Well, it is clear that Amazon should be taken seriously as far as the move to become a major distributing force in the world of television series. With their new streaming technology, they have already proven that they can compete, now the challenge is securing quality programming that can set the Brand. While there has been a number shows that Amazon has acquired that we absolutely love, The Last Tycoon is not one.
The Last Tycoon is an adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel of the same name and one thing that we can say about the series is that it is immensely meticulous in its presentation as to be authentic. The historical references, the clothing, and even the hairdos all testify to the attention to detail that the writers and costume designers put into making the show believable.
The problem is that the attention to detail that is given to a project does not automatically equate to passion, and it is virtually impossible to substitute for the lack of passion. In a series. It is the passion that stimulates the emotion of viewers and it is the passion that gets the viewers to connect with the story and the characters.
There are at least two primary opportunities for the writers, producers, and director to initiate and show passion and the fail to achieve it. First, there is no passion associated with the romance angle of the story, and when there is a presentation of romance without passion I don’t need to tell you how that plays out. No one wants to watch a show about a 1930s booty call. If there is a romantic tryst in the plot is must be accompanied by “wild” passion that reaches out and grabs the audience, and this just does not happen with The Last Tycoon.
Second, there was a great deal of tumult during this time and while it is alluded to, it is not addressed with any form of passion.
This is what we can tell you. The show is well put together from an aesthetics point of view. All of the props are on point and the people in the show look absolutely amazing, but the lack of passion will make it extremely difficult for you to develop any type of affinity to them or care about what they are going through. You will definitely have to fight the urge to remain detached from it all.
Another problem is that the series does not compare with the novel, which was left uncompleted on the desk of Fitzgerald after his death in 1940, and it is urgent, passionate and powerful. On the other hand, the television series lacks the urgency due to the fact that it was built for longevity, so the backstories that make it interesting is taking too long to play out. There is no doubt that the characters from the book are all in place; however, the passion and back stories are not. It is likely that the back stories will eventually catch up and provide some context and relevance, but it may be too late.
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