The Black Donnellys is another example of a series that deserved to have a long life, but was canned by the network before it got a chance. The series is excellent thanks to an interesting plot, and strong performances from its cast.
The series was from Paul Haggis (Crash and Million Dollar Baby) and featured Jonathan Tucker, Tom Guiry, Olivia Wilde, Billy Lush, Michael Stahl-David, Kirk Acevedo, and Keith Nobbs. The three-disc set contains all 13 episodes that were shot (including seven that never aired), but doesn’t have any special features.
Sadly, the 13 episodes will just leave you wanting more. The last episode is where the story really started getting good, and you will be upset when there isn’t another one to show what happened next. Still, the show is incredible to watch, draws you in with great characters, and keeps you hooked.
Set in New York City, The Black Donnellys follows four working-class Irish-American brothers (Tommy, Jimmy, Kevin, and Sean) who are really just trying to make it through life. Yes, they do some petty crime here and there, but they are basically good guys. Their story is told by their life-long friend Joey ‘Ice Cream’ – who is in prison and spilling his guts to whoever will listen. Joey is a wannabe Donnelly, and it is never really clear why he is in prison (or at least I missed that part).
It seems the Donnellys have done some pretty bad things and left a huge body count for the cops to sort through. Joey is trying to explain how it happened, and why it happened. Unfortunately, we never get to see this because the show was freaking cancelled before it had a chance to finish telling the story!
Basically, Tommy (Tucker) is the smart brother and the one who naturally becomes the leader; Jimmy (Guiry) is a junkie who owns a bar that he won on a bet; Kevin (Lush) is a gambler who thinks he is naturally lucky no matter how many times he loses; and Sean (Stahl-David) is the lady’s man of the group.
Tommy did some bad things in his early teens, but is now just trying to stay out of trouble. He is an art student, and is looking to get out of the working-class streets and the crime that comes with them. The problem is Tommy’s brothers like these streets and don’t see anything wrong with the occasion petty crime. It is just too bad for Tommy that they seem to always screw it up.
As the story kicks off, Tommy discovers that Kevin owes the Italians $5,000 for a bet that he lost. Being how these are basically poor kids, Kevin doesn’t have the money to cover the bet. While Tommy is trying to figure out a way to help Kevin, Jimmy comes up with the brilliant plan to kidnap the bookie and ransom him back to the Italians. It is just too bad that Jimmy didn’t know this was a bad idea and that the bookie is the nephew of one of the heads of the Italian mob.
To smooth things over, Tommy turns to the head of the Irish mob to talk to the Italians. Unfortunately, some of the Italians decide to take matters into their own hands and beat Sean so bad that he is put in ICU at the local hospital. Jimmy doesn’t take the news so well and kills the bookie. This leads poor Tommy to have to step up and take care of the loose ends – which means more killing.
The rest of the episodes are a powder keg for the Donnellys as Tommy tries to figure a way out of the hole they have dug, and both the Irish and Italian mobs try to piece together who killed who so they can get revenge.
To add to Tommy’s troubles, he also stumbles upon the secrets of who might have killed his father when he was a kid; a land deal that is seeing his neighborhood being bought up by some shady company; and a troubled relationship with his childhood love Jenny Reilly (Wilde).
Let me say again, The Black Donnellys is an EXCELLENT show and did not deserved to be dumped by NBC – especially considering some of the shows that somehow manage to stay on the air. The story moves at a frantic pace and keeps you waiting to see what happens next. The acting is extremely good. The series features an ensemble cast (who all do a solid job in their roles), but Tucker’s performance is what really hooks you.
The young actor handles the role of Tommy and all its complexities. He comes across as truly good character, but is constantly having to do the wrong thing to keep his brothers alive. It would be easy to call the character cliché, but Tucker’s performance helps Tommy rise above what we have seen before. He is the driving force of the series, and keeps you wanting to watch (despite NBC not having faith in the show).
The series also features a gritty filming style that helps the story seem even more real. It is set in the dirty streets, and you can feel it through the way the actors talk, the clothes they wear, and the production designs. On many levels, The Black Donnellys can stand toe to toe with some of the quality shows on HBO (The Sopranos being one of them). You just have to wonder if the show would have survived on a network (like HBO) where they could have taken the story a little further and darker.
Even though you are basically left unsatisfied with the final episode, I still HIGHLY recommend taking the time to watch The Black Donnellys. This is a show that has something to offer, and should have been allowed to finish its tale. I am hoping it will pop up again somewhere – maybe even the big screen given Haggis’ involvement.
The Black Donnellys is now available at Amazon . As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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