Turn is set in the summer of 1778 and tells the story of New York farmer, Abe Woodhull, who bands together with a group of childhood friends to form The Culper Ring, an unlikely group of spies who turn the tide in America’s fight for independence.
Turn is set in the summer of 1778 and tells the story of New York farmer, Abe Woodhull, who bands together with a group of childhood friends to form The Culper Ring, an unlikely group of spies who turn the tide in America’s fight for independence.
You don't have to explain to the guys at AMC how to cut and paste a series together, they have proven that with Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead, among others. But just as a Ronaldo free kick sometimes disappears into the second ring, not every brainchild from the AMC kitchen is a perfect curl in the intersection. Sometimes you have the best intentions, but things go wrong at the start. When the trailer for Turn made its way to YouTube at the beginning of this year, expectations were high. At least for me. After all those hospital, police, vampire and prison series, finally a show with an original story, America's struggle for independence against the occupation of the British. If after Mad Men (50's & 60's) and Hell On Wheels (late 19th century) AMC were again able to successfully capture a specific era, then this had to be one of the series highlights of 2014. Well not. There is little to fault in the decor and acting, but the story never really grabs you by the throat. A pity, because all the ingredients to make it a real nail biter are available in abundance. It's 1776 and those silly British tea lurkers with their white wigs rule much of America. Not everyone is enthusiastic about this occupation, so Abe Woodhull and his friends set up a secret society of spies to provide George Washington with the necessary sensitive information in his fight against the redcoats. In history class I used to scribble declarations of love in the O'Neill diary of the prettiest girl in school, but people who were paying attention then assured that Turn, which is based on true facts, historically rattles on all sides. So I shrug my shoulders, but I was irritated by the fact that the makers didn't manage to push me to the edge of my seat. Spies, pistols, crawling through a tuber field in the middle of the night… You should be able to brew a shudder out of that, right?! No, Turn has not become the feat that everyone should have seen. If you're really done with your viewing food you can start, but first just do Fargo. Or Arvingerne. Or Romanzo Criminale.