Alex Reid

This is one show you have to watch.

I hold HBO in high regards for their daring shows. Never mind The Sopranos, Entourage, Six Feet Under, Deadwood and the Wire, 90% of their programming rocks! I get fuzzy feelings when I think about their schedule. HBO is classy television.

David Milch – the creator of “Deadwood” – comes back with an equal eclectic crew of dysfunctional figures with his new series “John from Cincinnati“. The show features a mysterious guy named John who shows upon a lost three-generation surfer family in Cali and the profound effects his presence has upon them and everyone around them. We’re talking about a dead bird coming back to life, a levitating patriarch and perhaps a mind-induced killer wave.

Imbalance meets god-like weirdness. It’s deeper than Deadwood.

This is a great fit of characters and a plot so mysterious it’s unlike any other show out there at the moment. What I find interesting and a bit amusing is that the character of John’s lack of language and social skills leads everyone to think he’s simply mentally challenged (and they accept that!) while we see that it’s very likely he’s an alien with positive skills.

Austin Nichols, the actor who portrays the mysterious new guy in town, was also in Deadwood and in Six Feet Under as Brenda’s surfer one-night stand “dude”. He has the surfer brow arch PERFECT!

Unfortunately, the first episode (every season is labeled as a “visit”) was aired right after the Sopranos’ finale which incurred an audience of almost 12 million people. If you saw the ending of The Sopranos, you might have been shut off your television and stared at the wall for a half hour. Even if you didn’t see Sopranos, simply imagine the natural reeling anyone would feel after the finale of a hugely popular crime saga of six seasons or imagine watching the Godfather series from I to LXXXVI.

Featuring a new stud in the stable one minute after the breakup and death of a stellar horse is simply not good timing. I’m sure there’s a few “Pie-o-my” jokes that could be made, but despite the decision of overzealous programmers, this is definitely a DVD or a download you should try.

HBO could break into my house, and I’d still love them.