User Reviews

I think the unexpected cancellation of Luck is the saving grace of the series. So much about Luck was done right. The actors, the set, and the jargon are all great, and there is no question that Milch worked hard to give the audience an authentic experience. I think this series was not going to be a long term success, however, for the same reasons Milch's Geronimo was not a great success: You have to entertain an audience as much as you educate them. In the case of Luck, the series was really palatable for just horse racing fans. I struggled to follow what was happening, and I could not become especially excited by any of the characters. I hope Milch will pursue another series and try harder to strike a balance between excellent acting, an authentic story, and an entertaining sex appeal.

My wife and I are big fans of The Sopranos, Game of Thrones, True Blood, and Sex in the City. Needless to say, we were excited about the arrival of a series with a pedigree like Luck. Hooray -- a totally unique drama, with interesting subject matter, starring more big names than a typical Hollywood blockbuster. After watching the first and only season, I'm amazed at how utterly awful this series turned out. Luck is a completely garbled mess with a disastrously bad script, which it tries to cover up with lots of style and music. If you are thinking about watching this train wreck, I have one word of advice – don't. If you have watched a few episodes and you're checking in to see if this series gets better, then let me tell you – it doesn't.

Where to begin, where to begin? Should I start by telling you about the horrible theme song? It's the first HBO theme song that I have ever had to fast forward through. Should I start by telling you about all of the characters who mumble and are painful to listen to? Or should I start by telling you about the endless parade of side plots and undeveloped ancillary characters, whose fates we're supposed to care about, but don't?

Nope. I think that I'll start by telling you about how none of the plots in the show make sense, and how they don't even overlap. Luck could almost be split into five different TV series, and you wouldn't miss anything. There's the feature story, that of Dustin Hoffman getting out of prison and scheming up what appears to be some kind of revenge against his former partners in crime. Dustin Hoffman is totally unconvincing when it comes to being a wealthy, gangster-esque criminal. Then there's the #2 story, the story of four racing junkies who practically live at the racetrack and sleep at a nearby motel. Then there's an Irish jockey, Rosie, and her boss Nick Nolte, who owns a fast racehorse and mumbles about the "horsekillers" who killed that horses father. Then there's the story of Leon, a young jockey trying to break into the business who has trouble losing weight, and his stuttering agent Joey. Then there's the talented old jockey Ronnie, who has had problems with injuries and drug addictions. Then there's the insufferable jerk trainer Escalante and his bitchy veterinarian girlfriend.

There's almost no dialog overlap between any of these groups. I don't remember Dustin Hoffman sharing screen time with much more than Escalante and a few characters I didn't mention. The four racing fans buy a horse with Escalante as their trainer, but they pretty much stick to their own story. This is par for the course. You know how in True Blood and Game of Thrones, the first season started with essentially all of the main characters in one place as part of one big storyline? It's the complete opposite of what happens here.

Within each of these little groups, there are all kinds of convoluted little stories -- stories where it sounds like there are years of background that is never given to you, and stories loaded with nonsensical behavior and huge plot holes. Do you want some examples? Here, I'll give you examples… A. The Four Guys talk about buying a cheap horse. One of them thinks it's a terrible idea. The next day, they chip in for that same horse for FOUR TIMES THE COST, and everyone is suddenly hunky dory about it, with no explanation as to why this one guy changed his mind.

B. Dustin Hoffman's story centers on some huge scheme, whose workings we never understand. It has something to do with buying a horse track and casino gambling. We never learn if he really wants to buy a track or if it's just a ruse to get his enemies to invest in it. It doesn't make sense. His entire swindle/revenge plot is a confused mess.

C. Dustin Hoffman hires a young hotshot to work for him as a go between for this scheme. He states that he hires the kid because he's both naïve and annoying. But then he's genuinely upset when the target for this unexplained scheme (Michael Gambon's character) angrily kills the kid. Why? Is Dustin Hoffman a complete moron?

D. Rosie is in the last turn of a tight race. She has a fast horse, but she thinks that she might not win. So she whips it, and wins easily. Nick Nolte (the owner of the horse) explodes with anger, grabbing her riding crop and throwing it into the garbage. Rosie cries and apologizes a million times but she still gets sacked. She won the race, but apparently she wasn't supposed to work the horse that hard, or something. What if one of those other horses found a burst of speed and she lost? What did I miss here?

Those are just a few examples of something that happens in every episode. You expect to learn something later that explains what happened, and you never do. In addition to the stuff that makes no sense, there's all kinds of stuff that you don't care about. Ronnie snorts painkillers. *yawn* The horse trainer is pregnant. *yawn* Dustin Hoffman has an awkward, completely devoid of chemistry romance with Joan Allen. *yawn* The only entertainment value in that part of the show is looking at Joan Allen's wrecked face.

The only good parts of this show are Dennis Farina's character and the story of the four horse racing junkies. They have good chemistry together, and you actually care about what happens to them. That's the kind of quality that you expect when you watch an HBO series. Other than that, Luck is a complete fiasco.

HBO, the innovative creator of series made for television, comes up with a new venture in "Luck" about horse racing and the people in that world. Created by David Milch, who was behind another HBO venture, "Deadwood" teamed with Michael Mann, a man that has had great successes in the past as they take a look at the world of horse racing and all that goes behind the scenes, with all the shady characters the sport seems to attract.

The cast alone is worth a look. Dusting Hoffman, who is involved in the series as a producer, is seen as Ace Bernstein, a man just recently out of prison who comes back to team with Gus Demitriu (Dennis Farina) seeking a revenge from the people responsible for the three years he spent inside. The cast of the pilot was superb. Nick Nolte, Kevin Dunn, Jason Gedrick, and the others created the right atmosphere, something that reminded us of the novels by Dick Francis, with an American flavor.

The plot was a bit hard to follow as so many things are happening at once. Also, not many of us are quite knowledgeable in different track situations. The beautiful Santa Anita racetrack is seen at its best. Mr. Mann shows some thrilling moments in the two races shown in this episode. The editing team should be congratulated for the excellent finished product.