Alice Richmond

Alaska Daily is intriguing and well worth watching. The casting is refreshing and welcome. Wait, what? They aren’t all Euros? Hallelujah! Good potential here! I hope the show can build the audience and momentum to keep going for many seasons! My biggest concern is that the show may fail because the writing and directing/editing would both benefit from better pacing and richer character content. After the first six episodes, most of the characters are still grossly limited in their presentation as full human beings. They appear to be sketches, rather than immersive portraits. It isn’t the actors. They are performing well. It is what they have to work with. The writing is uneven—in one moment, appearing to aspire to the heights and rhythm of an Aaron Sorkin production. In other moments, sinking to the clichéd predictability of the worst of the worst of Lifetime-esque movies. The story lines themselves are interesting and could generate plenty with which the characters could engage and respond/express. It is mostly the dialogue and directing/editing that creates the bogging down and/or missed opportunities. The scene in which two characters are sitting on the floor, with their backs up against either side of a convex corner—indirectly discussing the catastrophic diagnosis one of their spouses has received—is interesting visually, and has some beautiful acting that provided a sense of genuine intimacy. Later, a reference is made to the conversation with dialogue that comes across as a bizarrely perfunctory blow off line. The sense of authentic connection between the characters would have been stronger if the later reference had landed on the editing room floor. The person for whom the writing and directing/editing issues are the most painfully evident is the main character. Give Hillary more to work with! The premise is great and she could transform better writing into a truly compelling and credibly complex character. (It is true for all of the roles, to varying degrees, and the cast makes good on thin character content, overall.) There are some occasional errors, such as a colleague repeatedly referring to Seward as “up” from Anchorage—in fact, it is SW of Anchorage, which is not hard to know. Even so, it is evident that the producers have made a concerted effort toward accuracy. And, I think some things that read as errors (e.g., JBEM, rather than JBER) are likely about what one has to do when placing a fictional entity in a real place. So, odd-sounding, if you are familiar with the area and know JBER (Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson), but understandable. I am giving Alaska Daily five stars for a few reasons: the concept and location are really interesting; the cast is very strong, across the board; I value the core themes around why a free and independent press is essential to society; and I believe that the aforementioned deficits are recoverable, and needn’t be fatal. Another hope is that they will include more of what Anchorage actually looks like, and more outdoor B roll shots. It is one of the most distinct and beautiful places on the planet! Anchorage is quirky and visually interesting. The images shared so far are good. Let’s keep that trend going and expand it some!

The story is fascinating, and one that I have followed elsewhere. What sets this apart are the performances. Leto and Hathaway embody their real life counterparts with credibility and heart and a vital exposition of the fragility of being human. The casting is brilliant throughout and the direction and cinematography engage and hold my attention. This series shines brightly amid the multiple limited series-based-on-real-events offerings. It is thoughtful, humane, intriguing, and well wrought. The producers made a wise choice to let a little bit more time unfold, rather than rushing to the screen in service to a false urgency trap.