Striking Out [RTÉ1]

Del.Monte

squarecircles wrote: »

This profession is associated with educated, privileged people of fine anglo Irish stock with double necks and lamb fat dripping down on their tweed,sitting on their fat arses while toying with the affairs of low life reprobates.They want to emphasise that and it wouldn't work with a potatoe head with a thick Mick regional accent.


They are trying to protray uber cool Dublin,professional,elite,stylish,sophisticated by getting a Scandinavian production team to shoot trendy shots of a glorified sewer.

Unfortunately in reality it's a kip and will never authenticly be an uber cool Scandinavian city,just supermacs,dirty streets,chip fat,a shower of Mick's up from the country,and deluded Dubliners.

Oi'm backing bwrave.
(Untill there's a financial crash,then I'll pin ya to the wall,fleece ya,put your kids out on the side of the street,dis-inbowel your body,and sell your organs untill I get every last sent back.)

With all those chips I'm amazed that you can stand upright.

BoroMan32

'Mr Romeo? I never knew'......

Jesus wept, what a load of absolute rubbish.

freshpopcorn

Cleanbreak car sales man!

Sierra 117

I recognize this actor but I don't know from where.

freshpopcorn

Sierra 117 wrote: »

I recognize this actor but I don't know from where.

Clean break car sales man to the best of my knowledge!

Sierra 117

What's the point of an inquiry if those running it can't actually investigate?

MilesMorales1

What part of Dublin ever looks like that in the opening shot? Conveniently missing the junkies, the charity collectors, the foreign students going everywhere in giant groups, the people throwing their smokes on the floor all over the shop.

BettePorter

God it really does move very slowly doesnt it. I mean everything that's happened so far this episode could have happened in 15 minutes . It seems to spend an awful lot of time with leading shots into scenes and long pauses and glances for affect. Just get on with it ffs.

MilesMorales1

MilesMorales1 wrote: »

What part of Dublin ever looks like that in the opening shot? Conveniently missing the junkies, the charity collectors, the foreign students going everywhere in giant groups, the people throwing their smokes on the floor all over the shop.

RTE bias doing its bit for the Dublin tourism board. The streets are practically empty which is hilarious.

What in the name of god is actually happening in this shít show? its like paint drying. Backing bwave lady is now on :rolleyes:

A shop....in the middle of a forest?? :rolleyes:

Sierra 117

I couldn't care less about this child custody thing. You've only got six episodes, stop wasting them on victims of the week.

BettePorter

Deleted User wrote: »

A shop....in the middle of a forest?? :rolleyes:

Under the trees at spar !

BettePorter

BettePorter wrote: »

Under the trees at spar !

Brilliant!!

MilesMorales1

Is Tara ever in the office? What kind of solicitor is so readily available? Never does any bloody work.

MilesMorales1

Oh good, the never before mentioned brother popping up from nowhere.

tototoe

Terrible stuff. . Rte working from a limited selection of actors as usual...and to be fair Amy huberman is a poor actress. Gave to two episodes but I think I'm done. None of the back story makes any real sense and the main story each week just seem really really weak.

MilesMorales1

MilesMorales1 wrote: »

Oh good, the never before mentioned brother popping up from nowhere.

No wonder Eric was off riding other women when Tara was that close to his brother.

Sierra 117

I thought they were going to have Tara use Meg to feed false information to daddy Dunbarr, but nope, Meg now knows that Tara knows so that road is closed.

Sierra 117

Now I remember where I saw your man before. He was on Supernatural last season.

BuilderPlumber

tototoe wrote: »

Terrible stuff. . Rte working from a limited selection of actors as usual...and to be fair Amy huberman is a poor actress. Gave to two episodes but I think I'm done. None of the back story makes any real sense and the main story each week just seem really really weak.

A major flaw with this series is that each episode brings in a new story but also has some loose ends regarding Tara's ex and her family. Plots are unrealistically wound up quickly and one cannot get interested in the stories.

Did not watch this year's episodes and cannot motivate myself to either. Striking Out is watchable but not exciting. Just better than Dragon's Den but not a priority if one has better to watch.

BuilderPlumber

Where does Striking Out stand in comparison to other RTE dramas? I feel there was better dramas being made a few years ago. Based on the first series, I'd give SO 2/5. Watchable, has potential but boring and tame. Compare to others:

Love/Hate. 5/5. Proper stuff and the subject matter dealt with well. Gangland was shown in all its gory glory and memorable characters like Nidge and Fran made this the perfect violent Irish drama.
Amber. 4/5. I think this was underrated. It realistically depicted a missing child and the ending which was much criticised was realistic.
Quirke. Did not see, Can't comment.
Charlie. 4/5. This drama about Haughey was solid and gave us a glimpse of a time when Irish politicians were more colourful. Plus some Love/Hate actors are in it.
Clean Break. 3/5. This could have been excellent if only for the restraint. Love/Hate for the squeamish perhaps? Wasted opportunity.
Rebellion. 2.5/5. Despite a good cast, this restrained overlong attempt at an Irish Dr Zhivago was a major disappointment. It could have been great but restraint and a long drawn out style stopped it from being so.
Single Handed. 3.5/5. An early forerunner of Love/Hate, this crime drama was decent.
Raw. 4/5. This series managed to make a mundane topic (chefs) interesting.
The Clinic. Did not watch, do not like medical dramas, do not know what is a good or a poor one.

And 2 of the older ones:

Trouble in Paradise. 1/5. Interesting ideas poorly executed. Could have been so much more if done better. This was typical RTE drama of its time: take an interesting idea, get people interested and then lead up to an anti-climax.
The Big Bow Wow. 0/5. Probably the worst RTE drama ever made. In the near future, a group of Dubliners from various backgrounds meet in a club of the same name. Some are gay drug dealers in love with gay cops, another is a student having an affair with her teacher.

Striking Out may not be The Big Bow Wow but it is showing Irish/RTE drama has been sliding that way. After a set of decent to excellent dramas a few years back, RTE have returned us to the tame, restrained fare of old. Will we get something actually worse than the Big Bow Wow? Looks to be possible soon.

AndrewJRenko

BuilderPlumber wrote: »

Where does Striking Out stand in comparison to other RTE dramas? I feel there was better dramas being made a few years ago. Based on the first series, I'd give SO 2/5. Watchable, has potential but boring and tame. Compare to others:

Love/Hate. 5/5. Proper stuff and the subject matter dealt with well. Gangland was shown in all its gory glory and memorable characters like Nidge and Fran made this the perfect violent Irish drama.
Amber. 4/5. I think this was underrated. It realistically depicted a missing child and the ending which was much criticised was realistic.
Quirke. Did not see, Can't comment.
Charlie. 4/5. This drama about Haughey was solid and gave us a glimpse of a time when Irish politicians were more colourful. Plus some Love/Hate actors are in it.
Clean Break. 3/5. This could have been excellent if only for the restraint. Love/Hate for the squeamish perhaps? Wasted opportunity.
Rebellion. 2.5/5. Despite a good cast, this restrained overlong attempt at an Irish Dr Zhivago was a major disappointment. It could have been great but restraint and a long drawn out style stopped it from being so.
Single Handed. 3.5/5. An early forerunner of Love/Hate, this crime drama was decent.
Raw. 4/5. This series managed to make a mundane topic (chefs) interesting.
The Clinic. Did not watch, do not like medical dramas, do not know what is a good or a poor one.

And 2 of the older ones:

Trouble in Paradise. 1/5. Interesting ideas poorly executed. Could have been so much more if done better. This was typical RTE drama of its time: take an interesting idea, get people interested and then lead up to an anti-climax.
The Big Bow Wow. 0/5. Probably the worst RTE drama ever made. In the near future, a group of Dubliners from various backgrounds meet in a club of the same name. Some are gay drug dealers in love with gay cops, another is a student having an affair with her teacher.

Striking Out may not be The Big Bow Wow but it is showing Irish/RTE drama has been sliding that way. After a set of decent to excellent dramas a few years back, RTE have returned us to the tame, restrained fare of old. Will we get something actually worse than the Big Bow Wow? Looks to be possible soon.

I'd agree with all of your ratings funnily enough, though Raw went downhill in the final series.

c68zapdsm5i1ru

I watched the second half of last night's episode and it certainly hasn't improved on the last series. Weak script, sudden solutions, computer handily revealing useful information in the last fifteen minutes - it's all still there.

I really don't like Amy Huberman in the lead role. She's too saccharine and one dimensional. I thought, last year, that Meg would make a more interesting protagonist and this series I think Maria Doyle Kennedy's character has far more depth. I know Amy is meant to be a lovely person, and she's a good actress in a limited range of roles. But she's not strong or gutsy enough to carry the lead in a legal drama and I think she's dragging this one down - well, along with the crap scripts and postcard images of Dublin.

gmisk

Jordy Mushy Sordidness wrote: »

I watched the second half of last night's episode and it certainly hasn't improved on the last series. Weak script, sudden solutions, computer handily revealing useful information in the last fifteen minutes - it's all still there.

I really don't like Amy Huberman in the lead role. She's too saccharine and one dimensional. I thought, last year, that Meg would make a more interesting protagonist and this series I think Maria Doyle Kennedy's character has far more depth. I know Amy is meant to be a lovely person, and she's a good actress in a limited range of roles. But she's not strong or gutsy enough to carry the lead in a legal drama and I think she's dragging this one down - well, along with the crap scripts and postcard images of Dublin.

Totally agree RE Maria Doyle Kennedy...I would much rather watch a show with her character as the lead, she really is an excellent actress.
I dont think Amy Huberman is bad in the role its just a fairly poorly written character.
I think the creators are really going for a good wife type vibe but its isnt working really I am afraid.....

Bredabe

gmisk wrote: »

Totally agree RE Maria Doyle Kennedy...I would much rather watch a show with her character as the lead, she really is an excellent actress.
I dont think Amy Huberman is bad in the role its just a fairly poorly written character.
I think the creators are really going for a good wife type vibe but its isnt working really I am afraid.....

Amy's voice is this role is weird, highly stressed, even when she was supposed to be relaxing in the nightclub. Hearing it makes my shoulders tense.

NUTLEY BOY

I have really tried hard to give this production a fair hearing. I just give up. It is truly woeful. I hope that RTE do not commission a third series.

I am no drama critic but this production is like a set of beads where there is no string connecting them and they fall apart - every week

The answer that I might expect from some would be not to watch it or change channels. Fair enough. However, my primary complaint would be that RTE launched this with a great build up but have foisted a sub-standard drama on to us.

Frankly, if this is the best that they have to offer on their budget they would be better spending the licence payers' money on buying in good foreign productions of which there are many even within the sub-genre of legal drama.

bazermc

What the heck was the point of the scene with Tara jumping into the sea?

tototoe

bazermc wrote: »

What the heck was the point of the scene with Tara jumping into the sea?

No idea. Still trying to work that one out.

Personally I think Amy is not a good actress. She is exactly the same in everything. Lots of stares, quivery lips and silent pauses just do not help.

c68zapdsm5i1ru

bazermc wrote: »

What the heck was the point of the scene with Tara jumping into the sea?

Haven't a clue. Maybe that flashback to her childhood was meant to be giving her an insight into how the little girl in the custody case was feeling, or something.

Who knows

political analyst

BuilderPlumber wrote: »

Love/Hate. 5/5. Proper stuff and the subject matter dealt with well. Gangland was shown in all its gory glory and memorable characters like Nidge and Fran made this the perfect violent Irish drama.
Amber. 4/5. I think this was underrated. It realistically depicted a missing child and the ending which was much criticised was realistic.
Quirke. Did not see, Can't comment.
Charlie. 4/5. This drama about Haughey was solid and gave us a glimpse of a time when Irish politicians were more colourful. Plus some Love/Hate actors are in it.
Clean Break. 3/5. This could have been excellent if only for the restraint. Love/Hate for the squeamish perhaps? Wasted opportunity.
Rebellion. 2.5/5. Despite a good cast, this restrained overlong attempt at an Irish Dr Zhivago was a major disappointment. It could have been great but restraint and a long drawn out style stopped it from being so.
Single Handed. 3.5/5. An early forerunner of Love/Hate, this crime drama was decent.
Raw. 4/5. This series managed to make a mundane topic (chefs) interesting.
The Clinic. Did not watch, do not like medical dramas, do not know what is a good or a poor one.

And 2 of the older ones:

Trouble in Paradise. 1/5. Interesting ideas poorly executed. Could have been so much more if done better. This was typical RTE drama of its time: take an interesting idea, get people interested and then lead up to an anti-climax.
The Big Bow Wow. 0/5. Probably the worst RTE drama ever made. In the near future, a group of Dubliners from various backgrounds meet in a club of the same name. Some are gay drug dealers in love with gay cops, another is a student having an affair with her teacher.

With regard to a recent drama you didn't mention - Acceptable Risk - I didn't watch it but I could tell from the trailers it wasn't worth watching because Angeline Ball just wasn't convincing in her role as a cop.