The Brink

:

Season 1
  • Network: HBO
  • Series Premiere Date: Jun 21, 2015
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 79 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 59 out of 79
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 79
  3. Negative: 7 out of 79
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User Reviews

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  1. TheQuietGamer
    Jul 5, 2015
    9
    The humor may be more low-brow than you would expect from political satire, but "The Brink" is hilarious and compelling nonetheless. The show approaches the geopolitical crisis in Pakistan with an absurdist style and raunchy jokes. It mocks everybody in politics and does so with a knowing wink. It might not be the smartest satire out there, but it sure is some of the funniest.

    The cast    The humor may be more low-brow than you would expect from political satire, but "The Brink" is hilarious and compelling nonetheless. The show approaches the geopolitical crisis in Pakistan with an absurdist style and raunchy jokes. It mocks everybody in politics and does so with a knowing wink. It might not be the smartest satire out there, but it sure is some of the funniest.

    The cast is all around fantastic and talented. These guys know how to deliver jokes with perfect timing. They keep the gags coming at a mile a minute. Of course none of that would matter if the actual jokes themselves weren't funny. Thankfully this show has some funny people behind it.

    The only issue I have is that the show's inability to take itself seriously leads to the plot lacking in a sense of urgency or danger that you would expect any other show with a plot surrounding people trying to prevent World War 3 from having. Perhaps some more tension and genuine threats would help take the show to the next level.

    As of right now though it's hilarious regardless. Some may be looking for more intelligence and seriousness in their political satire, but those looking for laughs are sure to be satisfied. It's also not an entirely brainless affair. There are quite a few insightful jokes and comments here and there. It might present it's serious plot material in an irreverent manner and it's satire might not be anywhere near profound, but that doesn't change the fact that it's a hilarious show. Personally I find this to be the funniest show currently on television and can see plenty of reasons why it should be given a shot. I, for one, can't wait for the next episode.

    So far I give the first season of "The Brink" is a 9.9/10.    … Expand
  2. WilfulG
    Jul 24, 2015
    10
    It's still not perfect - but very promising. By far the best comedy series of this lousy summer. The cast is good with the exception of Tim Robbins - who is just terrific..
  3. greatduckguru
    Aug 3, 2015
    10
    This show is amazingly funny, fast paced, and has the perfect cast in every way. I have loved every episode and laughed all along the way. Lots of critics seem to have hate for this show because they want it to be like all the other formula shows and fail to appreciate something unique and fun. Worth watching, check it out for sure.
  4. onetime80
    Jul 27, 2015
    10
    The problem with professional critics is that they are useless. They don't create anything so feel the need to trash what other people create to bring them down to their level. I had to create an account after seeing the metacritic score. This show is really awesome, it's a Jack Black type of comedy. If you like Jack Black you will love the show. It's light-hearted, up-beat and just fun.The problem with professional critics is that they are useless. They don't create anything so feel the need to trash what other people create to bring them down to their level. I had to create an account after seeing the metacritic score. This show is really awesome, it's a Jack Black type of comedy. If you like Jack Black you will love the show. It's light-hearted, up-beat and just fun.

    Too many snobs who think a political setting needs to be "serious" or "intellectually satiristic", at which point if the show was like that, they would claim it's not original. I hope the show picks up in ratings, I'd like to see more seasons. It deserves so much better    … Expand
  5. PaulCharles
    Jul 19, 2015
    10
    best new comedy of 2015. not sure if it is too witty for people? I find myself laughing non-stop. Jack black is hilarious, but Tim Robbins steals the show.
  6. bluejen
    Aug 17, 2015
    10
    I didn't think I would enjoy this, but I actually have. It's definitely low-brow humor, but it had me truly laughing. Tim Robbins, John Laroquette and Jack Black are hilarious. I hope this show gets renews for at least a couple more season. Good work!
  7. Bertoflyingfox
    Jun 30, 2015
    8
    I guess not many critics like the premise of this show but I feel it's funny and moves at a nice pace during each episode. Tim Robbin's character has to be my favorite so far, constantly trying to pull the president from the brink of war. The first episode didnt have me laughing a lot, but it was still easier to watch than the first few episodes of Veep.

    Solid 8/10 for me.
  8. Synystar
    Aug 2, 2015
    10
    Great show. Intelligent and funny. It pokes fun at **** that you know must be real to a certain degree. Tim Robbins is awesome. If you listen to NPR on a daily basis you'll probably like it. If not you either hate it or don't give a single ****
  9. undercontrol
    Jul 23, 2015
    10
    I couldn't stop laughing. Great satiric humor; it just punches right in your face. I pissed myself for real at one point. Smart & funny plot, kudos to the writer/s. Great cast alongside Jack Black & Tim Robbins. A must see for every comedy lover. Best comedy so far this year.
  10. SeenNotScene
    Aug 23, 2015
    8
    I thoroughly enjoyed the season even with its ups and downs, but the cast did an amazing job giving us humor alongside the terror of what America's militarty is. I really look forward to the next season.
  11. awillcoxon
    Jun 30, 2015
    8
    The first episode was hollow from all angles, but the second one is starting to show potential. We'll see if they can hang on, but for now I'm going to throw them a bone with a 8.0 rating and hope things keep going in the right direction.
  12. Shrikky
    Aug 15, 2015
    10
    Amazing tv show, just loved it. Please involve a lot of India and the chinese too. From what i see this can be the big brother of House of cards as it takes politics from domestic to international.
  13. Cleviathan
    Aug 23, 2015
    8
    The only reason i write this is the hope that others may seek the TV show out and give it a chance. I spotted the actors and thought yep, that's my bag. I got through episodes 1 and 2 with a few chuckles and an instant like of the main Characters and I'm glad I kept going. It gets better and better and I'm so pleased this didn't pass me by. Worth an hour of your time, 3 episodes approx toThe only reason i write this is the hope that others may seek the TV show out and give it a chance. I spotted the actors and thought yep, that's my bag. I got through episodes 1 and 2 with a few chuckles and an instant like of the main Characters and I'm glad I kept going. It gets better and better and I'm so pleased this didn't pass me by. Worth an hour of your time, 3 episodes approx to get to grips with it… Expand
  14. aculhane
    Jun 24, 2015
    10
    Smart, subtle and very funny start. Hope it maintains the humor and irony. Jack Black is perfectly cast. A welcome relief from the usual blood and boobs fare of HBO.
  15. AstuteEnigma
    Jun 22, 2015
    10
    I find this show to irreverent and entertaining. The best part by fair is the "minor" characters. While it is certainly not the best television show on Earth, it is quite good for what it is and it makes fun of itself. It seems to be building. I find the idea that it is "in between" genres intriguing because it can navigate the dramedy space and if it succeeds and may well end it up beingI find this show to irreverent and entertaining. The best part by fair is the "minor" characters. While it is certainly not the best television show on Earth, it is quite good for what it is and it makes fun of itself. It seems to be building. I find the idea that it is "in between" genres intriguing because it can navigate the dramedy space and if it succeeds and may well end it up being a success.… Expand
  16. jezmos
    Jun 22, 2015
    0
    Not intelligent enough to be a watchable drama and not funny enough to be a watchable comedy, 'The Brink' is an appallingly shallow piece of television. The plot appears to be based on a literal reading of the Bush Doctrine, with a mad, fundamentalist Pakistani threatening Israel and the only possible response being the use of U.S. military muscle. And that, to me, is the worst aspect ofNot intelligent enough to be a watchable drama and not funny enough to be a watchable comedy, 'The Brink' is an appallingly shallow piece of television. The plot appears to be based on a literal reading of the Bush Doctrine, with a mad, fundamentalist Pakistani threatening Israel and the only possible response being the use of U.S. military muscle. And that, to me, is the worst aspect of this show: while it tries to present itself as satire, it actually functions to reinforce the idea that the mad Muslims pose an existential threat to the U.S. and its allies. So even when jokes are being made about Lockheed Martin and the military industrial complex, I wouldn't be at all surprised to learn that Lockheed Martin was one of the funders of the show. Cliche-ridden garbage.… Expand
  17. Knighthawk81
    Jun 22, 2015
    4
    Getting big time actors alone won't make a show. Jack Black and Tim Robbins are talented performers, but "The Brink" gives them terrible characters and a middling story. How will this work as a show? Will anyone even care past the first couple episodes? There's the bones of a promising concept here, but it doesn't coalesce into something worthwhile in the pilot.
  18. juzzle
    Jun 25, 2015
    4
    Jezmos summed it up nicely "Not intelligent enough to be a watchable drama and not funny enough to be a watchable comedy". The show can't quite work out what it wants to be. Some characters appear to obvious satires, whilst others are semi-serious dramatic portrayals. I barely smirked once in the first episode.
  19. TheWaffle
    Jul 27, 2015
    5
    It started off promising, but a few episodes in the one-dimensional gags have grown stale. Episode 1 had some laughs, episode 2 had some chuckles, but now it's gotten predictable. A lot of small choices really cut into the high-stakes plot that the show tries to sell: the Secretary of State's wife's indifference to a potential nuclear exchange, the Secretary of Defense planning war from aIt started off promising, but a few episodes in the one-dimensional gags have grown stale. Episode 1 had some laughs, episode 2 had some chuckles, but now it's gotten predictable. A lot of small choices really cut into the high-stakes plot that the show tries to sell: the Secretary of State's wife's indifference to a potential nuclear exchange, the Secretary of Defense planning war from a hotel lobby, the Israeli PM telling us one thing and then we learn the opposite in the next scene. Lots of just poor writing that robs this dark comedy of its darkness and fails to deliver on the comedy. This feels like a four-minute SNL sketch that's been stretched into five hours of television.… Expand
  20. BillJustBill
    Jun 22, 2015
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Watched most of the pilot episode before deleting the balance of it and cancelling "record the series."
    The show is so unwatchable and embarrassing in so many ways. What could possibly have been the premise of the show? "Let's make something that shows that every person in any position of authority is completely corrupt and narcissistic, obsessed with sex and drugs and their own immediate gratification to the exclusion of all else and certainly that will be funny." Another creative genius adds, "Wow. Hilarious! And how about the Navy pilots? Let's characterize them as, basically, idiots, hooked on uppers, then when they take something else by mistake and they are in their jet planes on an important mission, won't that be the funniest thing you've ever seen?" It's as if the show not only is tailored to 12-year-old suburban disenfranchised boys, it's as if the entire creative staff is alienated, disillusioned 12-year-old boys. Why can't anyone involved in producing this show ask any key questions, such as "Why is VEEP so hilariously funny and why does our show lie there and stink like a forgotten corpse? Certainly they didn't set out to make something so awful, so there must be some valuable lessons learned from understanding how things went so terribly wrong. Maybe if they watched a season of "Episodes" they would begin to understand. Or not. Maybe it's not possible to get there from here.    … Expand
  21. papadrew7
    Jul 2, 2015
    0
    There are no redeeming qualities about this show at all. The whole thing feels rushed and the comedy just falls right on its face. The show is trying to do way too much in its half hour show of telling a story and developing characters and trying to be funny and none of it works. There is nothing funny about a show about corrupt, worthless, government officials that THINK they are funny.There are no redeeming qualities about this show at all. The whole thing feels rushed and the comedy just falls right on its face. The show is trying to do way too much in its half hour show of telling a story and developing characters and trying to be funny and none of it works. There is nothing funny about a show about corrupt, worthless, government officials that THINK they are funny. There is nothing funny about World War 3. You wouldn't expect this quality of a show from HBO but here we are. I give a big fat 0 rating.… Expand
  22. TheKiddy
    Aug 28, 2015
    4
    This is a bizarre and strange show. After watching 10 minutes of it I am wondering if there is something wrong with the sound or if I am going insane. I have no idea what this is about. And I keep hearing voice that are so nasal and.. it must be the sound. What is this show about?
  23. baraba
    Oct 5, 2015
    10
    Sheer brilliance, can't remember any film or TV series dealing with this subject matter done so well.
    If you're into questioning things and admire Dr. Strangelove than this is not a series to miss.
    I can imagine how some people would get riled by it, but who the hell cares. If you appreciate Blackadder, you'll love this type of humor - not a "let's laugh at silly things" comedy but a    Sheer brilliance, can't remember any film or TV series dealing with this subject matter done so well.
    If you're into questioning things and admire Dr. Strangelove than this is not a series to miss.
    I can imagine how some people would get riled by it, but who the hell cares. If you appreciate Blackadder, you'll love this type of humor - not a "let's laugh at silly things" comedy but a full-blooded farce. Biting, over-the-top, ridiculous but underlying premise is rock solid and dead serious. Just wonderful.

    10/10 from me. And top notch writing, acting, directing and pretty much everything else regarding the nitty gritty of production only add to the score.    … Expand
  24. Moo-vies
    Oct 5, 2016
    9
    This tv series was great.
    Some moments will remain cult. You probably can find on youtube a continuous scene of the jet fighter moment which when put together is a hilarious scene.
    It is a real shame HBO did cancel it between Jack Black (who really needs to take better care of himself in real life when you see him perform here) more money elsewhere shenanigans and the death of the    This tv series was great.
    Some moments will remain cult. You probably can find on youtube a continuous scene of the jet fighter moment which when put together is a hilarious scene.

    It is a real shame HBO did cancel it between Jack Black (who really needs to take better care of himself in real life when you see him perform here) more money elsewhere shenanigans and the death of the series producer Jerry Weintraub.

    It offers a highly caricatural depiction of the incumbency of the White House staff and president which probably shocks many who can't manage to relax a part of their anatomy enough to laugh about the institution of the presidency.

    It does not ever pretend to be serious while hitting some right on the spot points about Israel, Pakistan, the neocons foaming at the perspective to launch missiles at stuff, the crazy religiousness of America and how it influences its policy (Israel supporting paradoxical Bible wielders included in a quick but oh so precise surgical strike).

    To be honest, what made me sometimes wonder about the show is Jack Black himself who seems so out of shape and health that I kinda worried for him.    … Expand
  25. ftrnow
    Jan 31, 2016
    10
    This was creative an expressed comedic genius. The creativeness rivals Seth Macfarlanes style and execution. It challenges the PC of our generation to open their minds to how ludicrous our military and political envinronments might be.

Awards & Rankings

62
#62 Most Discussed TV Season of 2015

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
52

Mixed or average reviews - based on 30 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 30
  3. Negative: 7 out of 30
  1. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Robert Lloyd
    Jul 5, 2015
    60
    The series keeps generally on the right side of things by virtue of the excellence and exuberance of the performances, which add flesh where needed; by moving fast enough to keep ahead of your second thoughts; and by spreading the ridiculousness around.
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  2. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Melissa Maerz
    Jun 30, 2015
    67
    Black spends too much time hugging with his eyebrows raised, and the writers go for easy jokes. [3 Jul 2015]
  3. The Lincoln Journal Star
    Reviewed by: Jeff Korbelik
    Jun 22, 2015
    100
    The Brink is whip-smart, featuring actors who know how to play comedy. This one’s a joy to watch.
    Read full review
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