I thought last week's episode was weaker than the previous four, but it did seem to be setting up several future events. (Written to be a short run, British-style... 10 episodes.) It's by the creator of Deadwood and while it carries some of those hallmarks (ensemble cast featuring characters from all social classes, sharp dialogue, few clear 'good guys' or 'bad guys', etc.), the spirit of the show is much more akin to Carnivale. The guy who plays John steals every scene he's in with his swings from possible prophet to jovial idiot-savant.

It also has a pile of refugees from other HBO shows (Deadwood's Charlie Utter and the hooker-murdering Francis Wolcott, Luiz Guzman from Oz, etc.), and they get solid performances against type from unexpected sources, notably Al Bundy. Lots of "Oh, it's that guy!" moments, though no big stars in the whole thing.

valguarnera@carrionfields.com