[Mikeguy]

I just heard about this alternative reality miniseries and it sounds fascinating--based on the acclaimed Philip Roth novel of the same name. I know very little about Charles Lindburgh, apart from his flight and the kidnapping--chilling. "There's a lot of hate out there. And he knows how to tap into it."

The Plot Against America imagines "an alternate American history told through the eyes of a working-class Jewish family in Newark, New Jersey, as they watch the political rise of Charles Lindbergh, an aviator-hero and xenophobic populist, who becomes president and turns the nation toward fascism."

The Plot Against America (miniseries) - Wikipedia

 

[Hoffer]

I've seen an ad for this show the last couple weeks before McMillions. I couldn't have told you what it was about though. Glad to read this, because the show does sound interesting.

 

[Steveknj]

I just heard about this alternative reality miniseries and it sounds fascinating--based on the acclaimed Philip Roth novel of the same name. I know very little about Charles Lindburgh, apart from his flight and the kidnapping--chilling. "There's a lot of hate out there. And he knows how to tap into it."

The Plot Against America (miniseries) - Wikipedia

Lindburgh was known Nazi sympathizer.

 

[astrohip]

This is from Ed Burns and David Simon. The Wire, Show Me A Hero, The Deuce, and more. As close to a guaranteed "Must-See TV" as you get these days.

 

[Fahtrim]

No additional posts, but this is a freaking solid show. Like Astrohip said, must-see. Is there another thread on this? I am sure Herman will get all the accolades, but Zoe Kazan as Bess is my pick for best written best acted so far.

 

[Steveknj]

No additional posts, but this is a freaking solid show. Like Astrohip said, must-see. Is there another thread on this? I am sure Herman will get all the accolades, but Zoe Kazan as Bess is my pick for best written best acted so far.

I think there's another thread somewhere. I'm not a huge Simon fan, but to me, this is his best work. But of course it could be that the subject matter is what's interesting me more than a crime drama or a gritty street drama. But that's me. I KNOW I'm in the minority here. I've liked this so much I bought the book to read

 

[Family]

Excellent miniseries.

This should have been a multi season story.

 

[Steveknj]

Excellent miniseries.

This should have been a multi season story.

What's interesting is I read the first 40 or so pages of the book (first chapter) and a lot of the first chapter is what they did in the first TWO episodes of the miniseries.

 

[Tony_T]

I'm still watching, but I find the story going very slow, and then we get a time jump, slow again, and then slower still.
The last episode was the best of the series, but that was e5 of a 6 part series.

 

[Steveknj]

I'm still watching, but I find the story going very slow, and then we get a time jump, slow again, and then slower still.
The last episode was the best of the series, but that was e5 of a 6 part series.

Maybe it's because it's only 6 parts, but I find it moving much faster than the other Simon series I've watched at least a part of. The Deuce took about 4-5 episodes before anything seemed to move along there. But as I keep saying, maybe it's more because I am very interested in the subject matter.

 

[Tony_T]

I’m interested in the subject matter, but more so in the actual events than the alternate history aspect.
But, as a limited series, not sure how are they going to wrap this up tonight.

 

[Family]

A horrible final half hour to a great series.

It was like it wasn't even the same show.

 

[Tony_T]

I thought the finale was very good.
I still believe that overall it was too slow, and think it would have been better as 4 hour / 2 part series.

Didn’t find it believable that the First Lady’s radio address against the President was able to sway Congress to hold a Special Election (did I miss what really happened then?). Now we don’t know if FDR won at the end (probably didn’t), and if not, it was due to election tampering.

Alvin expresses what I felt throughout the series, that Herman would just listen to the radio and complain, and not do anything. After not wanting to move to Canada, he decides near the end that Bess was right, and that they need to move, now that they can’t as the border is closed. Alvin was the hero in this story.

 

[trainman]

Now we don't know if FDR won at the end (probably didn't)...

In the book...

Spoiler

FDR wins the 1942 special election, the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor several months later, and so the U.S. winds up joining World War II a little over a year after they did in our timeline.

 

[Tony_T]

Thanks. They should have ended the HBO series that way.

 

[Steveknj]

I thought the finale was very good.
I still believe that overall it was too slow, and think it would have been better as 4 hour / 2 part series.

Didn't find it believable that the First Lady's radio address against the President was able to sway Congress to hold a Special Election (did I miss what really happened then?). Now we don't know if FDR won at the end (probably didn't), and if not, it was due to election tampering.

Alvin expresses what I felt throughout the series, that Herman would just listen to the radio and complain, and not do anything. After not wanting to move to Canada, he decides near the end that Bess was right, and that they need to move, now that they can't as the border is closed. Alvin was the hero in this story.

I liked the finale too. I was a bit confused by the ending. Who's destroying the votes? But according to the HBO post episode podcast, they purposely made it vague (for current political reasons). They mention that Mrs. Lindburgh's speech works. So, it begs some of the questions which hopefully the book clears up.

 

[jr461]

Like I've said about other shows, if you're going to draw me in and tell me a story, END THE STORY! I shouldn't have to guess or create my own ending - I'm not the writer! Who was election tampering, how did it change the election, who won the election....I didn't read the book and this is about the show so to me they stand separately.

Until the non-ending, we're also to believe that suddenly all the American nazis (seemed like almost every non-Jew except the Levin's new neighbor) suddenly start behaving in a period of a month or 2 following the first lady's address and everything is back to normal?

Good for 5 episodes but it needed just a little more time to bring it to a conclusion.

 

[Family]

It was like they rushed to finish. The scene with the cousin visiting was poorly developed.

I don't understand why HBO didn't give this series a chance to be something more regular. They left a huge story to tell.

 

[Tony_T]

...I don't understand why HBO didn't give this series a chance to be something more regular. They left a huge story to tell.

The story of the Levin Family was complete (for the most part)

 

[Family]

The story of the Levin Family was complete (for the most part)

Only because the story was rushed.

As examples, they could have included the story of the oldest son in Kentucky instead of him coming back mad at his father. Or showed the progression of the cousin instead of arriving at the house acting like a jerk. There were many stories to be told.

Other series do it.