"The Kennedys" is a competently produced and mostly entertaining series with terrific performances, realistic dialogue, and fine set design that convincingly evokes the time period of John and Robert Kennedy. The story is nothing new to those familiar with the Kennedys: after the death of his eldest son in World War II, New England patriarch Joseph Kennedy pushes his son John to become President of the United States. Along the way, John's fearless brother Robert and his enigmatic wife Jackie give him needed support as he campaigns for higher office and makes decisions that will forever change the course of history.
The TV series isn't entirely historically accurate: it does take liberties with certain details and embellishes relationships and events that in reality were less sensational. But I mostly didn't mind since this is a drama and not a documentary, and the changes made generally served the narrative. The story of the Kennedys has been brought to life in better, richer TV shows and movies such as "Kennedy" starring Martin Sheen and "Thirteen Days" with Bruce Greenwood. If you're interested in the Kennedys I recommend you watch those first, but "The Kennedys" does tell their story very well overall even if it doesn't really bring anything new to the table.
The four central characters are all complex and fascinating, and the actors (Greg Kinnear as JFK, Barry Pepper as RFK, Katie Holmes as Jackie, and Tom Wilkinson as Joe Kennedy) do a terrific job bringing these historical figures to life. In particular Barry Pepper is spellbinding as Robert Kennedy: he captures the intensity and the empathy that drove RFK all his life, and he exactly replicates Kennedy's appearance and speaking style without doing an impersonation. If nothing else I recommend watching the series for his performance alone. The costume design, sets, and music all do a terrific job of replicating the 1960s, and at no point in the series does anything feel out of place, fake, or less than authentic to the times.
The biggest complaint I have is that the series takes a downhill turn after JFK's assassination: the final episode, which focuses on the Kennedys after his death, is unfocused, sloppy, and skips over four years of riveting history from 1964 to 1968. Jackie is sidelined as a character and RFK comes across as too self-pitying and opportunistic. Because the series almost entirely ignores his service as a U.S. Senator, we don't witness his tireless work for the underprivileged or his painful indecision over whether or not to run for President in 1968. The finale was a missed opportunity to tell a compelling story, and overall it's a disappointing conclusion to the show.
If the series had ended with JFK's death, I'd rank it an 8/10. It's slick, well-acted, entertaining, and does a fine job of bringing such cherished American icons to life on the silver screen. It also manages to show the Kennedys' flaws while remaining respectful of their accomplishments and principles. But the finale just doesn't cut it, making the series an incomplete experience. 7/10.
