I should have seen those resolutions coming, but it drew attention to how the whole "fairy tale as allegory for Claire's story" aspect was clumsily written all along. The only thing I really found fault with was the final episode. But that's not Herriman's fault, and he gives the character a vulnerable appeal that I could appreciate. The "homeless guy living in an aesthetically pleasing little fairy den on the roof" thing is not exactly believable and vaguely insulting, and when you add in the "mentally ill guy as prophet" aspect, it's even harder to love. I didn't love this character conceptually, but it was Herriman's acting that made it work for me. Damon Herriman in the role of Romeo, the homeless guy, is very good too. I watched that moment three more times just for the pleasure of seeing acting that good. There's a moment, toward the end of the season, when the father smacks him, and he turns to him with a look that sent an actual chill down my spine. People have talked about how good Ben Daniels is in his role as the guy in charge of the ballet company, and he is, but I want to talk about Josh Helman, who plays Claire's messed-up brother Bryan. Given how skillfully she handles the screwed-up material of this show, it's kind of delightful that she got her start in an Olsen Twins video. She's completely believable in the role- and I have to say, having looked her up, I love that one of her few acting credits is for the "Mary-Kate and Ashley's Ballet Party" video (when she was much younger). She is not only a technically skilled dancer, but she shows the vulnerability and toughness that this character needs to carry the show. I've seen varied reviews on the acting, but I found it extremely impressive, especially when the actors were sometimes given material (i.e., dialogue) that wasn't necessarily the best. But you DO understand it, and there are numerous moments when you watch what a character is doing and think, "wow, something is really, really wrong with you." This is helped along by very good acting. Instead, several of the characters are dealing with fascinatingly complex emotional stuff that motivates all their behavior, all their choices, and provides an understandable context for behavior that would be incomprehensible if it weren't for that. Part of what makes it that way is that the darkness isn't contrived- it isn't like these people are fighting literal demons or enduring the apocalypse or something. This one, even by my standards, is super dark. I have a high tolerance- and appreciation- for twisted stories. I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. I was thoroughly hooked from the first episode, but with each subsequent one, new twists were revealed that made the wait for the next episode (because, y'know, life gets in the way of TV-watching) interminable. "Dark side of the ballet world" stories are always pretty intriguing, and "Flesh and Bone" is the ultimate take on that concept.
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