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Taken Down [RTE]

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  • #602
    The Late Late Show
    Closed Accounts Posts: 840 ✭✭✭The Late Late Show


    Overall verdict. Taken Down took an interesting topic and started off good enough but then set into 4 dull and largely uneventful episodes. The Gardai were appalling in many cases. The last episode upped the ante a bit but one could not help feeling that this series could be done in 3 not 6 episodes. The conclusion was poor and left things hanging. Wayne turned out to be the harmless clown I predicted and Gar went AWOL. Gar has potential and if they do a series 2, they should show more of him and his viciousness akin to Love/Hate's Git.

    Taken Down was watchable but generally dull. It was not a great series but it was not exactly The Big Bow Wow and was also much better than the awful Striking Out. Clearly with this anti-climax ending there is a series 2.

    Also was surprised to see this Resistance is made. I take it that is the sequel to Rebellion talked about a while back?


  • #603
    The Late Late Show
    Closed Accounts Posts: 840 ✭✭✭The Late Late Show


    Beechwoodspark wrote: »
    Has to be up there in the running for absolutely the worst dog sh1te RTÉ have screened in years

    And that’s being harsh on dog sh1te

    It’s so so bad.

    Hang your heads in shame everyone involved in this rubbish

    Taken Down was overall disappointing. Wayne was just a clown and the Gardai often were worse clowns in it. Episodes 1 and 6 were good enough but the climax was not so good and episodes 2-5 were unforgivably bad.

    That all said and done, Taken Down was not in my view the worst drama on RTE in recent years. That honour would have to go to Striking Out. Taken Down is in the same class as dramas like Rebellion, Clean Break, The Young Offenders, etc.: not great but not as bad as other stuff. The Big Bow Wow remains the worst RTE drama I ever saw and Striking Out is not too far behind.


  • #604
    RabbleRouser2k
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,634 ✭✭✭RabbleRouser2k


    The Late Late Show wrote: »
    Taken Down was overall disappointing. Wayne was just a clown and the Gardai often were worse clowns in it. Episodes 1 and 6 were good enough but the climax was not so good and episodes 2-5 were unforgivably bad.

    That all said and done, Taken Down was not in my view the worst drama on RTE in recent years. That honour would have to go to Striking Out. Taken Down is in the same class as dramas like Rebellion, Clean Break, The Young Offenders, etc.: not great but not as bad as other stuff. The Big Bow Wow remains the worst RTE drama I ever saw and Striking Out is not too far behind.

    Young Offenders is miles ahead of the others on your list-it definitely deserves to be above the others mentioned.

    Taken Down just felt padded-and that RTE were advertising another series straight after it's finale (without a 'if you've missed any episode, the boxset is on the RTE player) showed how little interest it had drawn.
    Really bad-had elements of worse shows in it too.


  • #605
    The Late Late Show
    Closed Accounts Posts: 840 ✭✭✭The Late Late Show


    RabbleRouser2k wrote: »
    Young Offenders is miles ahead of the others on your list-it definitely deserves to be above the others mentioned.

    Taken Down just felt padded-and that RTE were advertising another series straight after it's finale (without a 'if you've missed any episode, the boxset is on the RTE player) showed how little interest it had drawn.
    Really bad-had elements of worse shows in it too.

    Young Offenders I agree is miles ahead of the others which I'd put in the order: Clean Break, Rebellion/Taken Down (which I'd rank equal). Taken Down and Rebellion both suffered from being way too long and padded out.

    The Young Offenders film was actually excellent and perhaps the TV series was not quite as good but it was not overly long and drawn out. Clean Break kept things to 4 episodes and while not as satisfying as its predecessor Love/Hate, it is in hindsight quite decent compared to what came after.

    That Taken Down was better than Striking Out is no prize really. Striking Out was almost as bad as The Big Bow Wow and the main character Tara felt like one out of that series. Taken Down had elements of these worse shows in it while not 100% keeling over into Bow Wow-land like Striking Out did.

    The main problems regarding characters in Taken Down were the unmemorable Gardai characters. If we get series 2, we need a new set of more competent Gardai and not what we got here. I was not even familiar with most of the actors who played the Gardai apart from Lynn Rafferty who is a better actor for gangsters' molls than Gardai. The other Gardai actors probably would not be good in any role, other than bit-parts in culchie comedies where Pat Shortt and not them would be the main focus.


  • #606
    prunudo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,105 ✭✭✭prunudo


    What was the idea of adding the miscarriage story into it. Had no bearing on the story what so ever.


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  • #607
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    jvan wrote: »
    What was the idea of adding the miscarriage story into it. Had no bearing on the story what so ever.

    Probably to show us that Super Cop Woman was so dedicated to the job that she miscarried and her Silly man should have known this could happen and done more for her :rolleyes:


  • #608
    RabbleRouser2k
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,634 ✭✭✭RabbleRouser2k


    Deleted User wrote: »
    Probably to show us that Super Cop Woman was so dedicated to the job that she miscarried and her Silly man should have known this could happen and done more for her :rolleyes:

    She didn't even care-it was the same 'stock' wooden expression.

    You know how on Blade Trinity, Ryan Reynolds just delivered a whole load of lines and they edited in Wesley Snipes expressionless face to the lines they picked?

    I feel like you could have edited in any line, then intercut it with her face and just called it a day.
    She really was that bad.
    jay0109 wrote: »
    I don't think many will be surprised to see that the Irish Times liked it

    https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/tv-radio-web/taken-down-killer-is-revealed-in-the-series-where-everyone-has-blood-on-their-hands-1.3726195

    So....the best bits were when nobody was on screen, just the 'sets', so to speak?

    Wow, that's not a review, that's a 'well, at least you tried'... If you can't say anything good, don't say nuffing at all.


  • #609
    The Late Late Show
    Closed Accounts Posts: 840 ✭✭✭The Late Late Show


    jvan wrote: »
    What was the idea of adding the miscarriage story into it. Had no bearing on the story what so ever.

    This, the golf scenes and so much more in it were just padding out what could have been a tight and much better 3 parter. Taken Down got very 'soapy' in places and the reason I gave up on the soaps was precisely because these annoying non-stories were getting in the way of the development of better stories. Problem with the soaps too is they are on too much and have to be padded out.


  • #610
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 17,728 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    RabbleRouser2k wrote: »
    She didn't even care-it was the same 'stock' wooden expression. .......

    Not that it matters but I thought she seemed to obviously care when she told him.


  • #611
    BridgeBoy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1 ✭BridgeBoy


    I said I would give it all the chances and wait till the end. It was decent, but had far too many characters that were totally underdeveloped.
    Abeni mislead a murder inquiry and that's all grand with the Garda seemingly.
    Wayne somehow kept his job, when the minimum he was under pressure over food choice in the audit at the start and by the end he is still there after a suicide, a murder and a girl became a sex slave on his watch!
    The SEXISM of the Super surely could have been a bit more subtle too.
    It was so hard to engage with the characters and Gar, Benji and Marvellous were the best of them, despite being the worst people in it.
    It was all very worthy, a very worthy look at a very worthy subject but it was done badly. As I said too many characters that I didn't really engage with.
    It needed to be tightened up a lot. If the focus on Series 2 was put on Gar they would be better off.
    It wasn't muck but it was disappointing in terms of the subject matter.


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  • #612
    RabbleRouser2k
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,634 ✭✭✭RabbleRouser2k


    BridgeBoy wrote: »
    I said I would give it all the chances and wait till the end. It was decent, but had far too many characters that were totally underdeveloped.
    Abeni mislead a murder inquiry and that's all grand with the Garda seemingly.
    Wayne somehow kept his job, when the minimum he was under pressure over food choice in the audit at the start and by the end he is still there after a suicide, a murder and a girl became a sex slave on his watch!
    The SEXISM of the Super surely could have been a bit more subtle too.
    It was so hard to engage with the characters and Gar, Benji and Marvellous were the best of them, despite being the worst people in it.
    It was all very worthy, a very worthy look at a very worthy subject but it was done badly. As I said too many characters that I didn't really engage with.
    It needed to be tightened up a lot. If the focus on Series 2 was put on Gar they would be better off.
    It wasn't muck but it was disappointing in terms of the subject matter.

    That was the biggest issue-flawed people are far more interesting than supposedly 'virtuous' people.
    Those three, as you mentioned, were flawed-to put it mildly.
    The gardai had no flaws, barring stereotypical 'add in crap and see what sticks'-such as the 'miscarriage' thing in the last episode.

    Death and Nightingales was on at the same time-it was a three parter, with a tighter story. It felt like that was what could have saved Taken Down-even a 4 parter might have been stronger. But nope.


  • #613
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    RabbleRouser2k wrote: »
    That was the biggest issue-flawed people are far more interesting than supposedly 'virtuous' people.
    Those three, as you mentioned, were flawed-to put it mildly.
    The gardai had no flaws, barring stereotypical 'add in crap and see what sticks'-such as the 'miscarriage' thing in the last episode.

    Death and Nightingales was on at the same time-it was a three parter, with a tighter story. It felt like that was what could have saved Taken Down-even a 4 parter might have been stronger. But nope.

    That was a very good production


  • #614
    mugsymugsy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,569 ✭✭✭mugsymugsy


    Anyone else having problems watching episode 6 on rte player. 1-5 available but can't see episode 6.


  • #615
    The Specialist
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,539 ✭✭✭The Specialist


    mugsymugsy wrote: »
    Anyone else having problems watching episode 6 on rte player. 1-5 available but can't see episode 6.

    It might have been......taken down


  • #616
    The Late Late Show
    Closed Accounts Posts: 840 ✭✭✭The Late Late Show


    BridgeBoy wrote: »
    I said I would give it all the chances and wait till the end. It was decent, but had far too many characters that were totally underdeveloped.
    Abeni mislead a murder inquiry and that's all grand with the Garda seemingly.
    Wayne somehow kept his job, when the minimum he was under pressure over food choice in the audit at the start and by the end he is still there after a suicide, a murder and a girl became a sex slave on his watch!
    The SEXISM of the Super surely could have been a bit more subtle too.
    It was so hard to engage with the characters and Gar, Benji and Marvellous were the best of them, despite being the worst people in it.
    It was all very worthy, a very worthy look at a very worthy subject but it was done badly. As I said too many characters that I didn't really engage with.
    It needed to be tightened up a lot. If the focus on Series 2 was put on Gar they would be better off.
    It wasn't muck but it was disappointing in terms of the subject matter.

    Sums up my views on it too. A more realistic portrayal of cops is needed. Would one see the type of cops here on say The Bill? No. Cops portrayed in Irish drama often seem to be written as comic relief. Imagine if there was an Irish production of The Handmaid's Tale. Would the Gilead police be portrayed too as culchie clowns?


  • #617
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    Dude..let it go..


  • #618
    RabbleRouser2k
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,634 ✭✭✭RabbleRouser2k


    The Late Late Show wrote: »
    Sums up my views on it too. A more realistic portrayal of cops is needed. Would one see the type of cops here on say The Bill? No. Cops portrayed in Irish drama often seem to be written as comic relief. Imagine if there was an Irish production of The Handmaid's Tale. Would the Gilead police be portrayed too as culchie clowns?

    Knowing RTE, it would be the other way round-the 'Gilead' would be the 'culchies' and the 'jackeens' would be the authority, telling em what to do.

    But RTE would botch it and make it so that the jackeens were doing the right thing.
    And it would star Eoghan McDermott.


  • #619
    The Late Late Show
    Closed Accounts Posts: 840 ✭✭✭The Late Late Show


    Does anyone know if Taken Down is getting a new series or not? If so, how could it be improved upon? I feel the best way if series 2 goes ahead is to bring back a strong Garda character perhaps even Moynihan from Love/Hate as the main character, have it focused on Gar and a drug gang and have it 100% written by Stuart Carolan.


  • #620
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    I reckon Season 2 the Center takes in a load of refugees from Gilead..


  • #621
    mr_edge_to_you
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,257 ✭✭✭mr_edge_to_you


    The Late Late Show wrote: »
    Does anyone know if Taken Down is getting a new series or not? If so, how could it be improved upon? I feel the best way if series 2 goes ahead is to bring back a strong Garda character perhaps even Moynihan from Love/Hate as the main character, have it focused on Gar and a drug gang and have it 100% written by Stuart Carolan.

    Didn't hear. I know when Love/Hate was being filmed, it generally took place in Mar/Apr. So you would imagine that if a 2nd series was being made that they'd be well into planning/production at this stage.

    Fully agree that the plot you refer to would be really good but it would effectively just become Love/Hate 2.0. I'd still watch it though.


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  • #622
    The Late Late Show
    Closed Accounts Posts: 840 ✭✭✭The Late Late Show


    mr_edge_to_you wrote: »
    Didn't hear. I know when Love/Hate was being filmed, it generally took place in Mar/Apr. So you would imagine that if a 2nd series was being made that they'd be well into planning/production at this stage.

    Fully agree that the plot you refer to would be really good but it would effectively just become Love/Hate 2.0. I'd still watch it though.

    I remember Love/Hate was always filmed around that time at least in its later seasons. So, unless we hear of something in the next few weeks, chances are Taken Down is a one off.

    I feel the series had and has potential despite its flaws. A second series could do the world of good in the manner I outlined. I am hearing Resistance which I will watch over the weekend is better than Rebellion. WRT Love/Hate and Breaking Bad too: series 1 of both were very good but the subsequent seasons were excellent. So, even the best of series improve.

    I would have no problem with a Love/Hate 2.0. Better Call Saul for example is Breaking Bad 2.0 and am enjoying it. Spinoff series can be good and making more out of characters is the key. Saul was a great BB character but Walter White/Heisenberg and the rest outshone him in that series whereas he has come into primary focus in his own series.


  • #623
    FrancieBrady
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 73,654 ✭✭✭✭FrancieBrady


    The Late Late Show wrote: »
    I remember Love/Hate was always filmed around that time at least in its later seasons. So, unless we hear of something in the next few weeks, chances are Taken Down is a one off.

    I feel the series had and has potential despite its flaws. A second series could do the world of good in the manner I outlined. I am hearing Resistance which I will watch over the weekend is better than Rebellion. WRT Love/Hate and Breaking Bad too: series 1 of both were very good but the subsequent seasons were excellent. So, even the best of series improve.

    I would have no problem with a Love/Hate 2.0. Better Call Saul for example is Breaking Bad 2.0 and am enjoying it. Spinoff series can be good and making more out of characters is the key. Saul was a great BB character but Walter White/Heisenberg and the rest outshone him in that series whereas he has come into primary focus in his own series.

    Problem is that Love Hate didn't have the same depth of characterisation as BB.
    Most, if not all, of the L/H characters were stereotypes or one dimensional. All of them played to preconceived notions of what these people are like, from Nidge to the wives to the Gardai.

    Better Call Nidge - we see how Nidge learned how to scowl. Not much meat in that. :rolleyes:


  • #624
    TheBlock
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 599 ✭✭✭TheBlock


    TD 2 is written but might not see it until 2020.


  • #625
    FixdePitchmark
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,777 ✭✭✭✭FixdePitchmark


    TheBlock wrote: »
    TD 2 is written but might not see it until 2020.

    It shouldn't be made - the female lead character doesn't work.

    Maybe if they could bring a new lead in.


  • #626
    Atlantic Dawn
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 86,261 ✭✭✭✭Atlantic Dawn
    GDY151


    A gritty crime drama about 2 drug dealing families who have a falling out might work, one could be worth billions and the other a small time player, places like Spain and Dubai could be used for it, lots of killings and money around in it.


  • #627
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    Atlantic Dawn wrote: »
    A gritty crime drama about 2 drug dealing families who have a falling out might work, one could be worth billions and the other a small time player, places like Spain and Dubai could be used for it, lots of killings and money around in it.

    They could have easily done a good Love/Hate spin off using Terrence, the IRA, and as much as i hate the man, John Connors (Patrick). Nidge owed a debt to Terrence
    which was lost when Patrick murdered Nidge so someone would have to pay this debt back

    And then another facet to the story is how Terrence and the IRA interact with each other and work in the same world [/SPOILER].


  • #628
    RabbleRouser2k
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,634 ✭✭✭RabbleRouser2k


    So why are RTE peddling Nowhere Fast, for the third damn time, and then showing the last series of X-files at the graveyard shift at 11.30 pm?

    It's this continual spending a huge budget on foreign programs, and then just tossing programs on at any hour.


  • #629
    The Late Late Show
    Closed Accounts Posts: 840 ✭✭✭The Late Late Show


    Deleted User wrote: »
    They could have easily done a good Love/Hate spin off using Terrence, the IRA, and as much as i hate the man, John Connors (Patrick). Nidge owed a debt to Terrence
    which was lost when Patrick murdered Nidge so someone would have to pay this debt back

    And then another facet to the story is how Terrence and the IRA interact with each other and work in the same world [/SPOILER].

    They could of course. Assuming Nidge is dead, your description would be how it could go. Another option is to continue with a spinoff cop series with Moynihan as the main character.

    There is room for at least one direct spinoff season for sure with loose ends to tie up. Assuming Nidge is dead, there is the issue of the cops going after Patrick for the murder of Nidge. There is the issue of Terence seeking revenge on Nidge's enemies. There is the issue of Fran v Noelie too. The series could be set initially in 2013/14 and then jump to the present day. Fran and Noelie are no longer in prison and are out for revenge. The new feud would see an alliance of Fran, Patrick and pro-Dano IRA line up against Ado, Elmo, Terence, Tony/anti-Dano IRA and Noelie.


  • #630
    prunudo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,105 ✭✭✭prunudo


    Was there ever any more word on it getting a second season?


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  • #631
    RabbleRouser2k
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,634 ✭✭✭RabbleRouser2k


    jvan wrote: »
    Was there ever any more word on it getting a second season?

    Seems like all that talk was folks huffing their own flatulence-the reviews for the finale were not kind, between tepid and to 'catching fire too late'.
    The cast came in for a drubbing too-so I'd say season 2 isn't happening.
    Plus RTE rolling out the Rebellion show so soon afterwards showed even they knew it was DOA.

    Usually a show like that, you know there will be problems for a first run-but the good should outweigh the bad.
    Problem is, the bad was outweighing the good-and much of the bad was the casting.
    Also...what do you do in Season 2? They blew their load with the direct provision stuff.
    They got nothing else.


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