes sense. I want Hustle to do something extreme for once. Have the gang royally screw something up! Have a con go horribly wrong, resulting in the death of a member's loved one and the eventual crippling depression of the aforementioned member.
Something.Continue reading Hustle: Episode 18 (finale)
Posted Jul 27th 2006 2:14PM by Annie Wu
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Cable, OpEd, BBC, Hustle
(S03E05) The episode started with a young woman jumping into the Thames... a suicide attempt. After she arrived at the hospital (unconscious, but alive), we learned that she, Emily, was one of Stacie's good friends. Not only was she a kind friend, but she led a children's charity and had devoted most of her life to it. Emily's severe depression was caused by a vicious tabloid's claim that she had defrauded her own charity and had embezzled loads of money. Stacie went to visit Emily and, after seeing what a poor state she was in, vowed to seek revenge on the
Weekend World.
Continue reading Hustle: Episode 17
Posted Jul 20th 2006 1:02PM by Annie Wu
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Cable, OpEd, BBC, Hustle
(S03E04) The episode started in the middle of a con, while the gang was having lunch with the mark. Stacie appeared in a traditional Indian dress, quite the vision. There was talk about a movie investment. The mark was an Indian fellow named Samar. He was extremely unkind and, as he left, Mickey remarked that he never wanted to take anyone's money so badly. Samar rode away in a limo, chaffeured by Danny. Suddenly, he said that everything was too perfect... "You're all con artists!" Danny turned around to try and make some excuse, but ended up driving into a stationary car. Crap.
Continue reading Hustle: Episode 16
Posted Jul 6th 2006 8:56PM by Annie Wu
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Cable, OpEd, BBC, Hustle
(S03E02) This season is still going beautifully, with creative stories and fantastic visuals. However, I've noticed a recent change and it's driving me absolutely insane... They've completely strayed from their supposed Number 1 rule: You can't cheat an honest man.
As of late, they seem to be conning (stealing from, really) even the most innocent people... Like, ordinary people just going about their jobs, who haven't done anything wrong. I'd normally have no problem seeing good people getting screwed over on a program about con artists, but the characters of
Hustle have been absolutely preaching their "honest man" rule since the beginning. Why is it okay for them to suddenly turn around and go against such an important part of what made them superior to the "dirty" grifters in their world? It must be difficult having to write up sleazy characters all the time, but, I've gotta admit, the change is a bit disappointing.
Continue reading Hustle: Episode 14
Posted Jun 22nd 2006 8:31PM by Annie Wu
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Cable, TV on the Bigscreen, BBC, Hustle
Our friends at
Cinematical recently posted that FOX has picked up the rights to create a feature-length version of the BBC/AMC show
Hustle. The original minds behind the series are going to work on the film, so that's good news. This is nice and all (
Hustle really is a fantastic program), but each episode already runs over an hour. I hope they figure out something really exciting to do, because I'm not sure I'd be willing to fork over $10 to
just watch what is essentially an extended episode.
Meanwhile, the third season starts June 28 at 10:00 PM EST for the Americans, with a fourth season in the works.
Posted Mar 29th 2006 6:03PM by Annie Wu
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Cable, OpEd, BBC, Hustle
The episode started right in the middle
of the gang's latest cons. Stacie was just about to work her "sex kitten" act when she stopped dead in her
tracks. She just spotted someone that she recognized... her ex-husband, Jake. A crazy twist within the first two
minutes? Bravo,
Hustle. Anyway, Stacie's ex-husband ran out on her years and years ago, taking all their
savings with him. To exact revenge on this jerk that betrayed their beloved Stacie, the gang decided to make her ex the
new mark. Stacie explained some of his background to the group and they decided that, by working off his love for poker,
they would fool him with a bent Hold 'Em competition.
Continue reading Hustle: Episode 11
Posted Mar 19th 2006 3:47PM by Annie Wu
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Cable, OpEd, BBC, Hustle
This episode started at an auction house, where a bidding
war over some prized comic book artwork was reaching its climax. It was down to two gentlemen, who brought the price up
to £100,000. Ash, disguised in some cool glasses and a little facial hair, jumped in at the last minute and
offered £110,000. The two other gentlemen looked crushed as the auctioneer finally banged his gavel. The team
looked slightly worried about their new investment as well. What could they possibly do with £110,000 comic book
artwork?
Continue reading Hustle: Episode 10
Posted Mar 12th 2006 10:17AM by Annie Wu
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Cable, OpEd, BBC, Hustle
We're currently three episodes (including this
one) into the new season and there have been a few changes... I've noticed some stylistic switch-ups, including more
creative angles and a lot more of the characters winking or speaking directly to the camera/viewer. Plus, the stories
have grown a little more far-fetched, which is really saying something because the first season had some material that
was way too bizarre to believe.
Continue reading Hustle: Episode 9
Posted Feb 16th 2006 10:47PM by Annie Wu
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Cable, OpEd, BBC, Hustle
Whoo... Lots of stuff to cover. Let's get started... The episode started with Mickey and
Danny wrapping up a con in which they tricked a man named Arthur Bond into thinking that they had just helped him
purchase the
London Eye. Before Mickey and Danny slip out, Arthur laughed with
great satisfaction over his new "purchase", puffing his cigar and saying, "I usually get what I
want". Another con successfully completed.
While Danny grumbled over the fact that the hotel's new
receptionist won't go out with him (he keeps insisting that she's either a lesbian or totally frigid because no
straight woman in her right mind would turn down Danny Blue), the group moved on to a new con. This time, they planned
on taking advantage of Sir Anthony Reeves, utility company CEO, and his gambling habits.
Continue reading Hustle: Episode 6
Posted Feb 7th 2006 4:55PM by Annie Wu
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Cable, OpEd, BBC, Hustle
This episode revolved around a con that takes advantage of a
vengeful, rich wife, a con called "The Congeve" (named after William Congreve, the man who penned the phrase
"
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned"... It's paraphrased, but that's how everyone knows
it, anyway). The group pondered the possibility of conning a woman named Katherine Winterborn, a real "psycho
bitch", as Stacie put it. After Ash revealed that he's been secretly caring for his ex-wife and former
grifter, June (she use to play "The Flop" like Ash, but after one went wrong, she suffered from partial brain
damage). He's desperate for some money to provide some proper care for her so the group eventually decide to go through
with the risky, but profitable, Congreve.
Continue reading Hustle: Episode 5
Posted Jan 31st 2006 5:54PM by Annie Wu
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Cable, OpEd, BBC, Hustle
While Stacie and Danny busied themselves with a
game of strip poker (which Danny easily lost), Mickey met Victor Maher, an ex-fraud squad man turned bank security head
and the person to ever catch Albert. Maher explained to Mickey that he had some footage of a young Danny when he used
to work as a look-out for some thieves. He used this as bait, luring Mickey into helping him catch a robber who has
been troubling his bank. Maher decided to use a con artist to catch the thief so he wanted Mickey to befriend the
robber, Sam Richards, and then help Maher catch him by accompanying Richards during the actual robbery. Despite
Albert's advice to stay away from Maher (because he's always one step ahead), Mickey agreed to save Danny (and his
ego).
Continue reading Hustle: Episode 4
Posted Jan 22nd 2006 1:13PM by Annie Wu
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Cable, OpEd, BBC, Hustle
The episode started out with Mickey and Stacie,
disguised as fumigators, shooing a couple of store-owners out of their shop because of a rat infestation (rats courtesy
of Albert). After the couple leave, Mickey and Stacie stripped out their jumpsuits into sophisticated suits just as
Danny Blue rushed in. Moments later, a woman named Meredith Gates walked in and had a serious conversation with Danny
(or "Mr. Pomeroy" as she called him) about splitting the cost of a painting 50/50, £250,000 each.
Continue reading Hustle: Episode 3
Posted Jan 17th 2006 10:27AM by Annie Wu
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Cable, OpEd, BBC, Hustle
Saturday marked the American premiere of the
BBC drama,
Hustle, on AMC. The show revolves around the secret, underground world of grifters -- or con
artists -- and, more specifically, a close-knit team of five. As someone that really enjoyed
Matchstick Men
(both the Eric Garcia book and the movie starring Nicolas Cage and Sam Rockwell), I was excited to see a series all
about conning. To put it simply,
Hustle does not disappoint. Although some of the activity borders on
far-fetch, it's all intriguing enough to make you wonder if con artists really do have to go through that much magic
just to make something work.
Continue reading Hustle: Premiere
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