TURN S01E01 REVIEW

Inspired by the news of a decent (read: not disastrous) viewers' number for Turn on an extremely competitive night (one would think that planning a premiere on the same day when Game of Thrones returns is suicidal), I have finally overcome my prejudice against the men in powdered wigs and white pantyhose, and watched the pilot. Well, not that I regret it per se... let's just say there was no pleasant surprise: the show seemed to be exactly what I imagined it to be after having read the synopsis.

Turn takes us back to the 18th century, the time of the American Revolutionary War; we take a closer look at the life of a farmer, Abe Woodhull, who, like nobody, fits the profile of a lesser man. Lying low, he's growing cabbage, a good part of which ends up infested with worms, so he is not even good at it. Watching the "redcoats" commit all sorts of indiscretions, he keeps being loyal to the crown, like his father - a very influential man, as it turns out. He's married and has a son.

"The normal" life he's trying to maintain is ruined, when he gets into a fight with the British at his ex-sweetheart's tavern. The fight leads to a chain of events which results in Abe becoming a spy for the Continental Army. 

I've read that some people say they like that it's not all black and white, but it is. Sure, Americans use waterboarding to obtain intelligence (nice to know their techniques have not changed since 1776) and kill the enemy in a very cruel manner, but there is not a single moment during the episode, when we would hesitate to say who the real bad guys are. 

Abe is the only character that's got any edge; all others are merely the decorations. I see Turn as a story about a man trying to find the true self and finally get rid of his father's beliefs, he's always thought of as his own. And just like we know the outcome of the Revolutionary War, we know the ending of this story, don't we?

P.S. The intro is awesome, but I can't help feeling it's not right for this series.