TV Just Got Easy. All You Need To Watch Is “Black Bird” On Apple TV.
Everyone has their list of shows they’re supposed to watch. They might be written down in the Notes on your phone, or maybe you carry them around in the back of your brain adding a prestige TV layer of stress to your already skyrocketing anxiety levels as you wonder aloud, “When am I ever going to have the chance to watch all of this television?”
You may even have a specific show following you around like that western shirt you mistakenly clicked on once on Instagram. Case in point: no less than 73 people have recommended “The Bear” on Hulu to me. Sorry folks, the wife and I tried it—not sure it’s our thing.
Yes, it’s 2022 and we all have our TV lists.
Maybe you were going to crush the classics, binging pantheon shows like “The Wire,” “Sopranos,” “Breaking Bad,” or something you missed along the way. Maybe you’re coping with an Apple TV blind spot, catching up on “Ted Lasso,” or watching “Severance” because everyone says something happens in the last episode that makes it all worth it. Maybe people told you to watch “The Gray Man” or “Terminal List,” or the last season of “Animal Kingdom.” Or maybe you have a vague recollection that you’re supposed to check out the absurdity of Nathan Fielder’s “The Rehearsal.” And we didn’t even get into the docuseries. Manti Te’o! Woodstock ’99! Surfers! F1!
Well, I’m here to tell you that you can take a deep breath. Go ahead and exhale, because none of that matters anymore. Because you only need to watch one show for 2022. And here’s the best part, it’s only one season, and six episodes. That’s nothing!
Yep, TV just got easy. All you need to watch is “Black Bird” on Apple TV. Period.
Why? Because if we’re keeping score of prestige TV, “Black Bird” flirts with “True Detective” Season 1 levels. And while it doesn’t quite reach them (because this is Apple TV not HBO), it buzzes the tower. TV hasn’t been this delicious and well-acted since McConaughey was making origami out of Lone Star cans.
Based on a true story, “Black Bird” is the tale of a mobster who was sent to prison, only to be given a once-in-a-lifetime chance to commute his sentence if he was willing to be transferred to the highest security prison and get a serial killer to confess. Basically, this guy can get out of jail if he’s willing to rub elbows, make friends, and have a cell right next to a bone chilling lunatic of a character the likes of which we haven’t seen since Sir Anthony Hopkin’s Hannibal Lecter.
Paul Walter Hauser puts enough quirks into his portrayal of serial killer Larry Hall that your neck hair might not stand down for a month. It starts with the creepy high voice, a full blown rosacea skin problem and more ticks and unpredictability than a jack in the box. After another recent performance starring in “Richard Jewell,” it won’t be long before Hauser is referred to simply as PWH, as he works his way into a special class of actors.
Gangster James “Jimmy” Keene is played by Taron Egerton who may or may not have been created to get Martin Scorcese to make a couple more movies. Some may complain that the casting of Egerton is what got in the way of “Black Bird” reaching that HBO level suggesting he’s a bit too pretty for the role. Based on the real-life photos of a young James Keene, it seems Egerton is the perfect choice—as he’s able to channel a young Christian Bale as the perfect mix of badass and relatable.
For the most part, “Black Bird” sets up almost as a play or something out of an early Tarantino film. We are treated to a ton of dialogue between Keene and Hall, as Jimmy tries to crack Larry open without losing his own mind. Director Michaël R. Roskam creates a sense of tunnel vision for the viewer as before you know it you too are spinning downward just like Jimmy. “Black Bird” is so engrossing and so well acted you’ll likely find yourself only being able to watch one episode at a time, as it takes a toll.
If the virtuoso performances of Egerton and Walter-Hauser aren’t enough, “Black Bird” has you covered.
Supporting law enforcement roles played by Greg Kinnear and Sepideh Moafi are excellent as well. And, oh yeah, did we mention Ray Liotta plays Jimmy’s dad? It’s one of Liotta’s last roles having passed away this summer, and his character is dying in the show. I mean come on! “Black Bird” is already the best watch of the year, and we get the late Ray Liotta as a bonus cappuccino as we finish our meal. This isn’t even fair.
Simply put, there is a lot of good TV out there. We all have our lists. It’s the golden age as television has consistently proven to be better at character development than the 90—120 minutes available for a movie at the theater. But good TV isn’t great. “Black Bird” is great. It’s stand up in your chair and say “damn” when the episode ends, can’t wait for the next one . . .but actually we are going to wait to watch the next one because we want to savor it, great.
So, go ahead and take that list of shows you’re supposed to watch. Cross everything off, and write “Black Bird” on top. Because right now, it’s the leader in the clubhouse. We’ll report back if anything changes.
