Mounzer Nasr

As a huge fan and perennial watcher of mob/gang TV series, I had thought that the genre, following the Wire, the Sopranos, BB/BCS, Peaky, Narcos, Boardwalk, Godfather of Harlem, Gangs of London and others, could no longer tell us something that we didn’t already know, nor provide an original take that rises to the heights of such masterpieces of television. But I was wrong. Snowfall matches, if not exceeds the very best of these, in terms of narrative power, acting quality, historical / political perspective, empathy and passion. The show has been praised for being the first by black creators and with predominantly black protagonists, and this is indeed an important milestone. But it is also a perfect articulation of MLK’s famous Riverside statement about the inextricable link between militarism, racism and poverty. Despite historic voting rights and civil rights legislation, MLK knew that real progress would continue to be severely hampered by the disproportionate number of young black men being sacrificed in Vietnam for the cause of American militarism, as well as by economic inequality and institutional racism. Snowfall shows how 20 or so years later, racism was no less entrenched, economic conditions had if anything worsened, and blacks were once again being sacrificed for the anti-Communist wars in Central America. Rarely has the tragic waste of so much human potential - talent, entrepreneurship, resourcefulness, intellect and emotional intelligence - been so memorably and devastatingly portrayed.

Just finished the 3rd season. I am baffled as to why neither the 2nd nor the 3rd season gathered enough reviews for an RT rating. In my opinion, Godfather of Harlem belongs among the very best organized crime series, alongside The Wire, The Sopranos, Narcos, Boardwalk Empire and Peaky Blinders

Deeply moving. Both my wife and I cried at the end. The most poignant moment for me was when his ex-wife said: “you’ve always been like this: Very positive”. How could a man at death’s door, who had endured tragedy after tragedy, and was now on the verge of botching his last chance at redemption, still find it in him to be positive? We all start out with youthful exuberance and hopes and dreams, and then life happens

Beneath the genteel facade of a picture-perfect English coastal village lie deep dark secrets and things are not what they seem...A somewhat clichéed premise but in the hands of such brilliant writers, actors and cinematographers, it becomes a profound commentary on modern-day families, relationships and morals with universal relevance.

I came close to quitting DS several times during the first 2 seasons, but I’ve already seen enough of Season 3 to know that the switch from ABC to Netflix has had a hugely positive impact on the show, and I ain’t quitting anytime soon. From an accidental President dealing with an unprecedented national crisis, a very far-fetched yet fascinating premise, the story narrative is now a more familiar ‘West Wing’-ish look inside the White House during a reelection campaign. President Kirkman is running as an Independent against the entrenched crony-capitalism of the Establishment parties. Infrastructure is crumbling, the opioid crisis is devastating communities thanks to a ruthless legal drug cartel better known as the Pharma lobby. Candidate Kirkman strongly supports LGBTQ rights, refuses to take money from PACs and corporations, His campaign slogan is ‘ The System is Broken’, and he oozes empathy around ordinary working class folks. Sound familiar? Well, Bernie Sanders is running as a Democrat, not an Independent. He is a career politician while Kirkman is a political novice, and academic. But these’potayto potahto’ nuances, do little to detract from the central story line, which tantalisingly asks the fundamental political question of our dystopian age: Can an anti-establishment political outsider, a man of principle with strongly held beliefs and a progressive agenda, a man who represents the interests of the people, and not of the 1%, win the Presidency?