Is anybody else watching The Alienist?

[smirkymonkey]

I am watching it on Amazon Prime (I have to pay $2.99 per episode) but it's definitely worth it. I liked the book a lot better, it takes you through a historical tour of turn-of-the-century New York City, but the mini-series is still worth watching.

[secondwind]

1. Thanks for the tip. I loved the book!

[smirkymonkey]

2. I did too! It's a great story, although horrifying, and a great look at history.

I liked the book better because it was so much more descriptive, but the film is still pretty good. I really like Daniel Bruhl as the lead actor. He has always been one of my favorites.

[Behind the Aegis]

3. Love it.

After the 1st episode, we thought about let it build up so we could binge watch it because it is so damn good at the end of the episode I want more!

[smirkymonkey]

4. I am just starting episode four.

It gets even better!

[Squinch]

5. I watched the first episode but it was so dark! Not as in a dark plot, I love that.

But the photography was so dark, I couldn't see anything!

But on your say-so, I will give it another try. I liked the book.

[smirkymonkey]

6. You are right, the production values are not the best.

I think it was done to create an atmosphere, but it is kind of hard to see detail in parts. Can you adjust your screen brightness?

[demmiblue]

7. Boo. Hiss. I was excited when I read that it was going to be on Netflix in April.

Then I read further... France and the US are excluded.

[Aristus]

8. I'm enjoying the show.

But the character of Teddy Roosevelt is written so ineffectually. They got the look right. The character very closely resembles Roosevelt at that stage in his career. But in every scene he's behaving like a bumbling, harried, incompetent boob. When will the real TR pop out and start kicking some ass?

[First Speaker]

9. Love the show...does anyone know where it was filmed...?

...It's clearly not today's New York...LOL...was there any location shooting, or is it all a very convincing studio job...?

[smirkymonkey]

10. It was filmed in Budapest. All sets.

They have some interesting extra videos on the making of the film. Today's NYC would be unrecognizable as a set.

[yallerdawg]

11. I am always intrigued at how seamy, immoral and corrupt...

America has always essentially been.

Especially when considering the reverential idolatry regarding the "Founding Fathers."

The "real" history of the United States helps explain where we are today and how it shouldn't be unexpected given our nature.

[smirkymonkey]

14. It's hard to believe, but life actually used to be much worse for children.

Poor children never had much of a childhood. It's so sad how nobody really looked out for their welfare.

[angstlessk]

12. Audible has 2 versions, one is 4+ hours, the other 20+ hours

Depends on how much historical detail you prefer?

[LongTomH]

13. Check out TNT's YouTube channel for discussion of The Alienist

[smirkymonkey]

15. Thanks for posting those clips!

It really is so fascinating in so many ways - not just the murder mystery, but the history, the birth of forensics and psychology in solving crimes, the weaving in of real life historic figures and their influence. It is definitely worth a watch.

[Fla Dem]

16. My brother who doesn't watch much TV at all, recommended it to me.

I watched one episode so far. A tad dark for my tastes, but interesting enough that I may watch more.