Counterpart preview: Are you more interested in J.K. Simmons drama now?
Counterpart premieres early in the new year, and it features J.K. Simmons in multiple roles as it tells a complicated, interesting narrative with a wide array of twists and thought-provoking content. It’s a show about parallel universes, a life that could have been had some different decisions been made. It’s fascinating, and we think in terms of through-lines you can draw at least a few comparisons between this show and Outlander. They obviously have many differences, but having an interesting, original conceit is a great way to get people watching right away. Outlander had that courtesy of the time-travel.
With Counterpart, the hope for Starz is to use this preview, coupled with Simmons’ star power, to retain as many subscribers as possible who have the network this fall. There is also probably an awareness that they needed to find another marquee hit given that they don’t have Black Sails airing on the network anymore. The pirate drama was a big part of their roster for several seasons but it came to a conclusion earlier this year. We’ll be tracking this show to see how it does, and see if it can became a great part of the regular programming rotation that includes Outlander, Power, and hopefully American Gods if it can find a way to get its showrunner situation worked out.
Above all else, can we give a brief thank-you to Whiplash? Because of this movie’s existence, most people out there got a chance to actually see how great J.K. Simmons is as an actor; thanks to that, opportunities like this are now possible when they possibly weren’t beforehand.
What did you think about the Counterpart preview, and do you think that the series is going to be a hit in the new year? Sound off now in the comments below!
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