A truly terrifying handjob, a thick layer of distrust smothering a wife as she goes over the phone bill, a moment of heat created as a man eases past his wife of fifteen years, all this shows the full gauntlet of relationships that will be explored. I am delighted to say I got pulled into the narrative almost effortlessly.
If the show keeps on the track of fleshing out these diverse characters, and doesn't go for cheap shots that lottery winnings could potentially buy, this could easily be one of my favorite shows. I really enjoy a well-written drama that tries to explore how people relate to each other without giving in to plot gimmicks--think Parenthood, or the too-early-cancelled My Generation.
I do hope that they don't try to hard to make Matt Long's character the centerpiece of the show. While he is somewhat sympathetic as a guy in a tough spot, producing one of the most hilariously inept gas station stickups I've ever seen, at his core he seems fundamentally weak. While this can still be a really interesting character point, I don't want the show to be telling me I'm supposed to always be siding with him.
On the subject of Matt Long, can I take a minute to make fun of the "look" designed for himself and his brother, actor Stephen Louis Grush? I get it, I get it, Long is supposed to be the "good" brother, Grush is the "troubled" brother. You've made that abundantly clear by casting a narrow-faced, delicately featured lad with soulful eyes as the good one, and a thick-necked, vein-popping buzzed-head thug as the troubled one. Was it too much to ask that they look vaguely related, and we fill in the blanks?
By father the most interesting element for me is Luis Antonio Ramos's character. Watching the man with the most intrinsic character try to deal with not being in the winning group was fascinating, I hope they keep developing that dynamic in an interesting way.
So stick with me, folks, watch the show in ways the ratings guys can see your interest--I feel like we have a winner here. Man, the win-the-lotto puns are a gift that just keeps giving.