After a seemingly interminable wait that began in earnest on May 20th, Alex O’Loughlin’s new series Three Rivers finally premiered with the episode Place of Life on October 4th. There has been a lot of response to the show and as Three Rivers tells its stories from three different perspectives, here’s a breakdown of the feedback for the first episode from three different groups: the Alex O’Loughlin fans, the organ donation community and the critics.
What the Fans Say
Not everyone enjoys medical shows and many fans weren’t sure what to expect. The majority of fans are positive, some are less so and others are reserving judgment until more episodes have been aired.
- The cast is solid and gets an A overall. Katherine Moennig is a pleasant surprise for those who are not familiar with her work and the sexy Daniel Henney is likely to win new fans! Especially the combination of Daniel Henney/Christopher Hanke meets with fan approval. We’d like to see more of Justina Machado and Alfre Woodard does not disappoint with her strong performance.
- It goes without saying that Alex O’Loughlin is definitely worth the long, long wait. [Note to the editors of the show: there is no such thing as too many soulful-eye close-ups of Dr. Yablonski!] Alex’s scenes with Owiso Odera are engaging and we look forward to seeing how the story involving Owiso’s character Kuol unfolds as the series progresses.
- The humor we’ve seen so far is right on target! We especially enjoy the interaction between David & Ryan and Miranda & Andy.
- Place of Life is informative as well as entertaining and the medical aspect was mostly accurate. Three Rivers has sensitivity and caring; it does indeed have heart! We appreciate the addition of a non-transplant storyline and that the focus is more on the medicine as we don’t want the show to get too “soapy”.
- The hospital set is simply stunning.
- Organ donation is a certainly a worthy cause, but to some viewers the first episode had the tone of a public service announcement. Lightening up a little on the medical jargon would be appreciated, as would having a little less melodrama in the dialog.
- Some feel that Andy is just a tad too perfect ;-)! He does it all at Three Rivers and this threatens to make him two-dimensional. And although every patient should have a doctor with his bedside manner, not everyone feels that what we’ve seen is realistic.
- The shots from the hand-held camera are sometimes jerky on close-ups of Andy, although there are viewers that have not noticed this at all. The transitions, graphics, split screen and music are also not to everyone’s taste.
- There are fans who find the pacing to be slow while others think that too many cases and characters were introduced for just one episode.
- And not everyone cared for the high-tech look of the hospital set, yet there are also fans who love it.
What the Critics Say
A lot has been written about the show by the pros. After reading the critiques that were not based on the original pilot, sifting the constructive criticism from the grandiose drivel leaves us with the following:
- The Three Rivers cast is recognized as talented and charismatic and “Alex O’Loughlin is from the George Clooney on ER school of TV.”
- The LA Times writes, “Carol Barbee ditched the original and replaced it with a pilot of such style and restraint that it may herald a new type of medical show — one in which intensity is not confused with insanity”, and, “The pilot will not blow your mind, but strangely, that is its biggest strength.”
- Variety concludes, “Among a waiting room of new medical dramas, this operation has the best chance of avoiding rejection.”
- The cases presented in the pilot are considered inventive and Three Rivers is seen as a “center of calm” in a world with forgettable and over-the-top medical shows.
- United Media writes, “Heartbreaking stories, hunky star, good supporting cast … of the three new medical dramas on the fall 2009 schedule, this one has the best leading man in O’Loughlin and the best chance of surviving to a second season.”
- The show is heart-warming but predictable.
- Andy is too “shiny and happy”; the show needs medical professionals with flaws to make it interesting.
- The actors don’t appear to be comfortable with their materials; some of the dialog is perceived as being “cookie cutter” like.
- There is too much focus on the patients and not enough on the doctors.
What the Organ Donation Community Says
The organ donation community is very pleased that Three Rivers is helping raise awareness for their cause and many viewing parties were organized to ring in the premiere of the show. The participants of a viewing party of the TRIO Philadelphia chapter gave Place of Life a 7-8 rating out of 10.
Steve Hirschauer, who is waiting for a kidney transplant, also held a viewing party. He writes “Everyone thought it was a great start, a great way to get the word out, and accurate — we’re wondering if all the stories will have quite such a happy ending as the show progresses.”
Lynn Driver, CEO of the Indiana Organ Procurement Organization, attended a viewing party and says, “I think they really put donation in a good light. The important part is that it is getting families talking.”
Less realistic is considered the depiction that people have to be dying in a hospital to be eligible for a transplant, when in fact many are waiting for prolonged periods at home. The recovery pain after a transplant is also something that isn’t touched on in this first episode.
Being Different is Tough
As with most new television series, Three Rivers needs time to find its feet. Few original shows hit their stride straight off the bat, and some have to fight against the bias of being “different” — CSI, The X Files and even Hill Street Blues were no exceptions. As the first pilot evoked a lot of criticism, it is not unthinkable that some overcompensation is involved in Place of Life. As the actors get to know their characters better, the more comfortable they will be filling their shoes. The right balance will be found between doctor/patient focus, highlighting organ donation/providing engaging television, character depth/spotlighting medical cases, and how much sentimentality is “just right”. We have, after all, only experienced the first 40+ minutes of the show.
Undoubtedly the makers of Three Rivers are putting to good use the feedback they are receiving about the show. Over 1,300 viewers responded to the Three Rivers survey that Donate Life Hollywood opened after Place of Life aired. The survey is now closed and the results will be posted soon at http://donatelifehollywood.org.
[tags]alex o’loughlin, alex o’lachlan, three rivers, andy yablonski, donate life, cbs[/tags]
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