tlawrenceintel TNT certainly got it right with this show. In a rare case in which the series is far better than the movie it is based on, this show is excellent. Every character is drawn so deeply that you feel like you know them. You can't resist having a respect/hate relationship with Smurf. She is one wily fish. You watch as J goes from a snot-nosed teen to a full on criminal mastermind. The bond between Craig and Darren reminds you of your closest sibling. Then there's Pope. Wow! He is the show stealer. A ruthless, cold-blooded killer with a very soft spot for his niece. Talk about diametrically opposed feelings juxtaposed into a unreal situation. Admit it...if you met Pope on the street...your blood would run cold after one look at those ice cold eyes. In my opinion...and I watch a lot of these drama shows...this is as close to perfect as it gets. I would give it 20 stars if I could.

pgooden Ellen Barkin is atrocious in this . As I watched her last night with the controlled walk and nose in the air it just didn't ring as being at all believable . Her scenes with sons and closeups where she tries to pull off the I know what you've been up to just don't make it - She should take that little bounce out of her step.

Syl Ellen Barkin deserves an Emmy and Golden Globe award for her performance as Janine "Smurf" Codey, the matriarch of a Southern California family. When her grandson, Joshua, loses his mother to a drug overdose, the family steps in. Based on the Australian film, the series takes place in Southern California. The story is loosely based on an actual family in Melbourne, Australia. The real matriarch is far more terrifying than Smurf could ever bee. Smurf's sons and grandson have a family business which includes laundering and robbing businesses. The law enforcement are out to get them which anybody could understand. It is very hard to feel sympathy for the Codeys though. They are not a sympathetic bunch at all. The real Codeys were even worse. The series is entertaining though with the addition of Dennis Leary as the long lost father. The sex scenes with Deran are a bit too much. They look like they're wrestling or fighting each other though.

clockwkoge Great show, keeps you on the edge of your seat. Can't get enough of this show!