Aquarius

Some of the language and structuring is too labored, but the unique blend of serialized and procedural writing makes the cop drama feel fresh.

Aquarius is a cleverly imagined and handsomely realized tale of an old-school, inherently corrupt police force feeling the rumblings of several social tremors at once.

Unusual choices can be found throughout Aquarius, and they are part of what makes this drama so good.

This isn’t connect-the-dots storytelling. It’s a blast from the past that reminds us when cop shows succeeded because they were built on great writing.

A superbly subtle yet exciting new series, gives us Charlie-in-the-making.

We'll leave it for the experts to decide how much Aquarius fudges the truth. As drama, it's gripping, disturbing, and rewarding.

Even if we know how Manson’s story eventually ends, this is one cop show that will chart a tantalizing path to that grim conclusion.

Duchovny, as usual, is a kick to watch. He brings just the right touch of casual charm and swagger to the role. Meanwhile, Anthony's Manson is appropriately chilling, even as he utters kooky lines like "I pulled you out of the womb of ignorance and into the light of now." And a sound track full of evocative tunes from the era keeps things humming. All in all, Aquarius makes for a cool summer diversion.

While Duchovny is the draw--he plays Sam Hodiak, a no-nonsense World War II veteran who, because of his age, has trouble infiltrating the 1960s hippie culture--the actor to watch is Grey Damon, who portrays Hodiak’s partner, Brian Shafe.

Duchovny is eminently watchable.... At times the music is more involving than the acting, and appears a useful cover for some lame dialogue. But creator John McNamara ("In Plain Sight") successfully layers sociology, crime story and period music in an involving semi-historical drama.

Aquarius is its best when infiltrating Mason's "family" of stones sycophants.... When the show weaves in social commentary about sexism and racism, the storytelling can feel obvious and trite. [1 Jun 2015, p.18]

Though the '60s music is sometimes laid on with a heavy hand, Aquarius benefits from its stylish look, and a moody atmosphere that doesn't become oppressive, thanks to Duchovny's mordant wit. It's an unusual summer season offering, sometimes unsettling, but worth checking out.

Despite its letdown ending, oft-jumpy storytelling and extreme liberties with Manson in particular, Aquarius also leaves a mark as a chancy and difficult undertaking by a mainstream broadcast network. Duchovny is up to this task with a sturdy and watchable center-ring performance.

Aquarius’ problem is that it doesn’t want to tell a single story from the Summer of Love, it wants to tell every story from that summer, so you get heavy-­handed displays of institutional sexism and racism, drug use, the rise of black activism, the generation gap, the Vietnam War and some marriage melodrama to boot.