Journal: Bloodline — a story of simplicity

Have you ever rationed your viewing of something? The final throws of that final series, spaced out, just to keep it in your life for as long as possible. As when it’s that good, having episodes in the bank is comforting.

Only one series has ever warranted my repeat viewing, but that may change. Breaking Bad currently stands in isolation, though now Bloodline may one day join it — time will tell, I guess.   

One positive of our enforced confinement is the reimbursement of time. Time that is usually swallowed up by a commute, or by other acts of mundanity.

Instead, life now meanders along while boasting of disposable hours. So let’s face it, Netflix is holding up well under the strain. 

And with that train of thought, the way that Bloodline arrived into my life was a rarity. 

As the series was not recommended to me, I had read no reviews and I knew no one else who had watched it. And as insignificant as all that sounds, that is what made it all the more welcoming. 

Recommendations are funny things, as they inadvertently sway your expectations. They can fester in your subconscious to morph into preconceptions — and surely the truest reflection, of anything, is one untainted. 

Reviews are similar, words just to tinge your enjoyment. Who are they anyway, these critics? They offer just another opinion, right? And we all like different things, so...

Critics merely offer what they might call, an educated opinion, but regardless, it censors your translation… anyway, Bloodline… came through my foraging, and for that I am glad.    

And before you beat me with the hypocrisy stick, this is not a review, nor a recommendation. It explores my appreciation of the uncomplicated narrative, a concept that seems more anomalous than ever in modern television drama. 

One may imagine that constructing a successful series is a damn tricky art. And of course, the results are always subjective. From this corner, many elements not only need to align but excel. Pace, casting and narrative, to name a few, must all peak. 

Bloodline is a slow burner, there is no denying that. So much so that after three episodes, personal doubts began to cloud my new investment. 

And look, slow burners are great, but one disadvantage of not following a recommendation is that you’re fending for yourself. You only have your instincts to determine the worth of further investment… and luckily, in this instance, mine were on their game.  

The four main characters, the Rayburn siblings, are so diverse in complexion that they all bring something different.

Tales of their formative years mould the backstory while you move through current events. And here some writers could learn a lot, as Bloodline’s biggest asset is that uncomplicated narrative. 

Rather than create a mass of entangled stories, the characters are the stories. Each one is permitted to lead a scene, and so too their relationships also become the stories. And today, where many dramas are narratively obese, this is refreshing.

It seems en vogue to float a gazillion stories within one show, only to ignite them all in one explosive conclusion. Of course, it can and does work, some pull it off but too many lack execution and clarity to the detriment of their own plot line.   

The Stranger, another recent Netflix fad, for example that first episode left my head hurting and it barely plateaued thereafter. Barring the sheer ITV-ness of it all, there were too many pondering sideshows. 

Bloodline, in contrast, is succinct and purposeful. And those are its redeeming features — among others. 

As the pacing, albeit slow at first, always keeps you committed. No one character shines too bright and that is also clever. And again, much debt is owed to those defining backstories. Without all those pepperings of what had come before the current story would simply waver. 

The first series was always building, the writing had telegraphed as much. The oncoming conflict grew with every episode but the how, where and the when, were the carrot and the stick. 

Generally, if a main story is strong those gazillion other strands that some writers insist upon, just muddy things. It can be so tiring, piecing together such haphazard nonsense.

Of course you need other stories, if only to serve as cutaways, but too many interrupt the flow and simply overwhelm.  

Bloodline represents fractious family relationships; scrappy dynamics that are relatable and engaging. And through casting and performance, that wonderful screen feat is achieved by forgetting that you’re watching actors, (Joaquin Phoenix, Walk the Line, anyone?) and this vehicle for delivery is so reliable. 

As I say, I don’t bother with reviews and my words should not be seen as one. I have just seen too many TV dramas that are complex beyond necessity that when something arrives, all stripped-back, I feel inspired to express my thoughts.

I have told friends about my Bloodline-infatuation, while obviously trying not to recommend it. As it’s up to them if they similarly invest time. I hope they do — but even if they do they may not agree with me, and that’s fine. I just wanted to unload my own interpretation. 

When they are rich in flavour uncomplicated narratives are the best, as they tell a story without any frill or surplus distraction. And as with so many other things, in storytelling, less can be so much more. 

Having started the third and final series, I am now the one who is rationing my own viewing, through a very imminent fear of a Bloodline-less lock down.