Red Rock

I was really excited about this show during the first season, but by the second season it becomes clear that every character is a total mess. Poor decisions, dishonesty, corruption, crime, stupidity...Every single one of them. It's hard to like anyone or care what happens to them. Too bad, because the acting is really top notch.

I will keep watching despite my huge irritation regarding McGonigle getting away so long with his heinous behavior on this show. Even I would know how to use my smart phone to record conversations and video of important liaisons depicted in this series. It's completely unbelievable that a cop would be too incompetent in this day and age to take proactive steps after being almost beaten to death. Come on!

The good news is that this series does feature good acting, and lotsa cliff hangers, just as any self-respecting soap opera should. The bad news is that, much like "The Bridge" did to El Paso, Texas, USA, "Red Rock" shows (imho) Ireland and the Irish people in a very unflattering light. Gawd, these people are stupid and most of them are cowards, as well! I can't believe how many of them choose to do the wrong thing, over and over! And, then they compound their errors with even more errors!

I never thought I'd see any show where a Junkie shows more clarity of thought and courage than other, supposedly clean and normal people! Conor, a heroin junkie, is the only one who dares to face the thoroughly despicable Brian McGonigle in his own lair, and speak out against him.

We can't stop watching, but we are continuously amazed, mystified, and confused by the idiocy of the many characters! Watch at your own risk.

Before I started watching Red Rock I had seen a headline using a quote from an actor in the series saying they couldn't wait to be "knocking Fair City off their perch" with this new show. I taught this was mad as Fair City bad and all as it is, is still the main Irish soap opera around. After watching the first 6 episodes of Red Rock, I am sure it will knock Fair City "off their perch".

As the show opens with the death of a young man from a local feuding family we are drawn into every detail going around about the death as if we were members of An Garda Síochána. The show has so far shown how close the community is and has indicated at what the future holds with locals in corruption, law breaking Gardaí, the re-igniting of feuding local families the 'Kielys' and 'Hennessy's', behind closed doors relationships and the hopes and dreams of some members of the Gardaí being crushed.

While the show is still in it's early days and TV3 has commissioned the continuing drama for the next two years with 160 episodes to come. I hope to be for a long-haul of excitement, with every episode already ending on the note of the typical soap cliffhanger.

At 25 minutes or less an episode it breezes along. 2 feuding families and a Garda station with varying degrees of competence and corruption. As a soap it knows how to suck you into love/hating the characters quickly, and by episode 20 you really want the bad guy to get his, and by episode 30 he may be close to doing so. Will they drag it out some more? To keep us on our toes we have the good guys continually showing their clay heels, strong characters with holes, and a truly white trash family vying with one not much better, merely richer. Can cops be really as dumb as Westlife and Paudge? Will Sharon get justice or will she tell them all to shove it?

Very entertaining.