Harvey Baron
I have been watching the series on Net Flix & am in to the 3rd season. While the series is captivating I am surprised that they portray the indigenous peoples as being pretty dumb. I think that this is degrading to them. I certainly hope that the public doesn't come away with the perception that all of the Native Canadians are like this. I would hope that they are not trying to show how the people are on a real reserve. I would hope that someone would do a TRUE documentary about life on a reserve. If anyone is interested in a project like this please let me know.
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kira-lee
You know how some shows grab you in the first 5 minutes? This wasn't one of them. Part of the issue was not really knowing what to expect... the intro feels almost like a horror movie with a spooky voice singing "Ten Little Indians," but then the first few scenes felt more like a painstaking historical drama. I was also consciously annoyed by the "ambient music" that is quite frequently about four levels too loud, making parts feel inappropriately tense or more like a TV commercial. However, the plot does eventually thicken, and though it can be quite clichéd in some ways, I found myself bonding to the characters nonetheless. The portrayal of addiction a bit heavy-handed, but empathetic. Scenes of abuse are realistic enough that I found myself researching what the prevalence of violence on reservations supposedly is. I honestly don't know if this would be the first thing I'd recommend, especially when there are so many others that are absolutely gripping, but it has enough substance that I find myself wanting to see it through.
Mike Jones
Great story, well acted, well written. Believable sets and locations. Enough intrigue and sub-stories to keep things interesting. Politics, corruption, and the struggle of the underdog. All good stuff. Then it falls apart because of the camera work. Every single scene shot with shaky hand-held camera and jerky zoom. The end result is a production that looks like it was professionally cast, written and produced, then turned over to a high school class with a cheap camcorder to film. Oh, the shots are clear enough...once your eyes adjust to the constant jerking around. There is a place for hand-held shots. A few of them, scattered here and there, can be a great thing. But for the entire production? Please. Invest in a tripod and a trolley.
sheelagrant
I found this series very entertaining. It's nice to see a show about Native Americans where they portray the lead characters and not simply backdrops. They're not simply stereotypes of Native Americans either. The writing is very true-to-life. The language is a bit rough swearing-wise, but that's the way a lot of people talk, even non-Natives. The acting is totally believable. The directing is excellent. It's kind of like a Native American soap opera, but much less melodramatic. The story lines are very interesting to follow. It would be nice to get this here in the States. It definitely deserves more stars.