Director: Mark Tinker
Cast: Rebecca DeMornay (Cissy Yost), Matt Winston (Barry Cunningham), Austin Nichols (John Monad), Bruce Greenwood (Mitch Yost), Luis Guzman (Ramon), Luke Perry (Linc Stark), Keala Kennelly (Kai), Brian Van Holt (Butchie Yost), Jim Beaver (Vietnam Joe), Greyson Fletcher (Shaun Yost), Ed O'Neill (Bill Jacks), Willie Garson (Meyer Dickstein), Paul Ben-Victor (Palaka), Emily Rose (Cass), Dayton Callie (Freddie) & Garret Dillahunt (Dr. Smith)
John is beaten up by some thugs, Kai grows closer to Butchie, and Mitch shares his secret with Cass...Okay, the honeymoon period is over. I always like to give TV shows some leeway in their opening handful of episodes because, unlike books and films, television doesn't arrive fully-formed. Early criticism of something in episode 1, could be revealed as a masterful piece of foreshadowing by episode 5, etc. However, after 4 episodes, if the show hasn't grabbed you on some level -- it's probably never going to...
His Visit, Day Three is a great deal simpler, narratively, although this means the episode feels like 20 minutes of story stretched to almost 50. Indeed, I'm sure the plots to episodes 1-4 could have been told in half the time. This slow-burn nature is designed to cultivate a mood in the viewer, which it succeeds at, but it's also beginning to try my patience.
Fortunately, after bubbling away for three episodes, episode 4 may not have much going on, but atleast it makes definite progress regarding the storyline. John cuts himself loose from the hips of Butchie and Kai, to wander around Imperial Beach by himself, eventually running into trouble with a gang of hoodlums and getting stabbed.
The other major turn of events concerns Mitch, who is seen in bed with filmmaker Cass (cute Emily Rose), a girl young enough to be his daughter. It appears the Mitch/Cissy relationship really has hit the skids and Mitch's bond to Cass is solidified after she witnesses him levitating in the bedroom.
As it typical for John From Cincinnati, the other subplots mainly consist of characters pairing up and talking to each other in vague, meandering, jargon-heavy ways. Cissy busts some reporters in the surf shop, as the press try to get a story on "miracle boy" Shaun's return from the dead; Hawaiian drug-dealers Freddie and Palaka antagonize each other outside the Motel; Bill Jacks continues to chat to his dead wife and bird Zippy; and love blossoms between boisterous Butchie and surf chick Kai (Keala Kennelly).
The freshest injection into the show recently has been Dr Smith (Garret Dillahunt), the only character who genuinely seems "normal" and on an admirable quest to figure out what's going on! Mitch (Bruce Greenwood) also become more probing about his levitation, linking it strongly to John's appearance at last. I'll be happy when more characters stop ignoring all the bizarre happenings and start looking for some answers -- if only for the audience's benefit!
Carnivale was another HBO series that preferred to amble instead of run during its first season, but that series had a more elaborate production and visual appeal to help gloss over its defects. John From Cincinnati is very low-budget in comparison, but hasn't yet developed characters strong enough for you to care about. There's strong acting in places on John From Cincinnati, but it's all played against impenetrable dialogue and surrealism, so just distances you.
Regina Corrado and Abby Gewanter's script atleast manages to provide stronger focus on characters like Cass and Linc, who both appear to know more about what's going on than it seems. Cass in particular becomes far more interesting when she experienced a vision of missing John's whereabouts (similar in style to the one Kai has last week) and John's alien nature is becoming more apparent. He even parrot-talks snippets of dialogue he wasn't present to hear (although nobody notices...)
Is this a hint that events are preordained in John's mind? Could time-travel be playing a part in the mystery? Is John a visitor from the future, sent back in time to witness or influence an event involving the Yost's?
If nothing else, John From Cincinnati is providing a small brain workout. I just wish it was more enjoyable than it currently is... but it's getting there.
Posthumous Review
Written: 12 July 2007
HBO
