'John from Cincinnati': High tide, low tide

After last week's pilot, which seemed like an hour-long, heatstroke-induced mirage, John from Cincinnati coalesced into some sort of coherence this week. I mean, there was still talk of haunted hotels, churros, random earthquakes and waaay too much detail about bathroom habits, but it seems as though the show has divided into two major tales: the burgeoning surfing career of Shaun Yost, and the mysterious antics of the titular John, whose becoming Butchie's best friend since he manages to heal - without the laying on of hands, even! - the addict's drug-induced hangover.

Thanks to greasy surfing promoter Linc's (Luke Perry) wheeling and dealing, Shaun is able enter into the Huntington Beach surf tourney that his dad barred him from last week. All is going spectacularly - and the surfing footage on the show is quite stunning; Steve Hawk, former editor of Surfer magazine (and bro to Tony) is a consultant and writer - when he gets whumped by a wave and breaks his neck. The doctors diagnose Shaun as brain dead, and the show looks like it's on the verge of becoming a Lifetime movie-of-the-week story about organ donation...but wait! It's not! This is a surfing show with magical realism! It's like Gabriel Garcia Marquez, without the cholera! So, in perhaps the most literal use of deus ex machina, Zippy  the parakeet brings Shaun back to life with a peck on the lips. (Or was that just a coincidence since John was loitering in the hallway outside of the hospital room?) There's nothing like a little confusion over who, precisely, is the Jesus figure in a TV show to keep viewers turning in, right?

(Photo  courtesy HBO)

Comments

[TSW]

Am I the only one that was happy when Shaun Yost broke his neck, in hopes that we'd no longer have to endure his terrible "acting"?

Sweet Jesus, Milch, kill these real surfers off and put some actors in there. Is it really that hard to fake surfing footage? Or is the surfer-HBO-fan community so large and untapped that you feel it necessary to suck up to them by including their friends in the show?

[Max Edison]

JiC is one of the dumbest, dullest shows ever on TV. It is totally uninteresting to anyone who is not obsessed with surfing. The show and its premise does not tap into deeper truths, but aims at obscurity. Not even a nice try, guys. Better luck next time, and remember: Not everyone in America is fixated on the coolness of surfing. Grow up

[toddsputnik]

What a disappointing series from writer Kem Nunn. The surfing culture is totally unbelievable. Worse, there is no character that is tolerable or engaging. Better luck next time HBO.

[Ray]

I started watching this show because I'm an avid surfer but quit watching it after the second episode. This show is HORRIBLE!!. Boring and terrible acting.
The only person doing their own surfing on the show is pro turned actor, Keala Keannelly. My shoe can act better thanKeala and the Shaun Yost character.
My guess is if this wasn't a Milch project, HBO would never have greenlighted this piece of crap.

[Syd Lexic]

People seem to have no patience at all. Every HBO show worth watching took time to establish itself. I couldn't care less about surfing, yet I find the show intriguing -- not great, though that could happen in time. The humor, the implausability, the slightly off-kilter dialogue and the well-defined characters all create an atmosphere of mystery that makes me want to see more.

"Deadwood" didn't jump right out and grab you by the throat -- well, it did, but more with its violence and obscene language than with its quality -- but eventually developed into a powerful and moving series. Let's see what happens with "John from Cincinnati" before consigning it to premature burial. After all, if a bird and a surfer can come back to life, why not a TV show?

[Shane0maC]

Gotta agree with Max Edison. This show blows. Total waste of time.

[Webbie]

I love surfing movies and surfing footage, but this show stinks. The acting is unbearable. I can't believe Milch and HBO pulled the plug on Deadwood to give us this piece of ... dead wood. Please please please get this off the air.

[Derelict]

I enjoy the show and am interested where it will take us.

The kid and the lady working in the surf shop are horrible. They should have used real actors.

The character who won the lottery isn't interesting. I think the idea was to make him interesing but it isn't working.

It is hard to see Al Bundy out of that character.

I still like the show and plan to keep watching despite the problems.

[Cait]

i am a fanatical surfer. i am obssessed with surfing. but hey - who doesn't want to hurl when the creep from Beverly Hills 90210 says "i sued to be a grom" or when Rebecca DeBoring says "are the rails too stiff?"

god i'm bored...

[Ben Brown]

This show has some terrific insight, albeit subtle into parallel worlds. Namely, secret scientific neck implants, human trafficking and exploitation. Los Alamos, Livermore and the NSA can see where this show is going and is blasting the blogs' to kill it. Stick with it HBO.

[Ben Brown]

The aformentioned entities are most likely subliminally microwaving Neilsen Families to discourage viewing.

[S L]

I don't know, I lived in Huntington Beach for decades and couldn't help but hang out with surfer dudes and dudettes. I think this show has gotten them dead on. They just really are that boring. No amount of acting can make someone scintilating or even interesting when they essentially live from burrito to wave to hand shower, seemingly enjoying the outdoors in water so cold they have to wear wet suits, changing out of those wet suits with towels wrapped around themselves in public parking lots, and thinking a pair of shorts with leather sandals qualifies as dressy. Olivier couldn't do much more with their usual dialogue, dude. It's the one lifestyle where heroin could actually qualify as an upper.

[Dave Lake]

My first reaction to "John from Cincinnati" was "I lost Deadwood for this?" I missed the passion and grittiness of "Deadwood". However with the second episode, I am beginning to respect the compassionate, spiritual, metaphysical nature of this show. There is a growing complexity of the characters as seen in Deadwood. I only hope that we see a continued development of these characters. So far I have really enjoyed the Ed O'Neil character and the development over the first two episodes. And of course Jim Beaver who plays Vietnam Joe is a refugee from Deadwood where he played Mr. Ellsworth. In both of these characters you are left with the idea that he knows so much more than he is telling. I say "lets give it time to develop" - but I only hope over these first 6 episodes much more development will occur.

[MT]

Why am I still surprised when someone gets paid a compartively huge sum of money for something they do incredibly poorly. Worse yet, we viewers still consume it, enable it. I am speaking of course of the absolute lack of any talent whatsoever in the guy playing Shaun. He doesn't even try. I've never seen a more monotone, beta-blocked human. Most any other industry, you perform poorly, you don't work. Someone actually pushed for this developmentally delayed surfer and went "yeah, perfect, this is great, just what we want" over who knows how many other capable kids. Nice work HBO. I'm quitting this whole doctor thing I do and getting into acting. No qualifications necessary.

[Kimberly]

Brilliant, obscure, well-written ... but can we please lose Greenwood's bad dye job, please? Why would a legendary surfing icon sport Elvis-dark locks, anyway?

I look forward to each and every episode.