MovieChat Forums > American Odyssey (2015) Discussion > Ways how this Show could've been better

Ways how this Show could've been better

posted 9 years ago by phantomF-12
2 replies | jump to latest

I've been thinking why this Show didn't really catch on and how it might've been made better. Some solutions?

A)
Show two Episodes back-to-back instead of a single Episode each week.
The story moves along very slowly, and often one is left frustrated by how the storylines end for the Good Guys at the end of each one, or by their actions.

Since I started watching the Show only after 7 Episodes had already aired, that's exactly what I did: watch 2 at a time. Much more happens, and you're left less frustrated. At the time I was catching up, I couldn't understand a lot of the criticism and thought the show was quite good. Now that I'm caught up, and have to plow through it 1 Episode at a time, I can see why some people don't like it.

B)
Simplify the Storylines. Cut down on Storylines

There's just to much focus on to many people for the time of a single Episode, and that's what makes it so slow and tedious.

We have:
- Odelle Ballard in Africa (with Aslam, Shakir Kahn, Luc)
- Harrison Walters in New York (with Bob, Anna, the Protests, his Dad)
- Peter Decker (with his Wife Sarah, Daughter Maya, Son Josh, Co-Worker Joe, Sofia Tsaldari, Alex Baker)

Then as secondary storylines we have:
- Suzanne and Ron Ballard in NY (with the Widows Dad is after, Julia the Woman Suzanne talks to)
- Rikki Castillo aka Ruby Simms and Michael Banks in NY (intersecting with Harrison)
- Col. Glenn in NY (intersecting with Odelle and Harrison)
- Yusuf and Senator Darnell in NY (intersecting with Harrison and Peter)
- Frank Majors and the other OSELAs in Africa

I'd say cut the Peter Decker storyline completely, it's the most boring and features the most obnoxious characters - Sarah and Maya Decker.
I understand that they wanted to show someone "serious" and "part of the system" as opposed to only those crazy, leftist "Occupy Wall Street" folks. But, it just doesn't really work, is somewhat redundant to Harrison's storyline and just consumes to much time.

At the same time, once you're rid of the Decker Storyline, you have more time to develop the other ones. More time for Odelle, who is supposedly the main focus of the Show. But also get more info on those secondary storylines that are more connected to both Odelle and Harrison: Ruby and the OSELA CEO, the OSELAs in Africa, Col. Glenn and the Ballard family in New York.

Focus on the Good Guys: Odelle & Harrison, but also let us see more of the Antagonists: Col. Glenn and Michael Banks. Alex Baker (CEO of SOC) can be moved into the background of Harrison's storyline.

What do you think? What would your suggestions have been?

[–] The_Blu_Ray_Penguin 9 years ago

I hear what you are saying but this show was trying to play with the Homeland crowd and attempted the multi-narrative with similar complexities. What people don't see is shows like Homeland do not rely much on ratings numbers but more on overall viewership and critical response. Network shows trying the same are doomed to fail as they have to dumb down the story to near procedural level or most of the fanbase will leave and ratings fall then comes the cancellation bear. This show was the closest I have seen to a network Homeland, as it was not bad and had potential, unlike the abysmal state of affairs junk that was a blatant d grade homeland ripoff. At least this show had its own identity. Too bad we didnt get a second season to finish the story off right.

[–] etsis 9 years ago

Hire an actual American actress to play the lead instead of a British actress with a bad American accent.