American Odyssey

Odyssey is bland and soulless, with too many threads offering too little wallop. [3 Apr 2015, p.59]

There are just too many short cuts or obvious turns as American Odyssey tries to deepen its machinations. If you can see the hands on the puppet strings, the whole thing ends up a lot less compelling than you imagined.

American Odyssey has one gripping tale to tell. The problem is, there are three tales embedded in its framework, which includes familiar elements--the tension of “24” and the intrigue of “Homeland”--that add up to something less than the sum of its parts.

Unfortunately, the sheer number of coincidences derails the show’s attempts to seem real and relevant. Sometimes the camera pans from, say, Decker the lawyer to Walters the protester (who’s too naive to be trusted by so many hard-cases), and you’re probably supposed to think “small world,” or “everyone is connected,” but it’s all just way too forced.

American Odyssey too often lacks the gritty realism of cable series that attempt similar, convoluted plots. It doesn’t catch viewers in a plot that feels real; rather, it feels like a planned, plotted, manufactured-for-your-enjoyment TV show.