‘Ride with Norman Reedus’ premiere reaction: Is AMC’s docuseries a worthy ride?
Other than “Comic Book Men,” AMC has spent the past few years staying clear of the unscripted format. Then, they decided to premiere two new shows in two days in “The American West” and “Ride with Norman Reedus.”
When it comes to the latter (which we’re here to discuss today), we’d describe this as a worthy effort and a real passion project for its star, who clearly loves motorcycles and this country. Therefore, most of the entire series is themed a little bit around that.
The biggest selling point here is clearly the “Walking Dead” actor, who has a passionate following and seems genuinely engaged in the subject matter. You learn a little bit about his history, why he loves motorcycles, and also the relationship between this hobby and “The Walking Dead.” We really enjoyed some of his stories, including his decision to motorcycle from Georgia to Nashville in order to present at the awards show.
Probably the best thing about this show is that unlike many other documentary shows, they really don’t shy away from the fact that Norman is a big celebrity, and the majority of the normal people who appear know who he is. That gives it some more authenticity, and his natural energy is not such that you think he’s bragging about the show. The geographical aspects to it are fascinating, such as showing us the contrast between Northern and Southern California.
If there is one thing we’d love to see more in subsequent weeks, it would be giving the show a little bit more of an edge. Given how “The Walking Dead” or even “Preacher,” which airs before this, often tow the line, we’d like to see the guests be a little more uncensored and be a little less afraid of the cameras. Maybe they just don’t have that comfort level, but we’ll see over the course of the season. For the premiere, though, we’d say that this “Ride” did enough to at least keep us engaged.
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