Gotta Keep the Devil

The Common Man is back from an extended absence that could not be helped. He is back with a vengeance (blog free or blog hard).

Anyway, there is only so much room in The Common Man's week to watch television. Usually, The Common Man gets to watch one or two shows a day. Since Heroes has already claimed Monday nights, The Common Man was forced to Tivo and watch the new NBC show The Black Donnellys on tape delay. And he is glad that he did. The show follows four Irish brothers who often find themselves dodging the local mob and police while they hustle. It's good TV. The narrative structure is off-beat, the plots are suspenseful, and the producers have done a good job of fleshing out what could have been very two-dimensional characters. If you have time in your viewing schedule, it's worth it (though its subject matter through the first two episodes has been violent and (at one point) a little disturbing).

That said, the title of the show is a reference to the Donnelly brothers being "black" Irish, that somehow their blood makes them dangerous and malevolent. One character argues that, because of their blood, everything they touch will turn bad, no matter how good their intentions are. Despite this, the four brothers are the noble heroes of the show, and are lauded for putting family above petty things like morality and intelligence.

The Common Man is not surprised by this characterization; after all, for The Common Man to want to continue watching he must care about what happens to the characters. Yet, there always seems to be a double standard when gang and criminal lives are portrayed on screen. The Donnellys are celebrated for their descent into the New York City underworld. Meanwhile, almost any show about criminal activity that starred African-American "black" Donnellys would undoubtedly portray its characters very differently (though, let's be honest, no network has the balls to produce that show). African-American criminal activity would be a blight upon the city and a menace to its people. The characters would become caricatures, stereotypes of gangbangers and degenerates. Because no one seems to have the creative fortitude to tackle the issues of why African-Americans become criminals. Why they join gangs. To talk about the poverty and desperation that many of these young men and women come from would partially mitigate their choices, and our society could not condemn them with such vigor without also doing something to change the conditions that cause them.

Only one show does this: HBO's original series The Wire, a police drama that spends almost as much time being a crime drama. The crumbling neighborhoods of West Baltimore constantly remind viewers of the context in which these boys and girls choose their paths. And, while it does not excuse their behavior, the show humanizes them, making its characters into more than black skin with a gun and an attitude. It is, bar none, the best show on television today because of its deep character development, strong acting, excellent location scouting, and unflinching commitment to exposing seediness and the roots of that seediness. If you have not seen it, I recommend renting or buying the DVDs today. And if you can't, then watch The Black Donnellys and pine for what might have been.

Note: neither of these shows should, at any time, be watched by children. If you have children, The Common Man recommends locking them in the basement while you watch these shows. If you're watching The Wire on DVD, this could take up to three hours. And while The Common Man would be sorry for your kids, it would be time well spent. Kids heal.