Fall Preview 2016: Is ‘Quarry’ set to be Cinemax’s next great hit?
We’re not gonna lie: “Outcast” raised the stakes in terms of bringing great drama to Cinemax. It was a show that while brutal, also portrayed humanity in a way that was real, raw, and fascinating. Sure, there was a supernatural component in the form of the exorcisms, but even that was portrayed as natural and reasonably organic to the world.
If “Quarry” can come close to matching that / topping it, we’ll be happier than we can ever express. We just gotta wait and see if it can. The trailer is promising, and for the most part this network can pride itself on quality.
Premiere Date and Timeslot Competition – Friday, September 9 at 10:00 p.m. Eastern. This is the network’s standard real estate, and while network TV will offer “Blue Bloods” and a couple of other things later in the month, we don’t see any direct competitors. If you can afford Cinemax, you probably can afford either a DVR or a tablet so that you can watch the episode later on the app.
Logline – “’Quarry’ is the story of Mac Conway, a Marine who returns home to Memphis from Vietnam in 1972 and finds himself shunned by those he loves and demonized by the public. As he struggles to cope with his experiences at war, Conway is drawn into a network of killing and corruption that spans the length of the Mississippi River.”
Cast – Logan Marshall-Green, Jodi Balfour, Peter Mullan, Nikki Amuka-Bird and Damon Herriman.
Trailer – It’s intense, dark, and realistic to what we presume is the time. We’re not someone who is going to pretend to be an expert on this particular post-Vietnam War era, but this has the aesthetic that we would want to both a Cinemax series and one with the challenge of following up “Outcast.”
Overall Take – It’d be horrible to give this show enormous expectations, such as awards recognition, based on a trailer alone. Still, we do think there’s a lot of potential here for this to be a violent tale of corruption and post-dramatic stress that many networks would be scared to touch. As of right now, we’re coining it one of the most ambitious series of the fall.
If you’re so inclined, head over here to get some other entries in our Fall Preview series! Meanwhile, sign up over at this link to secure some other TV scoop on all we cover via our official CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: Cinemax.)