MovieChat Forums > Rubicon (2010) Discussion > Loved Rubicon; Canceling Right Move

Loved Rubicon; Canceling Right Move

posted 13 years ago by hidrojen66
41 replies | jump to latest

I don't really understand all this clamor for a second season. I watched every episode, most of the time on the original air date, rather than on the DVR at my convenience: I really like the show and it really progressed into a great pace at the end. With that said, isn't the story pretty much wrapped up? Was Will just going to go back to work and pretend like nothing ever happened? I can understand wanting more of a good thing, but I don't understand where else this show could have went.

I don't really see the problem in having a show that wraps itself up in one season and then never comes back, like a sequel to a movie. Day Break on ABC, oft the butt of jokes when it premiered, followed a very similar pattern to Rubicon, in my opinion. Both started off slower than what is popular yet came to a very thrilling and satisfying ending. I'd rather have the show exist as is, given that the story seemed pretty self contained and, in my opinion, did not necessitate a second season or followup information.

[–] freshprinceofbel-air 13 years ago

My sentiments exactly actually. I made the same post a while ago.
The answer, in my opinion is, that there is so much crap on TV that people are craving for these sort of shows - the story is of secondary meaning to them.

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Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air Forever

[–] fubared1 13 years ago

Well, it's nice to know there is an end in sight, thank you. I've watched 4 episodes and am still waiting for something to happen. Even the great shows that didn't rely on fast pacing and car chases and bullets flying (like the British Le Carre adaptations) still held your interest. So far this one hasn't gone anywhere, and I kept wondering if they were going to try to drag it out over 6 years like 'Lost'.

Life sucks, then you're reincarnated

[–] homer34 13 years ago

It starts to find its footing in from episode 5 onwards...

[–] OC47150 13 years ago

I gave up a couple of episodes later than #5. The acting was great, but nothing happened! It was too methodical.

[–] yojimboy 13 years ago

As far as Day Break goes, that one went on a little too long for my taste. Seemed to me that after he convinced his girlfriend what was happening on the beach it started to tread water.

[–] winosaur 13 years ago

This would be a good argument if the final episode had actually resolved anything. But it didn't.

[–] freshprinceofbel-air 13 years ago

Are you capable of thinking or what? Why does every little detail need to be spelled out to some people?

Here look, I'm gonna address just the most obvious 'unresolved' issue.
Spangler's death. Now even though it wasn't shown - by seeing what happened to everyone that received a four leaf clover we now know what will happen to him. I.e. he will be killed or he'll kill himself.

But of course while awaiting a resolution on season 2 some people started getting these ideas that he could defy the organisation and that they could make him live in season 2 had there been one. Well guess what? There is no season 2 and that means he's dead as a door knob.

This is just an example of how simple things are and there really isn't much to it. If there's any other questions that you need answered please post them here so we can answer them.

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Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air Forever

[–] meldrone 13 years ago

1. Why doesn't an independently wealthy person, when he gets the dreaded 4 leaf clover, hire some experienced clever security? As the guy in episode 1 would obviously have done.

2. Did anybody review these moronic scripts?

[–] freshprinceofbel-air 13 years ago

You need to look at it in the context of who he'd be up against.

These guys could be accountable for a spate of crimes (on international scale) they had commited over the time. Private security, albeit possible would cost a lot of money. And that's if he'd get anyone wanting to protect him as chances are that Atlas co. could have their arms into any organisation if they'd want to.

I remember reading about this paranoid Georgian billionaire who died in UK a couple of years ago from 'heart attack'! - he was paranoid that Russians would kill him like in the other well known case of Alexander Litvinenko. Anyway he had 120 strong security made up of ex French foreign legion soldiers.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-514101/Police-await-toxicology -tests-Georgian-billionaire-initial-post-mortem-says-died-natural-caus es.html

So anyway you make out how much that kind of army would cost each month. But the guy was a billionaire so he could afford it. And it still wasn't enough! Now I am sure Spangler is not a billionaire. In other words he'd have very little manoeuvring space left.

The other option he would have is to turn himself in and be disgraced. In that case his days would be numbered as he would he have a hit on his head. We can only speculate how long it'd take for them to have him killed.

Option three... go out like a man, kill yourself.

_______________________________
Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air Forever

[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

[–] adrian_royals 13 years ago

@ freshprinceofbel-air: why do you assume such defensive action?? after all spangler is just 1 man the rest of them are just a few men, spangler's smartest move would have been to hire people to kill them 1st. even if he does go down, take a few with you. - THAT would be the "going out like a man" option, suicide is a coward's way out not being a man, wtf were you thinking?!?!?!

[–] Bladerunner 12 years ago

That is a child's answer. This isn't just about Spangler, this is about EVERYONE he knows. They'll kill everyone you ever loved, knew or met. "Going out like a man", pfffft. This is something a little kid watching Rambo would say. Suicide is NOT always a "coward's way out". I'm not saying it's a right thing to do, but there are situations where you cannot fight your way out.

Also, if Spangler started killing all four of his "friends", you think the cops and or feds wouldn't be looking to him? Now he is publicly disgraced and his family and API along with him. Other people in the apparatus will certainly mark him and kill him and his family, as a message. The core members are the five guys left (including Spangler) but there are many other people involved, as we saw in the series. They'll kill him to save themselves, you can bet.

"...nothing is left of me, each time I see her..." - Catullus

[–] thomas998 12 years ago

You forgot Option 4. Try to kill the SOBs that are trying to kill you.

[–] potteries 13 years ago

This is just an example of how simple things are

Everything is simple when you want to delude yourself you are right.

[–] BenKlein 13 years ago

Was that chick working for Atlas or was she innocent and helping Will?

[–] freshprinceofbel-air 13 years ago

Most likely she worked for Tom Rhumor because she knew the location of his secret apartment.
We can speculate however, that at the end, she worked with Kale because he started helping David Haddas (who was working with Tom Rhumor as seen on DVD) just before he died so he might've told him about Andy and got them to cooperate.

_______________________________
Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air Forever

[–] wolfen244 12 years ago

That's my opinion as well. Miranda Richardson's death bothered me. It seemed obvious that Lauren Hodges' character [Tanya MacGaffin] was quitting after we [the audience] just started getting acquainted with her. I also wanted to see how Annie Parisse's character might get more interesting. Of course I wanted to see more of James Badge Dale's character. Also I really enjoy getting into the villain Spangler and the mysterious Kale Ingram - as long as they down played his sexuality which rubs me the wrong way unless it is downplayed merely because not only is it uncomfortable but the entire show downplays sex.

[–] efc-2 13 years ago

Don´t know if the "plan" was just one season. But that seems pretty odd.

Sure it´s more to the story but could be a point to leave the closure open. Yes the bad guys wins and nobody really care about the truth. A good story a while but then it will be forgotton. Pretty much keeping up what made the series good, its reality.

[–] goodallguy 13 years ago

There are some cogent points here. Canceling might be the right move.
I, however, don't care. I really enjoyed the series and I wanted more! : )

[–] Anamon 13 years ago

I share that opinion.

I really appreciate it if a series has an actual plan for its plot, knows the story it wants to tell, and when it's told. "x of the week" shows can be cool too, but for shows where an overarching plot is central, this is much more satisfying than shows that just go on and on until enough viewers grew tired of the aimless wandering.

There will always be people who claim the story feels unfinished for this kind of storytelling. Pretty recently I encountered this with the game Mafia II. I always read how people felt cheated, that there was an abrupt un-ending that was obviously just made to sell add-ons or sequels. When I finished the game myself, I didn't understand. The plot ended, no questions left unanswered, and I couldn't think of anything they could or should have added. Some people will not be satisfied until there is an explicit death scene or a "happily ever after" for each character, I guess. Actually watching and understanding what's happening on screen or what's implied seems to have gone out of style.

What also has gone out of style is pacing and a care for atmosphere in TV and movies, That's why I also would have liked Rubicon to continue after all. It's such a rare thing that a show actually takes the time to build and let people think and soak in the atmosphere. The financially viable way is to show an explosion or fight or sex scene at least every 5 minutes, in order to entertain those viewers that can not actually sit down to watch a show, but have to do 3 other things on the side. When I'm disappointed that Rubicon ended, I'm disappointed because I know that shows like this, in whose universe I can get lost, are rare, maybe increasingly so, and it will probably be a while before the next one comes along that can reach this quality (thankfully there was at least one other new show with style and atmosphere this year, Boardwalk Empire).

I would have been happy if Rubicon were to continue, even if it would have had to start a new, unrelated storyline,

[–] Alorann 13 years ago

Honestly, from the very beginning the storyline shouted to me "miniseries!" When the theme from the beginning is that you work for a corrupt organization, then where do you go from there? You either take down the organization, or you live with it. But the pace was too slow for me. I kept watching because I really wanted to like the show, but I was never won over.

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] toadwriter 13 years ago

well, I personally think it's a load of crap. I was never told in the beginning that there was only going to be 1 season. And season 1 ended with the terrorist accomplishing his task. I was led to believe there would be more to come. It didn't feel like closure to me.

If this were only meant to be a miniseries or we were told there'd only be 1 season, then we could all live with that.

My DVR just recorded 2 episodes from last year, so I was watching them and thinking, Hmmm, when's season 2 begin. I just found out today the show's been cancelled and I'm livid.

I mean really, what makes AMC great? It's not the classic movies because everyone watches TCM for that. What makes AMC great is the ground-breaking shows and that's ALL people tune into AMC for. It's BS to me that a network that draws a minimal audience all the sudden has now set standards for what's acceptable. I think it's completely proposterous that a show like Rubicon is cancelled when there's so many far less intriguing shows out there today.

I guess I'm a dying breed because I would rather watch Rubicon than any of the cheaply produced reality shows. I still can't believe that moronic survivor show is on TV. Rubicon is better than Walking Dead, which I bet will also get cancelled... that has even less intrigue, I mean how long can you stand watching people flee friggen zombies?

TV Networks have got their heads up their a**es, as do many people watching TV. People just don't know when they've got something good right in front of their faces.

Any intelligent show is beyond the scope of the average watcher and that's why they get cancelled.

It's a sad state when people turn to dumb sitcoms with their regurgitated jokes and reality shows over a solid, well-written drama like Rubicon.

I for one am going to write AMC a nasty letter. I'm going to tell them they don't have an audience for anything but their shows and they shouldn't put demands on a set number of people that have to watch their crappy network. A bag of doritos is worth more than their network and they're cancelling Rubicon?

[–] canuckteach 13 years ago

I liked it, too - it is a stylish suspense series, and the espionage game is great to watch when it's well done. I am content that it ends here. I suppose a 2-hr movie could be done to wrap things up, and explore some new problems, if enoughfans clamored for it. That's what ended up happening with Firefly, another unique show with snappy dialogue.

The Brit show Mi-5 only does 8 to 10 very high quality shows per season, with little guarantee that cast members will survive the danger inherent in the job. The result is that there is great flexibility in what might transpire with the characters. Hollywood tends to make plastic shows that revolve around a few glamorous leads, all repeating clichés we've heard for decades, and to whom nothing seriously bad can happen. We break up watching the commercials for this crap -- saw one 30 minutes ago -- "You're either in or you're out.." says some serious dude.. how could real actors bring themselves to utter such moronic piffle sampled from some screenplay software?

:-) canuckteach (--:

[–] bilko-1 13 years ago

""You're either in or you're out.." says some serious dude.. how could real actors bring themselves to utter such moronic piffle sampled from some screenplay software? "

That's exactly what I thought about the lame dialogue of `rubicon.

[–] homer34 13 years ago

When I see how weak "The Killing" is, it pisses me off that they cancelled Rubicon

[–] kimamey54 13 years ago

I liked Rubicon as well. I'm in the UK and found it by chance. It was slow in parts but it was worth sticking with.
I think the problem with shows like this is when the first season is written and filmed it's not known if there will be a second. This happened with Flashforward and a couple of series in the UK, Paradox and Identity. When you're writing these do you tie everything up in which case you've got problems if viewing figures are good and another season is asked for? If you leave it open and it's cancelled then you also have problems.
I suppose it might work if you split the series and the second half, third or quarter was altered depending on whether there is a second season.
Rubicon looked as if it was written to try and cover both eventualities.

[–] !!!deleted!!! (8778465) 9 years ago

"well, I personally think it's a load of crap. I was never told in the beginning that there was only going to be 1 season. And season 1 ended with the terrorist accomplishing his task. I was led to believe there would be more to come. It didn't feel like closure to me."

Very good point. The producers of the show should have paid you a visit, or at the very least a telephone call to make sure you'd know that Rubicon was only going to run for one season. WTF where they thinking when they decided not to do this?? I'm sorry that the producers failed to do their job by informing you, make sure you mention that point in the letter, hopefully AMC will realize how important and how right you are and they will make sure something like this never happens again.

You're so right. You're a genius. No one has ever thought these thoughts you're having right now. You should write a book. I hope you never stop whining and crying about how you don't like *beep* tv shows. Maybe someday AMC will write you a letter in reply, apologizing, and admitting you've been right along. How could they be so incompetent? Do they not know who you are?? WHY WOULD THEY NOT TELL YOU???!!

Anyway, I don't want to take up any more of your valuable time. I know you're a busy man and I'll let you get back to writing angry letters to TV stations, I'll bet when the board of directors who run AMC read your letter they will fly you in on a private jet so you can share your priceless opinions and complaints in person, as I have no doubt the words you'd speak would be worth their weight in gold. AMC and every other TV station should stop producing low-budget shows that despite being *beep* manage to pull in ratings and profits from advertising spots. What they should be doing is producing high quality shows which require a large investment and a heavy budget, even though this more expensive route usually ends up with a negligible or absent bump in ratings and little to no increase in profits. AMC should stop worrying about at least breaking even on their investments and start worrying about pleasing you and appealing to your exceptional taste and sensibilities instead. Like I said, you're very very important. Thank you.

Here's something you probably don't want to hear. TV isn't about entertainment. TV is about advertisement. The only reason TV shows exist is to give you something to watch in between the commercials. AMC knows this which is why they'll think you're a jackass for writing such a stupid letter.

[–] gtbarker 13 years ago

I agree.

**Spoiler**Spoiler**Spoiler**

Truxton Spanglers final sentiments summed it all up and the whole of human nature in his final sentiments 'do you really think anyone is going to give a *beep* et cicenses

[–] FeeCJ (121) 3 years ago

Spot on gtbarker.

I was one who was incredibly upset at the time that we did not get a series 2.

But to say it did not end properly, is not really the case, in my opinion.

Sure, it could have either been a cliffhanger for series 2 ..... or..... just like some movies end, it could have been an ending in which there was not going to be a happy one. But it WAS an end.

And "Rubicon" seems to have been the latter here.

In fact there is a film that ended exactly like series 1 of Rubicon ended: "Three Days of the Condor."

"Rubicon" followed that ending to a T.

The brilliant analyst having figured it ALL out threatens the guy running the whole black ops show with going to the New York Times and telling all, and having it published.

Cliff Robertson who plays Higgins the top ops guy, who is working to secure oil fields for the US "by ANY means necessary," just scoffs at Joe Turner and says yeah go ahead. Go tell the New York Times your story. But what if...they don't PRINT it?" he smirked.

Higgin walks away, just like Spangler did.

Showing that they are SO all powerful that little Joe Turner or Will Travers are bugs under their feet and will be dead soon anyway.

Joe Turner had been running for his life when Higgins found him and told him that. And Will has already had an attempt on his life in his flat. They are toast.

Condor and Rubicon end the exact same way. With a finality that works, but not if you want happy endings where the good guys have a shot at winning...