- Network: USA
- Series Premiere Date: Nov 7, 2017
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Critic Reviews
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Bleak and nasty, Damnation brings a "Mr. Robot" vibe to the Depression era, wrapping class warfare and hostility toward wanton capitalism in a drab, dusty package. The result is a bracing look backward informed by present-day parallels, in another show that feels like an outlier for USA -- one that should have critical admirers but might struggle to satisfy TV's capitalist demands.
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But still, slow-moving and enamored of its own darkness as Damnation is, there’s something vital and real in the show’s insistence that the United States’ institutions have failed and are only looking out for themselves.
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It’s often predictable and to the grimdark end of the Quality Drama tonal spectrum, but the period itself is fairly novel (Carnivale was over a decade ago), and it plays its familiar tunes with brisk competence.
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Damnation has laid enough groundwork for a solid series, and the first episode ends with a kicker about Seth and Creeley’s relationship.
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It can all be a bit heavy-handed, but damned if I'm not intrigued. [30 Oct 2017 - 12 Nov 2017, p.13]
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There’s timeliness to the never dull “Damnation” despite its period setting, particularly in episode two when a professor (Gabriel Mann, “Revenge”) disparages the “unwashed rural masses.” Just don’t go looking for any heroes: There are none to be found.
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His [creator/writer/executive producer Tony Tost's] critique of capitalism is overt and bracing for scripted TV, and perhaps, like many science-fiction shows, from “Star Trek” to “Black Mirror,” its faraway setting will make its message more palatable. But the weight is undercut by moments that border on black comedy.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 25 out of 33
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Mixed: 3 out of 33
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Negative: 5 out of 33
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Nov 22, 2017
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Dec 29, 2018
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Dec 23, 2018