Kin - RTE & AMC

So very slick production.

When something bad is happening they walk down or into an enclosed space! The acting was so-so but they had little to work with script-wise.

I felt that none of the action actually connected with the story. For example the son wanting to work with his father but the mother wanting to him to fill out his CAO form, really only lead to the attack on the drugie (was he ironing at the time and why?) which lead to the son deciding he should do law in college, but then you know what happens to the son right... shock ... no not really.

The sex talk with the son was just odd, while answering the door to the Guards naked was also very strange.

I will stay to see if it improves but I didn't think it was all that great.

Given AMCs involvement in this it's hardly surprising that the production is slick and polished. They're hardly going to be marketing skangers in grey trackies and black puffer jackets to an American audience are they.

Posters complaining that beards make it hard to differentiate the characters need to pay Specsavers a visit! There's plenty lads around the country with beards and tats slinging gear btw.

There's plenty of legitimate criticisms to be made but I don't think the aesthetic is one. Dialogue is very ropey at times but not at the same level of awfulness that season 1 of Love/Hate was. The acting is clunky with the exception of Hinds and much of the interactions feel laboured and unnatural. I'm interested enough in the story to continue watching another bit and hopefully Hinds character becomes much more involved.

Doesn’t look like it is going to be great....but then neither did Love/Hate. Acting and dialogue very ropey. Time will tell.

did anyone find it had to watch...in the sense that the lighting was off or something? I feel like I need a new TV.

but all other channels were fine.....

Incredible first episode in my opinion. Managed to be introductory and explosive at the same time, which is something a lot of TV shows struggle with. If I had one criticism which jumped out at me about half way in, I always feel that in a pilot or opening episode, they should make a point of having the characters address other characters by name as often as possible when talking to them, just so as the viewer quickly establishes which names refer to which characters. I feel like I'm going to have to do a re-watch to firmly cement the who's who in my mind, which suggests that the writing didn't take this into account as strongly as it could have (it's not often a problem I have when watching TV, otherwise I'd simply be blaming myself :D )

One thing I'd love to know is, particularly seeing as this is a transatlantic production and airing in two jurisdictions - does that mean IMRO's deal about music doesn't apply and therefore we won't be hearing music from current pop culture as opposed to music taken from synch libraries? I remember one big criticism of Love/Hate's DVD release was that all of the recognisable music was replaced with catalogue stuff in order to avoid international royalty negotiations, and in terms of Love/Hate, the use of music we all know and recognise in background settings *massively* increased the immersiveness of the show (even scenes such as We Found Love playing through the walls of the nightclub at the start of season 4, or Nicki Minaj and Guetta singing in the background during the first communion scene). Anyone happen to know what the deal with be with this show?

Final thought: Have to say, to those who criticise the characters in Gangland shows for looking too 'slick' as if expecting those on the business side to dress and act more like their customers than dealers - in my view you're really missing the point. Look at some of the people on the business side of the real life gangs and they tend to be well spoken, well dressed etc - Christy Kinahan wasn't nicknamed "The Dapper Don" for nothing. I think what people need to realise is that there's often a lot of crossover between addict and dealer in the lower echelons of drugs gangs simply because if one can't afford to pay off a debt (or if one just wants to make money to feed their habit), agreeing to work for the gang is an obvious solution. In fact, I'm fairly sure most low level dealers end up in the business through this route specifically. Ergo, those who are purely on the business side would be as well dressed or spoken as anyone - but they're also unlikely to be the people you'd be buying from if your method of procurement is to hang around on a street corner waiting for someone to come over and offer you a sale. Those expecting everyone in a criminal enterprise to slur their speech and wear tattered clothes are assuming that the upper layers in a gang join it because they're already either impoverished or addicted, which is rarely the case.

He knew who was at the door as they rang the intercom no ?

He knew what he was doing.

Spoilers tags are easy to do now even easier then before. Just go to what looks like a key with a line beside it on the bottom left of your page click on that then click on spoiler and it will hide what you are writing simples.

its basically fair city after dark

the lad picking out sweeties before going on a hit...spare me

the guy into snakes ....filler rubbish

the worst of all was yer wan talkin about a night of mad passionate filthy sex to her son... bizarre horse manure

gillen character a right plonker in it

Hinds is best thing in it by a mile

I don't get that the characters aren't believable, have you seen the Kinihan gang? Lots in suits, cardigans, not your typical dublin mob. This seems like a much higher level of management than Love Hate too. Come on if pretty boy Darren can pass for a gangland thug, anyone can.

In the opening/ending scene, what was the significance of the young lad buying sweets in the shop before heading to the hit?

Were they trying to emphasise the point that some of these gangland thugs are only kids, still interested in sweeties but have no mass on the value of human life?

He was in Raw on RTE years ago - looks nothing like that character now

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4187130/

Jesus that's what he was in, that show was terrible.

Ciaran Hinds just has to look out a window. He could do it in every episode and still be worth his paycheck.

He's got a very distinctive voice too.

Exactly. My point was that RTE are still heavily involved in the copro dramas they commission. KIN was purely an acquisition hence no RTE involvement.