The premise of Hack is compelling, the acting breathtaking in scope and depth and the characters multidimensional and relatable. The realism provided by these flawed, admirable and inspiring characters is not,however, matched by the mechanics of how the plot is carried out.
This first scene in the first episode where Olshansky tells the father of a kidnapped victim that he has rescued,
'You're going to cooperate with the police, you're going to testify at trial, you're going to make sure he goes to jail... And I was never here.'
Implausibility undermines this gripping drama. A seasoned cop knows that once a victim/witness is caught in a lie, his credibility is finished, his testimony invalidated. Instructing the victims to lie is not consistent with the main character's personality either. This is one example of the implausibility of the way the "I was never here" theme is carried out.
Normally, this kind of chasm between real-life and cop-drama is a deal- breaker for me. However, after just 4 episodes, I eagerly look forward to the rest of the series and rue their end --singularly due to the performance of David Morse, his co-stars and the characters they bring to life.
"Stunning" is an overused word and it's a shame because it perfectly describes Morse in this role. He is a hero you root for, cry for, worry about. He is commanding, sensitive and can move a scene - and the viewer- with just a facial expression. In the final scene of one episode, when Oshanski goes to his ex-wife's house to apologize for the unnecessary roughness of their life together, his face is a world of pain. So big is his command of that scene, it eclipses the need or even the desire to see it happen. The supporting actors' "chemistry" with Morse are all poignant. They deserved a more realistic script to carry out a dramatic idea.
We are hero-needy and where better than in the rawness of a cop- to-the-core driving a taxi? Even a decade later. Or, rather, especially a decade later.
This first scene in the first episode where Olshansky tells the father of a kidnapped victim that he has rescued,
'You're going to cooperate with the police, you're going to testify at trial, you're going to make sure he goes to jail... And I was never here.'
Implausibility undermines this gripping drama. A seasoned cop knows that once a victim/witness is caught in a lie, his credibility is finished, his testimony invalidated. Instructing the victims to lie is not consistent with the main character's personality either. This is one example of the implausibility of the way the "I was never here" theme is carried out.
Normally, this kind of chasm between real-life and cop-drama is a deal- breaker for me. However, after just 4 episodes, I eagerly look forward to the rest of the series and rue their end --singularly due to the performance of David Morse, his co-stars and the characters they bring to life.
"Stunning" is an overused word and it's a shame because it perfectly describes Morse in this role. He is a hero you root for, cry for, worry about. He is commanding, sensitive and can move a scene - and the viewer- with just a facial expression. In the final scene of one episode, when Oshanski goes to his ex-wife's house to apologize for the unnecessary roughness of their life together, his face is a world of pain. So big is his command of that scene, it eclipses the need or even the desire to see it happen. The supporting actors' "chemistry" with Morse are all poignant. They deserved a more realistic script to carry out a dramatic idea.
We are hero-needy and where better than in the rawness of a cop- to-the-core driving a taxi? Even a decade later. Or, rather, especially a decade later.