Diva Del Mar here...
With the sea of available media open to us thanks to the innovation of streaming platforms such as Netflix and Hulu, we are overwrought with good television for the first time in years. Gone are the days of flipping channels and settling for crappy reruns. A plethora of outstanding cinema and television is just an internet connection away and deciding what to watch has become a common first world problem. I’ve spent hours scrolling through my instant queue, trying to figure out which television show or movie to watch.
In regards to television shows, it becomes quite a time management gamble. Consider that if you LOVE the show from the get go, you are now tempted to binge watch the series in one or two sittings. If the pilot doesn’t grab you right away, it might suit you to stick to two or three episodes in the hopes that maybe it’s a matter of letting it sink in its teeth. Either way, you do your best to choose wisely, without overlooking the shows that might just rock your world.
Keeping this conundrum in mind, I’ve decided to pilot my own series on Ain’t It Cool News called Unsung Heroes, spotlighting really great television shows and films that snuck right under the media radar and have drowned in the oceans of options available to viewers. My goal is to sniff out television shows/films that despite arriving on the streaming or festival scene, simply aren’t getting lauded or referenced accordingly in cinematic/televisions circles. I aim to expose exceptional pieces of work that should not drown the wake of uber-popular shows like Game of Thrones and Orange is the New Black. Talk-backers, I welcome you to send me any Unsung Heroes that you love ferociously, old and new, that you feel deserve more media love. I hope to highlight some great buried treasure and to give the amazing artists that create these fabulous projects more buzz, and possibly, more opportunity to work. To kick off this little project, I’d like to start with River, a Netflix Original Series, created by Abi Morgan.
I can’t take credit for stumbling upon this show out of my own curiosity. My sister, Margarita Del Mar nagged me for weeks about her love for this show, and after having blown through it in a week, I too am a champion of River.
Firstly, it’s a fair assumption that this is a single run mini-series. The story arch has a very definitive ending that couldn’t possibly be extended without being ridiculous. I’m all right with this, because I find that many of the best shows can only ride their concept for a finite amount of seasons. It’s okay to have a conclusion, in fact, I would argue that it creates a stronger impact. It leaves a bad taste in your mouth when one of your favorite shows finishes with a shitty season and it’s hard to remember the strong moments of a show when they flop on the tail end. I would even go so far as to say that 4-5 seasons is the magic spot. Of course, there are exceptions, but many shows lose the novelty of their premise if they go on and on.
Now back to River. The show is an in-depth character study of John River, a brilliant homicide detective played by the incredible Swedish actor, Stellan Skarsgard. Skarsgard is one of the most talented actors in the international scene today. I just hate how the public doesn’t know him better, even though his filmography is enviable, and he’s a phenomenal actor. As River, he plays an emotionally crippled man struggling with the death of his beloved partner, Stevie, and also with his own mental state. River is schizophrenic and painfully antisocial, manifesting victims of the murders he investigates as full blown hallucinations. They serve not only as oddly practical companions to his lonely life, but as the true motivation for his work as a detective. River openly chats with these hallucinations, interacting with them as everyday people that still live and breathe in the world. This manifestation of his mental illness offers a bit of a novelty to the viewer and a refreshing twist to the story. It is far from the “I See Dead People,” trope, because it’s more of a brilliant inner dialogue, played out by his psyche. River is perfectly aware that the deceased people that accompany him are not real. He is aware that this is a symptom of his mental state, and yet, he embraces his hallucinations openly and with no shame. The phenomenon offers him clarity and compassion for the dead. Combined with his intense natural intellect, River becomes a man free of the social standards established by normal human interaction. He sees the world through his own design. It’s easy to think outside the box, if he never fit into it in the first place. Without his schizophrenia, he wouldn’t have his edge at solving crimes.
As a dark, crime drama, River doesn’t disappoint, and it packs an emotional punch, particularly from the final episode, that leaves you giddy. I’ve only known three other people who have seen the show, and they all gush over the last episode. Seriously, it offers you a few minutes of pure elation, something so rare in television these days. Apart from the delicious conclusion, the show is heavy and laden with emotion. River is in pain, mourning his partner while he investigates her death, and Skarsgard’s performance is heartbreakingly affecting.
River has all the important elements that create a good cop story as well as all the characters we come to expect in this genre. River is assigned a new partner, Ira King, subtly played by Adeel Akhtar, who patiently struggles to adjust to River’s quirks and his tendency to include dead people into their conversations. There’s also the compassionate sergeant who manages River with a firm and patient hand and, of course, the ornery commissioner, played by Owen Teale (Game of Thrones), who considers River a liability to be rid of. All of this plays out nicely with the original aspects of the show and keeps you tuned into the mystery.
Noteworthy in this show is the beautiful set design, composition, and camera work. A purposeful perspective is carefully maintained, particularly when River interacts with one of his talking hallucinations. This show features some surprisingly creative blocking and communicates critical information with the camera work. The audience sees the world from River’s perspective and, when combined with Skarsgard’s fabulous performance, viewers are treated to a gorgeously crafted television show.
The plot is smart, although not entirely groundbreaking. The power of this show doesn’t come from the story of how River solves the mystery of Stevie’s death, although the final reveal is poignant. Instead, it stems from the nuanced inner discovery of River himself, as he dives deeper into the life of a person he thought he knew better. As River learns more and more about his deceased partner, he comes to terms with the depths of his feelings for her, and that’s the real hook to this show. It’s marvelous and bittersweet to witness emotional redemption done so beautifully and with so much gravitas. You get a good dollop of “the feels” in each episode, with a major pay-off at the series finale.
Worthy of your notice, I hope you tune into River. Choose it instead of an over-edited reality show. Let expert story tellers, led by the charisma and experience of an actor like Skarsgard, offer up the kind of television that audiences deserve.
Thank you for reading and I’d love to hear your opinion if you so choose to watch River.
Diva Del Mar
