Put John Back on the ‘waves Only the damned can be saved…and that’s exactly what happens when John appears one morning, straight out of the blue (or Cincinnati as he’d have it) to tell Mitch Yost (patriarch of a multigenerational family of competitive surfers) to “Get back in the Game.”Funny stuff happens around John. People go up in the air. Things, usually in satisfyingly impressive denominations, materialize right out of his pockets.The dead come back to lifeThe living begin to come back to life by both reaching out, and receiving kindnesses from one and other.As one bemused individual, drawn into the strange and mysterious goings on around the Yost’s observes: “There’s a lot of quick healers in this zip code.”Love, Healing, Redemption, Spirituality and Slight-of-Hand… Sometimes hilariously, sometimes compassionately, John is the catalyst (think Starman crossed with Harpo Marx) who helps it all happen. I’d give ANYTHING to see the story continue with new episodes! Work with us at [...]
JFC resides in the pantheon of brilliant television…too bad it was cancelled It’s unfortunate that the term “groundbreaking” when it comes to television series seems to equate only to pushing the boundaries of sex and violence. “John From Cincinnati” broke new ground in narrative style and tackling the difficult topic of our collective subjective experiences that looked from the outside to be a simplistic family drama about surfing. It is definitely much more than that.”John From Cincinnati” plays more like a fable than a realistic drama whose characters are simultaneously over-the-top caricatures and profoundly human. They encompass our irrational fears, damaging anger, tendency to cling to the past, and our desire to escape from it and change. These characters ARE us, and we look at them both in their specific niche and set against the tableau of the history of our species’ existence (“big and huge” as John describes).At the center of this is John who is less of an actual character and more of a personification of that which connects us and our own naiveté. He is a narrative device analogous to a Greek chorus. He serves as a reflection of a character’s innermost thoughts and desires and strives to connect them to each other. He even literally does this as he imitates them. He stands apart from the rest of the cast to comment on them in his own bizarre way.The writing is rich in its language and subtle humor. We aren’t treated to immediate gratification either (and even the finale creates more mystery than it solves which is unfortunate in this case). Certainly airing immediately after the finale of “The Sopranos” when no one was watching handicapped such a series where continuity is significant. It takes several episodes to hit its full stride, but it does reward the dedicated viewer, gradually shedding light on previous events.Milch’s work on the early seasons of “NYPD Blue” and on “Deadwood” especially is brilliant, and “John From Cincinnati” is no exception in its own, very unique way. This is truly experimental, groundbreaking, underrated television for those willing to put forth the effort to read between the lines and immerse themselves in the lives of these disparate characters.
Powerful stuff – but not for everyone The excellent writing is often lost beneath the torrents of expletives — but — if you can get past that, JFC is totally engrossing. Miracles, mysterious figures, mysticism, surfing! The series was cut short to 10 episodes (from 13), so the series finale is a bit hurried. But the opening sequence (and Bob Dylan music) for that last episode is truly moving, given all that happened on the show’s run.So, giving JFC one star is right enough for those who don’t get it, but those that do get it, 5 are not enough.We won’t see more of this show, and maybe we don’t need to. It was great for what it was. If you’re undecided, rent it. It’s worth it.KBrady
Put John Back on the ‘waves Only the damned can be saved…and that’s exactly what happens when John appears one morning, straight out of the blue (or Cincinnati as he’d have it) to tell Mitch Yost (patriarch of a multigenerational family of competitive surfers) to “Get back in the Game.”Funny stuff happens around John. People go up in the air. Things, usually in satisfyingly impressive denominations, materialize right out of his pockets.The dead come back to lifeThe living begin to come back to life by both reaching out, and receiving kindnesses from one and other.As one bemused individual, drawn into the strange and mysterious goings on around the Yost’s observes: “There’s a lot of quick healers in this zip code.”Love, Healing, Redemption, Spirituality and Slight-of-Hand… Sometimes hilariously, sometimes compassionately, John is the catalyst (think Starman crossed with Harpo Marx) who helps it all happen. I’d give ANYTHING to see the story continue with new episodes! Work with us at [...]
JFC resides in the pantheon of brilliant television…too bad it was cancelled It’s unfortunate that the term “groundbreaking” when it comes to television series seems to equate only to pushing the boundaries of sex and violence. “John From Cincinnati” broke new ground in narrative style and tackling the difficult topic of our collective subjective experiences that looked from the outside to be a simplistic family drama about surfing. It is definitely much more than that.”John From Cincinnati” plays more like a fable than a realistic drama whose characters are simultaneously over-the-top caricatures and profoundly human. They encompass our irrational fears, damaging anger, tendency to cling to the past, and our desire to escape from it and change. These characters ARE us, and we look at them both in their specific niche and set against the tableau of the history of our species’ existence (“big and huge” as John describes).At the center of this is John who is less of an actual character and more of a personification of that which connects us and our own naiveté. He is a narrative device analogous to a Greek chorus. He serves as a reflection of a character’s innermost thoughts and desires and strives to connect them to each other. He even literally does this as he imitates them. He stands apart from the rest of the cast to comment on them in his own bizarre way.The writing is rich in its language and subtle humor. We aren’t treated to immediate gratification either (and even the finale creates more mystery than it solves which is unfortunate in this case). Certainly airing immediately after the finale of “The Sopranos” when no one was watching handicapped such a series where continuity is significant. It takes several episodes to hit its full stride, but it does reward the dedicated viewer, gradually shedding light on previous events.Milch’s work on the early seasons of “NYPD Blue” and on “Deadwood” especially is brilliant, and “John From Cincinnati” is no exception in its own, very unique way. This is truly experimental, groundbreaking, underrated television for those willing to put forth the effort to read between the lines and immerse themselves in the lives of these disparate characters.
Powerful stuff – but not for everyone The excellent writing is often lost beneath the torrents of expletives — but — if you can get past that, JFC is totally engrossing. Miracles, mysterious figures, mysticism, surfing! The series was cut short to 10 episodes (from 13), so the series finale is a bit hurried. But the opening sequence (and Bob Dylan music) for that last episode is truly moving, given all that happened on the show’s run.So, giving JFC one star is right enough for those who don’t get it, but those that do get it, 5 are not enough.We won’t see more of this show, and maybe we don’t need to. It was great for what it was. If you’re undecided, rent it. It’s worth it.KBrady