Rabbit Hole: Rabbit Hole

May 13, 2023 10:38 PM - Season 1 (Full Season)

A private (mercenary) political operative finds themselves in deeper waters than even they suspected.
posted by porpoise (11 comments total)

I've not seen 24, but this feels more like later seasons of 'Person of Interest' than something like that.

It's fantasy, ofc but it's clever enough - with stuff in early eps paying off in the pen-/ultimate episodes. A little gunplay and cw-ought-to-have-been-provided splats. There are a consistent bunch of low-key laughs, and Homm isn't exactly the butt of jokes but it's rarely (if ever) mean spirited. Just a very innocent soul.

Charles Dance is frightening : funny in a very disturbing way.

I can totally see how this may have been overlooked? Its themes must be alienating to the anti-vax/ freedum set.

Season is self-contained. Mini-serie but open for sequel.

There are more than one "surprise old white guy" in this. The casting for that is kind of clever.

Overall, I enjoyed this.
posted by porpoise at 11:20 PM on May 13, 2023 [1 favorite]

It was a bit fanciful but they made it work, and I was impressed how the giant tangle of plot they created pretty much resolved at the end. The whole cast was great.

Definitely nothing like 24, much better written. Could have been a prequel to Person of Interest, almost...
posted by mmoncur at 12:15 AM on May 14, 2023 [1 favorite]

I noticed you used they/them pronouns to describe Sutherland's character. From what I've read about the show, I don't get the impression the character is nonbinary. Is there a narrative reason to refer to the character that way?
posted by Ursula Hitler at 3:58 PM on May 14, 2023

No, that's what I've been using in general. Similar with my using 'actor' as a gender neutral term. Or 'folks' instead of 'guys.'

The show is very much cis het.
posted by porpoise at 4:33 PM on May 14, 2023 [2 favorites]

But speaking of Sutherlands, I can almost see a broad/ loose resemblance between Donald and Charles Dance.

The actor they got to play a younger Ben worked for me, also for either Sutherland or Dance.
posted by porpoise at 4:35 PM on May 14, 2023 [1 favorite]

I liked this show. One thing that I don't remember being explained: how did John and Hailey match up on the dating app, if he didn't put himself on the service? Do we figure his staff did it to give him a social life?
posted by mistersix at 5:09 PM on May 14, 2023

Not to derail, but I don't really understand using they/them to refer to cishet actors and characters. I can't be the only person who's confused by it. (I actually wondered if there was some sci-fi spy deal where the character became female to go undercover or whatever.) Is this a common thing now, and I just haven't heard about it?
posted by Ursula Hitler at 5:42 PM on May 14, 2023

I think Paramount might be worried about the show because I got a very-long-survey-that-I-didn't-finish from Paramout after I finished the show.

Intern dropped his usual accent in one scene with his girlfriend, but the accent came back during a much later scene with Weir. But I guess he may have been staying in character even though the audience knew more about him.

I was very amused by the various things stashed in the walls.
posted by emelenjr at 6:31 PM on May 14, 2023

I was very amused by the various things stashed in the walls.

And the hammers in fridges.
posted by porpoise at 7:06 AM on May 15, 2023 [1 favorite]

Arda Analytics? As if anyone would name an evil analytics company after a Tolkien reference.
posted by paper chromatographologist at 3:04 PM on May 18, 2023 [2 favorites]

I watched the first ep aaages ago, but got around to the second.

> ... the hammers in fridges.

This cracked me up!
(he uses the hammer to bang a hole in a wall)
"But I need a laptop!"
(sighs) "Fiiine."
(he bangs another hole in the wall, right next to the previous one, and pulls a laptop out)
posted by Pronoiac at 5:56 PM on March 16 [1 favorite]