David Thompson

I am only part way through season 1 of the this show. The quality of the acting is very good and the scenes are well put together. Unfortunately I can only watch the the shows in short doses principally because the lead character (Jude Law) alternates between moments of seeming love and compassion on one hand and pure Machiavellian evil on other. Overall the character tends more toward the later and the contradiction between : 1) the evil, conservative, egocentric vision of his world with no thought for the consequences of the hate he will inevitably generate for non-catholics be damned; and 2) the role of the church; is so jarring that viewing become unpleasant. The character is played with such monstrous egotism that it occasionally reminds me of Elizabeth 1's conversion into the Virgin Queen. In general I think the series is clearly written for extremely conservative catholic Americans. As such it is amusing to watch in small doses - but given the times we live in, in small doses only. Will I finish watching the series? Undoubtedly. But it is something you watch in spite of yourself - a kind of modern day horror story that fascinates like the gratuitous vision of a traffic accident when one passes by. It is a testimony to the characters of the actors that their performance generates reactions that range from loathing to laughter.