After a notable year for AMC, with the conclusion of “Breaking Bad” and the commencement of the final season of “Mad Men,” the channel appears to be testing its feet in new waters. “Turn,” which premiered April 6, is the story of America’s first spy ring in the 1770s. Its historical foundation seeks to provide a relatively true progression of events. The first two episodes give the same captivating and gradually building storylines that the channel is known for, though the intended audience seems to be those who tend towards “The Walking Dead,” as the show is much more action-oriented than plot and character centric at this point.
The show follows Abraham Woodhull (Jamie Bell, “Jumper”), an American farmer who falls on hard times in 1776 when his cabbage crop fails to sell, and he is dragged into a fight with British soldiers. Without anyone else to turn to, Woodhull decides to smuggle some of his cabbages to some buyers—who also happen to be rebels led by George Washington. One of the buyers, Caleb Brewster (Daniel Henshall, “The Snowtown Murders”), is a friend of Woodhull’s and eventually recruits him into the ranks of the rebels. In addition to the added stress of being a spy, Woodhull must also deal with many problems. His ex-fiancé Anna Strong (Heather Lind, “A Single Shot”) and his wife Mary (Meeghan Warner, “Portend”) treat each other distantly as Woodhull works to provide for both of them, because Strong’s husband has been imprisoned. Additionally, a variety of villainous British soldiers provide a constant threat to every colonist in the show.
A slew of secondary characters are played by acclaimed actors, who help pick up the slack that some of the industry’s newcomers leave. Bell and Warner neither impress nor disappoint—perhaps a few more episodes are needed to truly set the footing that Strong already has with her character. Judge Richard, Woodhull’s father, is depicted by Kevin McNally, well-known for his part in several of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” films. He is the Loyalist father who sees his son’s descent into the rebellion, but still tries to protect him at potential cost to himself. Other strong actors are Burn Gorman (“The Dark Knight Rises”) as Major Hewlett, JJ Feild (“Captain America”) as Major John Andre and Angus Macfadyen (“Braveheart”) as Robert Rogers. The most impressive performance goes to Samuel Roukin (“Bright Star”) as Lt. John Simcoe, the sadistic, misogynistic member of the British army. His most astounding performance occurs after he has been captured by the rebels—he maintains his dignity while being tortured, eyes flashing as his laughter erupts because of the lack of the rebels’ knowledge, his usually coiffed wig destroyed atop his head.
Despite the interesting acting and plotline, the show failed to bring in many viewers for its first two episodes. As with some AMC shows, “Turn” may just need time to build its fanbase. The show especially prides itself on the relative historical accuracy of the show, though some of the details fall through the cracks of the story, such as the correct color of gunpowder and the inefficiency of accuracy for the guns of the time period. Yet despite the minor factual inaccuracies, the show still has its amazingly striking moments. At the end of the pilot episode, Woodhull stands in front of his town, declaring his allegiance to the King of England. Yet his declaration voices over a massacre of redcoats; before Woodhull declared himself for England, he had actually chosen to side with the rebels by warning them of an impending invasion.
Though there could be improvements to the show, it is quite possible that “Turn” will end up another one of AMC’s acclaimed hits. It seems to have all the ingredients: skilled actors, an interesting plot, complex characters and intrigue. Hopefully, viewers start to give the show the chance it deserves and allow their Sunday evenings to be “turned” into a night of excellent entertainment.
