Low Winter Sun

:

Season 1
  • Network: AMC
  • Series Premiere Date: Aug 11, 2013
User Score
7.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 82 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 56 out of 82
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 82
  3. Negative: 11 out of 82
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User Reviews

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  1. MerleDixon
    Aug 11, 2013
    6
    Really nice Pilot episode, and the acting was really solid, especially from Mark Strong and Lennie James. I can see this series turning out really nice.
  2. SimpleMethod
    Aug 13, 2013
    5
    The characters are paper thin and the pilot bored me. I'll still give it a shot, but for now this doesn't seem like a show I'll be tuning into on a regular basis.
  3. Tss5078
    Sep 14, 2013
    5
    I needed a show to watch after Breaking Bad and the easiest thing to do is simply not change the channel, and that's how I discovered AMC's newest drama, Low Winter Sun. The show is an adaptation of the novel, Low Winter Sun by Simon Donald and if it sounds familiar to you, that because it has already been turned into a movie, back in 2006. While the show has a great time slot and a starI needed a show to watch after Breaking Bad and the easiest thing to do is simply not change the channel, and that's how I discovered AMC's newest drama, Low Winter Sun. The show is an adaptation of the novel, Low Winter Sun by Simon Donald and if it sounds familiar to you, that because it has already been turned into a movie, back in 2006. While the show has a great time slot and a star who is already familiar with the role he's playing, the ratings for the show have been low and it's because the show has a lot of bark, but it really doesn't have any bite.

    Set in the bankrupt city of Detroit, Low Winter Sun, tells the story of two police detectives, who murdered a third. The dead man, Det. McCann was dirty and was putting the whole department at risk and they did what they had to do. The murder of a cop in Detroit is big news and the Mayor wants it solved by the two best homicide detectives they have, who also happen to be the killers themselves. The men are being watched by internal affairs and the mayor, so they have to make it look like they are really trying to solve the case, but a third party keeps getting in the way. This party who unintentionally keeps popping up, is the mob affiliated group that had McCann on their payroll. Their activities threaten the investigation which could ultimately lead back to the two detectives.

    The story makes for a good movie, but if this show is somehow renewed, which direction does it go it? Much like the Killing, this show is centered on one murder, but here the two main characters are the killers. Either they get caught and the series has to start a new in season two or the same story will just keep repeating itself until nobody cares anymore.

    The lead in the show is Mark Strong, who also played the lead in the 2006 film. The role calls for a smart, yet emotional character with a scared past, and to me the man just doesn't fit the role. Strong is a big tough guy, who is seemingly emotionless, and while he appears to be a smart cop, he just really doesn't fit or appeal to me as the lead detective.

    His partner is played by Lennie James, better know as Robert Hawkins in Jericho. This guy is one of the best law enforcement actor they could have gotten. James has been in a ton of things, always playing some type of law enforcer. He is experience and really terrific in everything he does. If it wasn't for him, I don't know if I'd be watching this show right now.

    The cast is rounded out by Sprauge Grayden who has gained some notoriety from the Paranormal Activity films. She is the missing link, caught in the middle between the mob aspect and the cops, having connections to both sides. She's really playing both sides and could ultimately hold the key to what is going to happen, as the first season comes to a close.

    Overall, Low Winter Sun isn't bad, but not great either. The story is strong and would make a good movie plot, but it seems like there aren't many places to go after they tell the initial story. The intensity they advertise in the commercials has yet to appear, and the show really doesn't have a way of getting people hooked on the story. I've been watching it because I'm a fan of Lennie James and it's on after Breaking Bad. If it wasn't for the time slot, I probably wouldn't have continued after the first episode and I suspect that others feel the same way, as the show has cancelled written all over it.    … Expand
  4. bob516
    Sep 1, 2013
    4
    I've watched every episode so far, feels like I have watched 5 or 6 already, when it has really only been three. Maybe seeing a glimmer of hope I will finally find something interesting about these characters or situations, but I am not optimistic.
  5. Jhwarfield
    Sep 6, 2013
    5
    These may be the darkest days in Detroit history, though it often feels the worst is yet to come. Abandoned neighborhoods are the back drop for this crooked cop mystery. Let's hope better days are ahead for Low Winter Sun.
  6. Type4101
    Sep 16, 2013
    5
    This show focuses too much on using "grim and grimy" as a method of storytelling. The producers even use a bluish-grey film filter to wash out any color (fans of the now-cancelled "the killing" are familiar with this technique). Grim depression is fine, but unsympathetic characters make the grim experience feel more tedious than it should. Everything is grey.
  7. Nechaev
    Sep 14, 2013
    4
    As cold and turgid as a bowl of unheated turnip soup. The characters lack depth and the narrative is unrelentingly dour. Whether these cop murderers are found out is of little interest to this viewer.

Awards & Rankings

44
#44 Most Discussed TV Season of 2013
67
#67 Most Shared TV Season of 2013

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
60

Mixed or average reviews - based on 27 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 27
  3. Negative: 1 out of 27
  1. People Weekly
    Reviewed by: Oliver Jones
    Aug 16, 2013
    50
    The gutted-out city is perhaps the show's most compelling character. [26 Aug 2013, p.38]
  2. Miami Herald
    Reviewed by: Glenn Garvin
    Aug 12, 2013
    80
    Not since HBO’s The Wire left the air five years ago has a television series combined urban decay and moral decrepitude in such stark--and yet compulsively watchable--terms.
    Read full review
  3. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
    Reviewed by: Rob Owen
    Aug 12, 2013
    70
    While scenes with a crime crew drag, in part because it's not always clear what's going on with them, anytime the focus shifts to crooked cops Frank Agnew (Mark Strong) and Joe Geddes (Lennie James), Low Winter Sun proves to be a gripping drama with a vibe most reminiscent of "The Wire."
    Read full review
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