Mr. Mercedes Season Review

This show is intended for mature audiences only.

Roughly two months ago was the last time I wrote an article for TGON. If you were keeping up with my Mr. Mercedes articles you may have been wondering, “What the hell happened?” Well, two months ago my wife gave birth to our first child, a beautiful baby girl. These last few months have been amazing for us, just watching her grow, she has recently started smiling and trying to laugh, and I believe that she is now the person who has farted on me the most (and that’s saying something because I am the youngest of four boys). So, while we were learning the ropes of being first-time parents, I had to take a break from writing and my responsibilities to TGON. Two months in and I am now comfortable and we have figured some things out I am so happy to be back writing. Before I get into it though I need to say thank you to the leadership here at TGON for allowing me the time off so I can spend it with my daughter. I don’t think they know how gracious I am to them that they allowed me to have the time to connect with her, so a huge THANK YOU to Shannon Parola and Charlie Glear. You two make it very easy to want to work with this amazing company and are just flat out amazing.

So, when I last left off Mr. Mercedes was two episodes deep, obviously a lot has happened since then including the season finale. I am not going to be recapping every episode, but mainly highlighting and reviewing my favorite parts of the season.

Overall, the season was true to the book. They had some differences, some helped and some I was disappointed they changed. One of my favorite parts of the book is how Bill Hodges, Holly Gibney, and Jerome Robinson form an unlikely team and work together to take down Brady Hartsfield. In the show, you get a little taste of that, but not much. Hodges works with the police a lot more than with Holly and Jerome. That was the only difference that annoyed me between the book and the movie. The other things that were changed were either small things or really cool things to make the story better. During one scene in episode 5, The Suicide Hour, Hodges and Brady actually video chat. It was cool to see them face to sort of face (Brady being a computer wiz made it so it looked like a mask of some sort) and actually have a conversation where they both push each other’s buttons.

The cast is spectacular throughout. Harry Treadaway is completely amazing and in my opinion should be considered for some awards next go around. Brendan Gleeson continues to shine, but that should be a no-brainer because he is one of the best actors around. When I’d first heard about the show I was worried about whoever was going to be playing Holly because that character is just so perfectly weird, but I have to say Justine Lupe completely nails it. She makes that character so much fun to watch and was a complete scene-stealer.

So since I am not going to write about everything of each episode I am going to tell you my favorite part or the part that sticks out the most from each episode.

Episode 3: The ending of this episode is a perfect display of the difference between Hodges and Brady. The ending shows Hodges and Janey Patterson becoming closer and sharing a romantic dance together. Brady, on the other hand, is reeling from a bad migraine and his mother helps him alleviate that by giving him a hand jibber.

Episode 4: We get some glimpses into Brady’s past that are pretty interesting (we learn how his brother died). Hodges and Janey also take their relationship to the next level, if you know what I mean…sex.

Episode 5: I LOVED the video chat scene. It was so cool to see them interact with one another that was not written communication.

Episode 6: There is a scene in this one where Brady is possibly getting a promotion and is meeting with the higher-ups and while at this business lunch Brady keeps having visions of killing every at the restaurant. This is where we get our Stephen King cameo.

Episode 7: One of the more shocking deaths happens in this episode. So Janey’s mother passes away and after the funeral, Hodges gets a call so Janey goes to get his car. Well, Brady had rigged it with a bomb intended for Hodges, but watches as Janey gets in the car and decides to take the opportunity to hurt Hodges by blowing up his girlfriend.

Episode 8: The most gruesome death in the season. Brady’s mom, Deborah, accidentally starts cooking beef that was intended for Jerome’s dog that had rat poison in it. Well, she cooks it and eats it and holy shit is it intense.

Episode 9: Hodges and the cops figure out Brady is the guy they are looking for and go to raid his house. Brady, being one step ahead, has rigged his house with explosives and has killed his boss from the computer store and planted his body next to his mothers so that the cops will think it’s him after the explosion.

Episode 10: So Brady’s new plan is to kill a bunch of people at the new Art Center celebration. The entire part of the art center is amazing. Brady stabs Lou (she doesn’t die), Lou tells Hodges what Brady looks like now (Brady had shaved his head so he wouldn’t be recognized), to the final showdown between Hodges and Brady.

Overall, I loved the show and luckily for me, it has already been renewed for season two. Assuming it will follow the trilogy, it will follow the book Finders Keepers. I am thrilled they are going to do it, even though it is easily my least favorite of the books. My biggest complaint about the show is that not a lot of people will have access to it, though I have heard that it might be coming to Netflix so I will keep you informed on that.

 

Rating: 8/10