Bloodline

:

Season 1
  • Network: Netflix
  • Series Premiere Date: Mar 20, 2015
Season #: 3, 2, 1
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 31 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 31
  3. Negative: 0 out of 31
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Critic Reviews

  1. Under The Radar
    Reviewed by: Zach Hollwedel
    Mar 26, 2015
    60
    The Rayburns are, to a tee, well-trod stereotypes. Their dialogue is often as two-dimensional as they are, and when it veers more toward the melo than the drama, Bloodline can get down right corny.
  2. Time
    Reviewed by: James Poniewozik
    Mar 18, 2015
    60
    The biggest weakness of Bloodline is that the characters are types, straight down the line: the hardass dad, the soft-hearted mom, the peacemaker, the black sheep. And the scripts don’t do much to round them out.... They’re well-played types at least.
  3. USA Today
    Reviewed by: Robert Bianco
    Mar 19, 2015
    50
    Despite some fine individual performances, the actors never collectively project a sense of family.
  5. Las Vegas Weekly
    Reviewed by: Josh Bell
    Mar 19, 2015
    50
    From a plot standpoint, Bloodline is completely flat, using its shifting timelines as a trick to make mundane developments seem more ominous than they really are.
  6. New York Magazine (Vulture)
    Reviewed by: Margaret Lyons
    Mar 19, 2015
    50
    Individually, the performances are terrific.... Bloodline presents itself so generically. You can get away with lousy dialogue, or underdeveloped acting, or common character types, or an unspecial visual style. Just not all of it at once.

Awards & Rankings

66
#66 Best TV Season of 2015
33
#33 Most Discussed TV Season of 2015
33
#33 Most Shared TV Season of 2015

User Reviews

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User Score
8.2

Universal acclaim- based on 223 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 198 out of 223
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 223
  3. Negative: 18 out of 223
  1. DoNotBlink
    Mar 21, 2015
    10
    I wasn't planning on watching this show, but when it was featured on the Netflix site I decided to take the plunge. After two episodes I wasI wasn't planning on watching this show, but when it was featured on the Netflix site I decided to take the plunge. After two episodes I was all in. While the acting from Sam Shepard, Sissy Spacek and Kyle Chandler is solid this is Ben Mendelsohn's show. We quickly identify his Danny as the central antagonist, but as the series progresses it is clear that no one in the Rayburn clan is truly innocent. Unrighted wrongs and the ripple effects of decisions from the distant past drive the drama. Every episode ratchets up the intrigue and intensity and by the fifth hour the hooks are in. I've read some of the critics' reviews complaining about the characters being generically drawn types. I think this is by design. At the onset we see the Rayburns as the caricatures the authors intended. Slowly their true motivations and nuanced flaws emerge and the talent of the cast is allowed to emerge. Nevertheless after the first episode one wonders how the show runners can get out of the box they've constructed for themselves. Surely this show can only last a single season. In this sense the show is a grand magic trick. I've completed all 13 episodes and let me just say the writers have pulled off an escape act that would make even Houdini proud.… Full Review »
  2. Nedloh94
    Mar 21, 2015
    7
    Sluggish plotting, frustrating character work, and seemingly aimless in every way, Bloodline is a show that needs to be seen in its entiretySluggish plotting, frustrating character work, and seemingly aimless in every way, Bloodline is a show that needs to be seen in its entirety to be understood, and, if not liked, then at least respected. Between the intricate and patient storytelling, potent atmosphere, and near-flawless cast. Though some of the foreshadow is a bit sloppy, and though some of the characters are either given so much they're nearly inconsistent, or they're so underdeveloped that I don't really care about them at all, Bloodline is bizarrely engaging. I barely want to watch any of this, but the show always knows how to get people back into its good graces. If nothing else though, watch it for Ben Mendelsohn's masterful performance. He's easily the best part of the show, and worth the price of admission alone. Other than that, it's a mixed bag that has a bit more good than not.… Full Review »
  3. Getsometaste
    Mar 21, 2015
    10
    Stellar show with superb acting in a beautiful location. It's a slow burn, which is perfect for a show of this type. Not for those with shortStellar show with superb acting in a beautiful location. It's a slow burn, which is perfect for a show of this type. Not for those with short attention spans or for whatever reason, feel the need to be on their phones while watching. Put the phone down. It'll be there 50 or so minutes later when the episode is over. The world won't stop functioning if you aren't texting this and that person. Why are you bothering to sit down and watch this if you're not going to give it your full attention? Then you have the ones that would give up on a show after two episodes because it wasn't giving you instant gratification that this society sadly increasingly needs on a daily basis. People like you are the problem. People like you are why great network shows get cancelled so early while garbage continues to be successful. Now sit down, shut up, put the phone down and PAY ATTENTION. You'll be rewarded with an extremely high caliber show that will shock and surprise you just like Damages (the creators of this created Damages as well) did at its very best.… Full Review »
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