below par stuff that tries to be realistic when it's convenient
The show itself is very hackneyed in that it tries so hard to be realistic and true to it's two years of research but comes off unrealistic, predictable and similar to what has come before it. Me and my brother literally had most of the episode pinned down by the first 15 minutes and every other little scene just gave away chunks of what was to come
Rather than focus on the everyday struggles which may not make for good TV they've focused on very unique takes which don't allow much room for the audience to bond with. The main kid is so full of angst it's ridiculous but becomes one sided and possibly even stupid when his mother is afflicted with a clear mental illness and yet doesn't bat a eyelid and even goes to sleep and is prepared to live his life alone when his mother goes walkabout. But it was predictable from the first scene and the character doesn't allow for a realistic antagonist.
The nurse which seems to be a cross of the writer and Dennis Wise from the Wire takes his scenes almost take by take from the wire. Mr. Wise is a boxing instructor who helps local youths and has a past with drugs and tries to protect one of the young characters by confronting the drug dealers head on. Sound familiar?
His little scenes with his best friend go even more off the rails when his best friend is apparently good enough to be taken on into the drug world and acts as a spoonfeed into the drug world. But with all the emphasis on family and life, it seems the white kid is able to go missing and enjoy his foray into the drug world without anyone caring.
The pregnant lady fooled me but the fact that she had grown plants means she was well outside her depth though the drug dealer was the most entertaining of the characters though he only has a few minutes screen time.
While I can't remember the main drug dealers names bar Sully, i'll just call em Ash and Kano. They are ripped from every drug and crime rags to riches story you can find. With their dynamic of aspiring drug lord and violent partner in crime done better with films like Goodfellas and City of God. The top dog being a cockney gangster taken from any Guy Ritchie movie with trademark sneering and alluded danger.
While the dynamic moves the plot along predictably the characters are not likable and don't try to be anything different. Cue scenes of Ash looking on silently contemplating what to do next and Kano being a d*ck to anyone who talks to him.
The drug den scene was almost too predictable and the set up was again taken from the various adventures of Omar Little from the Wire. You could even call the main duo the amalgamation of nearly every drug dealer in the Wire. With the humble musings reminiscent and Pookie, Brody, Wallace and D'Angelo. To the contrasting gangster Avon and his aspiring partner in crime Stringer. Or maybe the coldcut and silent Marlo and his violent enforcers Chris and Snoop. All of which move with a realistic swagger and uniqueness that the one sided characters cannot hope to emulate in 4 episodes which their counterparts can do in a single scene.
While I'm not the biggest fan of the Wire, it's quality is even more apparent next to top boy.
the script itself doesn't jump out of the screen and unlike it's many predecessors there was nothing memorable spoken and quote worthy. Besides 'I give you good price' which I would find offensive cept I've heard Viets say similar.
Top Boy misses out on a great opportunity to portray the streets as a character of their own. They feel so disjointed moving about place to place as if they teleported there, you never feel there's a strong gang or drug culture let alone sense of community. Where apparently everyone knows everyone but they don't really, while the main kid's mom may have been a recluse I was surprised nobody recognised her and I swear she didn't pay for her groceries but when she goes to the nut house everybody seems to know but nobody seems to care the kid is left alone. Maybe that pregnant chick doesn't get around as much and obviously the only person to recognise her is the guy from her past who just happens to work there otherwise nobody would even know.
Then again that's just me venting from the first episode, I haven't even seen the second yet