Netflix continues to be the place to watch the latest in, not only new film features, but, also, television series. To be honest, it is a completely different experience, although I am not a new hand at this, either. Normally, around this time of the year, I would have enjoyed watching, and, possibly, rewatching the latest season of “Cobra Kai,” on YouTube, but like all other things, in the year of 2020, it has to wait.
With that, “Hollywood” has graced the small screen and, up to this point, it has cracked the Top 3 for active viewership, on Netflix, though it is sure to plummet, with two weeks of airtime now approaching. You see, much like the standings at box office, it is a competitive world out there for television ratings and even if a show is considered “good,” it only has a narrow window to keep the viewers’ attention. “Hollywood” is no exception, but is it worth the effort?
It begins with a young man by the name of Jack Castello, played by David Corenswet (“Affairs of State”). He has just returned to The United States, fresh out of World War II, and is interested in trying his hand at acting, in Hollywood. He soon realizes that his looks are not enough to make any kind of an impact with the casting directors/producers and begins to look elsewhere for a way in. He is approached by an older gentleman, Ernie West, played by Dylan McDermott (“The Clovehitch Killer”), who owns and operates an automobile service station, though the biggest service he provides, for his prospective customers, has nothing to do with automobiles. That is where Jack has a seemingly fortuitous encounter with a woman of valuable prominence: Avis Amberg, played by Patti LuPone (“Last Christmas”). She just so happens to be a former actress of the big screen, from the “silent” era and is connected to an important figure in the current film industry (as of 1948, or so). Keep in mind that although there are some characters, in this series, who existed in real life, this is, in total, a fictional account, which becomes much more evident AND more important, later on in the series.
Joining Jack, as prominently-featured characters, throughout, are: Darren Criss (“Midway”) as Raymond Ainsley, an up-and-coming would-be director; Laura Harrier (“Balance, Not Symmetry”) as Camille Washington, an up-and-coming actress and girlfriend to Raymond; Jake Picking (“Sicario: Day of the Soldado”) as Roy Fitzgerald, soon to be known as “Rock Hudson;” and Jeremy Pope (“Ranger”) as Archie Coleman, an aspiring screenwriter and secret boyfriend to Rock. 
These are the principles who exist on the same path, but with various starting points and challenges, along the way.
Also, as mainstays within the series, are: Joe Mantello (“The Normal Heart”) as Dick Samuels, a studio producer and a personal favorite of mine, in the series; Holland Taylor (“Bombshell”) as Ellen Kincaid, also a studio producer, but a great acting mentor, as well; Samara Weaving (“Ready or Not”) as Claire Wood, an aspiring actress, who has an inside lane as the daughter of a big studio head; and Jim Parsons (“Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile”) as Henry Wilson, an agent to actors and another who I consider to be a great performer, in this series, for the most part. 
These are the people who are on the other side of the table from the previous list. They hold the keys to Hollywood, so to speak and can be the real difference for those mentioned, prior.
Yes, there are other characters who play a lesser role in the series, but they tend to be connected with all of these primary roles, for the most part and are not given enough screen time to be explored for real character depth… 
The series kept my attention fairly well for at least the first few episodes. Episodes 1 and 2 can be combined as one, thematic story, entitled ‘Hooray for Hollywood,’ which I think is meant to be taken as semi-sarcastic, in hindsight. Sex, of all types, is widely explored and while the focus is mostly on Jack’s story in the opening episode, it pivots to the other, primary characters for the second episode. Episode 3 is entitled ‘Outlaws’ and brings the backstories of specific characters of ethnic and social minority status into the forefront, while still presenting a pretty fascinating story, overall. I could not help but think that, even as this is considered a fictional tale, maybe Hollywood is not so different from then as it is today. The development of Rock gets more interesting, as well, connected to, not only Archie, but Henry, too. Furthermore, the story of Dick really got my attention and made for a very important story element.
Episode 4 is entitled ‘Screen Tests’ and showcases the process of nit only casting for the big movie, which is not at the center of the story, known as “Peg” or “Meg,” depending on which part of the timeline you are in. Episode 5, ‘Jump’ is a big turning point, towards happier times, for basically everyone involved, but keep an eye out for a quick “rug pull,” at some stage. Make way for Episode 6, “Meg,” where all the movie-making comes together. I must add that I think the crux of the whole story takes place in the fourth episode. Who knows if something like this ever happened, for real. I would have thought that if it DID, we would all have heard about it a long time ago. Former First Ladies have been known to make suggestions to influential people, before, but something such as this could have truly made a difference, looking back on things.
With the final episode, from my perspective, things unraveled for the entire plot. Maybe I should have seen it coming. The title is, after all, “A Hollywood Ending.” You can see that someone wanted to wrap things up for each and every important character, romantically, but some of it seemed very forced. Did the people behind the story just want to forget about what Hollywood did to certain people, years ago, and rewrite history to make themselves feel better? I know, as many others also do, that Hollywood loves to prop itself up, while also making history, in its own, unique way. Surely, they do not think that, we the viewers, are idiots, but when a story unfolds so rapidly into the direction that this one did, it feels very patronizing and loses its self-respect. Going into that final episode, I was thinking that “Hollywood” is a “good” miniseries, but by the end of it, I was so annoyed and frustrated that I could only think to myself, “They really blew it!”
It is worth noting that even though all 7 episodes were written by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan (save Episodes 4 and 6, co-written by Janet Mock and Reilly Smith), every episode had a different director, in succession. Those include: Daniel Minahan for Episode 2, Michael Uppendahl for Episode 3, Janet Mock for Episode 4, and Jessica Yu for Episode 7. This could explain some of the uneven performances, from time to time, as well as the swift changes, particularly in the closing episode.
I believe that there are some noteworthy performances in this series, not just for the acting, but also for the cinematography. Yes, the cinematography continues to be stellar for Netflix originals. I was ready to give this show a 7 or an 8, all the way up to the final episode, but the bad taste left in my mouth, once the series concluded, left me unsatisfied and disappointed in the outcome, which hurts the overall production quite a bit. Therefore, I cannot quite recommend this series and I can only give praise to a couple of acting performances (plus character developments) and, again, the cinematography and look of the show. Try again, Netflix, but be careful about what you allow to unfold in the end.
Creators: Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan
Starring: David Corenswet, Darren Criss, Laura Harrier, Joe Mantello, Dylan McDermott, Jake Picking, Jeremy Pope, Holland Taylor, Samara Weaving, Jim Parsons, Patti LuPone, Maude Apatow as Henrietta Castello, Mira Sorvino as Jeanne Crandall, Michelle Krusiec as Anna May Wong, Rob Reiner as Ace Amberg, William Frederick Knight as Harry Golden, Queen Latifah as Hattie McDaniel, Paget Brewster as Tallulah Bankhead, Harriet Samson Harris as Eleanor Roosevelt, Daniel London as George Cukor, and Billy Boyd as Noel Coward
Cinematography: Simon Dennis and Blake McClure
Production: Ryan Murphy and Television Prospect Films
Network: Netflix
Release: May 1st, 2020
