SummaryDr. Catherine Black (Kelly Reilly), an expert in neuroscience hides her bipolar diagnosis from everyone except her psychiatrist, Dr. Helen Hartramph (Vanessa Redgrave).
SummaryDr. Catherine Black (Kelly Reilly), an expert in neuroscience hides her bipolar diagnosis from everyone except her psychiatrist, Dr. Helen Hartramph (Vanessa Redgrave).
Thank God finally a TV show that depicts the chaos and terrible pain people with bipolar bestow on themselves and others when they get addicted to the highs and refuse to acknowledge responsibility and take the medicine they need. Glad it shows how manipulative and cunning smart and charming they can be and how they get away with destroying the lives of those around them and themselves...Especially when people keep giving them chances to create havoc and feel sorry for them instead of insisting on responsibility...I do think it is ridiculous that people with these illnesses are allowed to have any UNSUPERVISED decision making jobs that affect others health and or wellbeing in ANY way. I am fed up and disgusted with shows that show the "glory' and romanticized version of mental illness...People that are successful and creative are that way INSPITE of the illness not because of it!! BRAVO BLACK BOX WRITERS so much truth is coming out in this show finally!!! IT is so needed.
One of the best shows I've seen in a long time. I love the entire cast. This show is compelling, intriguing, and very exciting. I love the whole premise of the show. Abc has outdone themselves with this show. Totally recommend this show.
Reilly, who is British but who has a convincing American accent, is a sturdy lead. She nicely holds her own in her confrontational scenes with Redgrave. She projects an intelligence that is essential to her role, and in her manic scenes--dancing alone on a balcony ledge or becoming hypersexual--she manages to keep from sliding into full-on caricature. But the writing is too often lazy.
First, Catherine at times feels stylized, like a character from a ’30s movie. It’s alluring and distracting. Second, none of the other characters pops out enough so we’re immediately eager to find out what will happen next.
The unusual medical cases feel like a way of marking time until Dr. Black can once again go off her meds and turn into a sex fiend in a show that might as well be called “Fifty Shades of Grey Matter.”
As is obvious from the few reviews in already, this show about a woman/doctor with bi-polar disorder is getting bi-polar responses. Manic or depressive. Like or hate. While I watched the show I was initially impressed by the fact that they got their medical terms and symptomatology essentially right. Not always true on TV medically oriented shows.
My wife, understandably, found the show too intense and therefore somewhat annoying. That might be a reflection of Ms. Reilly. Cameron Diaz (Homeland) did mental intensity lots better. Basically, I enjoyed the show and would like to see it continue and develop. I do think the actor playing the egotistical surgeon needs to explain if his first name is really "Ditch".
It's all kinda messy... Too much is going on too fast.
I don't feel the characters. I didn't connect with any of them, and I don't see it happening. :/ Like, you see all the truble and pain but you just can't feel it. There's something missing there.
I just don't buy it.
After watching the first episode my only thought was, "Please put this show back in it's box!"
The dialogue was strained, the plot predictable and the acting was pretty poor.
Maybe the second episode will be better. I'll record it and give it a half hour to recover. If not, I'll move on.