Never judge a television show by its pilot. That’s my motto, and NBC’s The Black Donnelly’s in no exception. The first episode of this drama series was either a convoluted mess or way over my head – possibly both, since the show was created by Academy Award winners Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco (Crash). But by the second episode I was getting hooked and developing a crush on our hero, Tommy Donnelly (Jonathan Tucker), so perhaps this series has some promise.
The Black Donnelly’s follows four street-wise, working-class brothers in New York City who have gotten involved in organized crime. The pilot set up various shootings and kidnappings of mob members, and it’s all very complicated, so we’re given a narrator in the form of a somewhat lovable dork, to fill us in on what is happening. The narration is helpful, and the character of Joey “Ice Cream” (Keith Nobbs), an admirer and follower of the Donnelly’s, is funny, but every time he shows up in the storyline, he takes you right out of the show. That kind of underlines the problem with this series so far, which is that its best characters are stronger than the show itself. Jonathan Tucker (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) plays our hero Tommy Donnelly, who becomes the de facto leader of the Donnelly family/ the neighborhood when he guns downs the head of the Italian and Irish mob families. Tommy is basically a good kid, an aspiring artist who harbors guilt about an episode in his past. He’s also smart, and since his brothers are apparently total idiots, he does what he can. The rest of the Brothers Donnelly, Jimmy (Tom Guiry), Kevin (Billy Lush), and Sean (Michael Stahl-David) are thus far lacking in personality, but perhaps that will change. Olivia Wilde (The OC) is Jenny, the married barkeep who Tommy has been in love with since childhood. Although not a strong actress, she’s beautiful, and does the “tough yet caring” thing well. Still, Tommy could probably do better.
The world of rival crime families as seen through the eyes of good-looking 20-somethings is an interesting story. But it’s a dark tale that requires a viewer’s total concentration to figure out who is who and what is happening. Perhaps that will get easier as we get to know the characters. The premiere episode contained lots of expository talking, and important details sailed right by if you weren’t paying careful attention. The second episode was a little easier to follow as Tommy hid bodies, smoothed over grievances, and slept with Jenny (who then told him, “This can never happen again”).
This series was moved up from its original mid-March release date, no doubt to ride The Departed wave. Had that film not been so widely praised, this series may have simply come and gone. It’s not as sharp as it could and should be, but with Paul Haggis as producer and the magnetic Jonathan Tucker as its star, it’s worth a look. If you missed the first few episodes, watch them on NBC.com
Karen Woodward - Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, I've lived in Los Angeles since 1994. A communications major at University of Colorado, ...
