112 replies to this topic

[MzTeaze]

I didn't see another thread about the new show on ABC after several searches. Let's post here.

Synopsis: Red Widow is an American drama television series created by Melissa Rosenberg, starring Radha Mitchell and Goran Visnjic. On May 11, 2012, ABC picked up Red Widow as a series.[1] Season one began on Sunday, March 3, 2013 and will consist of eight episodes. The series is based on a 2010 Dutch drama entitled Penoza created by Pieter Bart Korthuis and Diederik van Rooijen.

[waterlilies]

Woah. longest 2hrs of my life.

Not a bad pilot overall. It looked clean and fresh with a touch of Revenge-y feel to it but I just didn't find it very interesting. I'm gonna give it 2 more episodes to really decide.

Edited by waterlilies, Mar 3, 2013 @ 11:31 PM.

[Greta]

I liked it. Although I kept thinking of it as a really complex, dark Sweet Valley High Special Edition, because Radha Mitchell bears an uncanny resemblance to the Wakefield twins.

[liz26111]

I am not sure what to think. She did seem awfully stupid about how business is done for the daughter of Russian mob boss, who is aware that daddy is in the mob. I guess that is more for the audience but still. My other issue is that the husband was the more interesting character. When the dead guy is the more interesting than the living ones, you have a problem. And something is soooo shaddy with the new brother in law.

Edited by liz26111, Mar 4, 2013 @ 12:29 AM.

[DashDixon]

When she (don't even know names) threatened hubby with taking the kids after she was the one that got hubby involved with the mob business I was out.

[SanLynn]

I love the thread title because it's so dang appropriate. It seems like that's about all the thought that went in to this series. "Oh we need a new series, let's throw this at the wall and see if it sticks".

Literally the only thing that kept my interest was Goran Visnjic. I wasn't a fan of his before "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" but I liked him there and he's got an interesting character in Schiller here. He will be the only reason I give this any more time. Especially since Anson Mount got killed off so quickly.

But my does the writing make this a slog. And I don't feel the least bit for the wife, a little for the kids maybe but I have no rooting interest in her whatsoever.

Edited by SanLynn, Mar 4, 2013 @ 4:49 PM.

[MzTeaze]

I agree with the assessment that she seems equally clueless when it worked best for the script and smart at other times.

There are only 8 episodes so tonight knocked out 2 of those 8. Will keep watching for now.

[liz26111]

When the developer in this show is the Twilight screenwriter, bad writing is going to happen.

Edited by liz26111, Mar 4, 2013 @ 12:16 AM.

[thuganomics85]

Wasn't horrible, but I was more bored then I figured I would be. The cast was there, but the writing wasn't. Of course, that's my fault: I should have known this considering it was developed by a screenwriter from Twilight.

I do think my main issue was that the most interesting character was Anson Mount's character, and since he's, well, dead, a lot of my interest has left. Radha Mitchell did her best and I think is an underrated talent, but Marta is all over the place, so far.

Goran Visnjic was pretty good. Could see other famailar faces like Luke Goss, Clifton Collins Jr. (ah, The Event), Jaime Ray Newman (Angelica from Grimm; looking and acting much different here), and Rade Serbedzija (last seen foolishly pissing Liam Neeson off in Taken 2.)

Since it's only 8 episodes, I'll probably stick with it. But this really has not been a good season for ABC's new dramas. If this fails, then only Nashville might be able to limp towards a renewal.

[Gigi43]

I thought Goran Visnjic was going to be in it a lot more than he was. It felt like almost everybody else had a bigger part.

Already I am starting to think between this and the crappy Zero Hour they gave Anthony Edwards, ABC is holding some kind of grudge against County General doctors!

I stayed for the whole two hours even though so many things made me mad. So, all that happens to a kid who brings a gun to school is he gets kicked out? Wouldn't there be more of an investigation into the family or a story outside a later throw away line that "his father being shot hasn't helped." I don't know when this pilot was filmed, and if it was always intended to air now, but especially in light of what's been going on the actual world, (didn't a story even come out this weekend about a town going on Lockdown because someone misheard someone rapping the Fresh Prince theme?) such a lack-of response to that was glaring. But that could be party because of bad timing. Either way though, the boy Boris was creepy and I do not like watching children being traumatized.


Once it was revealed that the woman's Dad was Mob, I could not feel sorry for her. Oh what a poor woman, having to take care of her children in such a lifestyle she chose for them to have! And yet, despite all this there's a chance I'll be back next week.

[rookie]

Was this not a complete rip off of that awful show The Mob Doctor?? I think that show lasted 10 episodes, I'll give this show another go but me thinks its destined for a similar fate.

[Shippaisha]

What does "Go to the bathroom and get me my lunch money" mean, anyway?

[Cynthia187]

Was this not a complete rip off of that awful show The Mob Doctor?? I think that show lasted 10 episodes, I'll give this show another go but me thinks its destined for a similar fate.

I'm glad I'm not the only one making the same comparison. This show was boring as hell. I will not be wasting my time.

[ShortTimer]

Too bad Anson Mount's character was killed off already, but since the producers (Endemol) are the same as on Hell on Wheels, maybe he'll appear now and then in a flashback if the show keeps going. Big if, maybe, but I thought it got more interesting as it went. The FBI agent seems like manipulation material with a junkie girlfriend/wife. The dock supervisor so blatantly having a motorcycle when that's the one thing the kid remembers about his father's shooting is quite an anvil -- but is maybe too obvious. And it looks like Marta will end up working for Schiller in some capacity, which would be the most interesting factor. Also, I liked Luther the bodyguard/thug/security-system installer/laundryman.

[thuganomics85]

Was this not a complete rip off of that awful show The Mob Doctor??

Oh, shit, it basically is like The Mob Doctor, only the lead is paying off a debt caused by her husband, while it was the lead's brother in The Mob Doctor. Personally, I thought The Mob Doctor did get better at the end, but I'm not sure if this show is capable of that, unless the writing does a complete turnaround.

Edited by thuganomics85, Mar 4, 2013 @ 2:22 AM.

[ThatPoshGirl]

This is on ABC? It was so bad, I just assumed it was NBC.

[piya]

I'm surprised they keep advertising that Melissa Rosenberg, the show creator as the writer of a twilight movie when she was the head writer for Dexter for the first four seasons. Shouldn't fans of Dexter be a better fit for this show rather than Twilight?

[paulvdb]

Also, I liked Luther the bodyguard/thug/security-system installer/laundryman.

Don't forget to add bartender to that list of jobs. I also liked him. As the first post mentioned, this is based on the Dutch series Penoza. I never watched The Mob Doctor, but if there are similarities with this show I guess that means that The Mob Doctor is also based on Penoza and they just didn't tell anyone about it. Or maybe the idea is just not very original and they independently came up with a similar idea.

[piya]

Don't forget to add bartender to that list of jobs. I also liked him.

I like him too. I am going to predict here that he has a thing for Radha Mitchell's character and he was the one who killed her husband on her father's orders.

[VioletMarx]

By the third time she went upstairs to his giant office, I expected him to start calling her Lemon.

Edited by VioletMarx, Mar 4, 2013 @ 3:13 PM.

[KalEl]

By the third time she went upstairs to his giant office, I expected to him to start calling her Lemon.

Bwahahahaha! Seriously. This what killed it for me. The repetition. When she monologued for the fourth or fifth time about how she was a mother and would do anything for her family I started to hit the fast forward button.

I will give it a chance because I love Radha Mitchell and some shows take a little time to find their legs and the first hour wasn't bad, but if I get even one more, "I have to do this because I'm a mom!" speech I'm gone. This reminds me of Golden Boy on CBS where they want their protagonist to be unconventional but aren't really willing to put the dirt under their fingernails like they need to in order to facilitate it. It would be better if she took to crime like a duck to water and was disturbed at how easy it came to her.

Edited by KalEl, Mar 4, 2013 @ 11:10 AM.

[VioletMarx]

I will give it a chance because I love Radha Mitchell and some shows take a little time to find their legs and the first hour wasn't bad, but if I get even one more, "I have to do this because I'm a mom!" speech I'm gone

I loved High Art and therefore Radha, but I'm giving it a chance for Lee Tergesen. Loved him since Oz and the man is due for a hit (and his live tweeting of the show was almost worth the two hours it took to watch).

And I'm semi-serious on the 30 Rock thing. The Hatian guy is Jonathan, Mike is Pete...work with me here...

[DashDixon]

This show also reminds me of the Ashley Judd show last year (I think it was last year) where she ran around trying to find her son. That got cancelled too.

[angelita100]

Tuned in for Goran but I will continue to watch it because I liked the cast. I didn't really find the dead guy that interesting so was waiting for him to die. He looked like Person of Interest guy and it was distracting me. I liked the lead character and her kids. And I never like the kids. Loved the bartender and even found the dock agent interesting. I've already watched 2 shows this season that were cancelled after two episodes. Hope this one lasts for all 8.

[Mia Nina]

I tried watching this but I couldn't even finish the first hour. I was bored out of my mind.

This show also reminds me of the Ashley Judd show last year (I think it was last year) where she ran around trying to find her son. That got cancelled too.

Hee. Missing. I liked that show at first before it became too obvious we were going around in circles.

[pl86]

Was this not a complete rip off of that awful show The Mob Doctor??

The forced-to-do-bad-things angles are similar but I think Red Widow also borrows from Weeds. I personally think the similarities between them are stronger and am surprised Weeds hasn't been mentioned more as an inspiration - the widow who turns to the trade drug to provide for her children, the older son who is attracted to and wants to help with the business and the way both widows ineptly and comically begin to learn the ropes.

I thought the premiere of Red Widow was ok, nothing spectacular but certainly far better than the Mob Doctor's pilot, which is the only episode I watched because it was so ludicrous. I liked the lead actress here, whoever she is.

When the developer in this show is the Twilight screenwriter, bad writing is going to happen.

I think all the Twilight movies were terribly written and directed but when I tried to read the books, I realized that the movies are a VAST improvement on the source material. I give the movie folks some credit for turning rubbish into mere nonsense. Not exactly spinning gold from straw but it's some kind of movie magic to adapt the horrible books.

Edited by pl86, Mar 4, 2013 @ 11:59 AM.

[basiltherat]

Why is everybody covering for Brother Irwin? He's he one who stole from Schiller in the first place, and got Husband killed.

The entire concept would work way better if Marta did not know husband was involved in illegal activities. She had no problem spending the money, or in still being involved with her Russian mob family.

I liked the oldest son, he seemed quite capable. but young Boris was quite creepy. I feel sorry for the child actor having to live with the pants wetting scene for the rest of his life.

[pl86]

Why is everybody covering for Brother Irwin? He's he one who stole from Schiller in the first place, and got Husband killed.

It's just Irwin and Mike who are covering, Irwin for obvious reasons but Mike also out of self-interest to cover his role in the scheme gone bad. I got the clear impression from the the dock scene where Irwin tells Evan about the stolen heroin that Mike knew about Irwin's plan beforehand - the way Irwin casually proposes to putting it to a vote, seemingly confident Mike would agree and the way Mike dropped the line about he could use the extra cash. The only one who was surprised by the proposal which quickly mutated to a plan was Evan. Mike was genuinely shocked that Irwin got the drugs by ripping off Schiller but it seems pretty clear to me he and Irwin and developed the plan to sell heroin together. I think Marta would hold him just as culpable as Irwin for Evan's death.

What I didn't buy is that Marta would take her son Gabriel to see her brother in prison for a stern talking. She loves her brother but she must know what a bad seed and influence he is. Making "Uncle Irwin" a role model for her son doesn't fit in with the way her character was presented, a woman who knows her family is criminal, loves them still and won't betray them but is also firm about keeping her children away from it.

[VioletMarx]

When the developer in this show is the Twilight screenwriter, bad writing is going to happen.

But was also the executive producer of the first four (3 of which were fantastic) seasons of Dexter, and wrote many of the best episodes of those seasons.

I think the typically flashy Mark Pellington direction distracted me more than anything.

[pl86]

I think the typically flashy Mark Pellington direction distracted me more than anything.

Funny you say that because it just reminded me of the overhead crane shot where Marta holds her dying husband and shouts "Somebody! Help!" to no one in particular in the driveway of their very secluded home. I know, I know, she's in shock, but come on, if Jackie O. can climb over the back of a car to get help, you can take out your cell phone or run into the kitchen 20 feet away and dial 911. This also happened on an episode of Chicago Fire recently, where a paramedic - a paramedic! - wastes precious time calling for help after her brother has been shot instead of running back into the firehouse a couple yards away or trying to stop the bleeding. The melodrama is a bit much.