The Black Donnelly's

Billy and I watched a new show called The Black Donnelly's tonight after Heroes on NBC. It was very good, well written and acted. I'm hooked! If you missed it tonight, it will be playing again on Thursday at 10pm... check it out and let me know what you think!

Here is a synopsis of the show from TV Guide:

NBC is finally rising from the dead. First, they saved the cheerleader, now they’ve sucked us into family drama at its finest.

Did everyone love Joey "Ice Cream" — “because under pressure, I’m like ice” — as much as I did? He is the greatest, most unreliable narrator I’ve ever listened to. The year of his story changed not once, not twice, but three times. He definitely has a talent for exaggerating the story to his advantage by placing himself into every situation as if he is the fifth Donnelly brother. I especially liked his description of the Irish: “The Irish have always been victims of negative stereotypes.... People think we’re all drunks and brawlers. And sometimes that gets you so mad all you want to do is get drunk and punch somebody.” I have a feeling the detectives will eventually lose their patience with Joey. The book across the face is definitely going to leave a mark.

So, how much does Kevin owe the Italians? Even after he kidnapped Louie “Downtown,” Kevin remained loyal to his gambling addiction. (By the way, the character nicknames are a bit cliché, but I’ll go with it for the benefit of the show.) Kevin now owes over $5,900 — not like I was keeping tabs or anything. But that was before Jimmy shot Louie and Tommy (played wonderfully by Jonathan Tucker) massacred Sal Minenta, Sal’s men and Hughie Farrow. And now that Hughie is gone, the Donnelly brothers not only have to worry about defending each other, but the fate of the entire Irish neighborhood rests on their shoulders. I didn’t know a few card games could cause so much trouble!

While testosterone flows through nearly every aspect of the show, there is one sparkling gem of estrogen to be found in Jenny Reilly (played by the lovely Olivia Wilde). When will Tommy confess his love for Jenny? The attraction between the two is undeniable. “I thought what if he dies and he never knows that I loved him... I’m a married woman. Nothing’s ever going to happen.” So when is someone going to tell that poor girl that her husband is dead? That officially makes her a vulnerable widow. And who better to comfort her than Tommy?

Jenny’s plea to Tommy still doesn’t prevent him from getting into the elevator. He knows what had to be done for his brothers. I got chills when Kevin followed him. Tommy: “Where are you going?” Kevin: “Wherever you are.” The simplest of words can have so much meaning. All of this is happening as Jimmy is arrested and sent to rehab (thanks to Tommy’s talk with “Frankie”). We’re told that this was the day that will change Jimmy’s life. Will he come out of rehab a changed man? Will he be the new Tommy in the Donnelly family?

The flashbacks held strong throughout the story line, especially at the end where it showed the driver of the car that ran over Jimmy’s leg. You have to have sympathy for the guy. Although Jimmy spends his time shooting needles into his arm and hatching plans to kidnap Italians, he's still willing to do anything for his brothers. The flashbacks gave us insight into the guilt he carries. But the brother with the most guilt is Tommy. He was the one driving the car.

The ending of this episode was fantastic! I applaud Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco, the award-winning writers of Crash and Million Dollar Baby, for creating a remarkable story about the paths we choose when facing the choice between right and wrong. I also have three brothers, so I found myself admiring Tommy for the actions he took. Tommy Donnelly is prepared to throw his entire future away for his brothers. How far would you go for family?

posted by Kristin @ 10:59 PM