I got my eye on You.....

OK, so is anyone else upset about HBO’s cancellation of John from Cincinnati ? Has anyone else actually even seen it? It was difficult for us to find anyone who was watching it this season. The Grims LOVED this show – it was intriguing, surprising, and best of all, the characters and setting were unique and it didn’t feel like every other drama on TV. Mrs Grim personally watched each episode several times On Demand. The show was created by David Milch, the brains behind Deadwood, another Grim favorite. Deadwood was supposedly cancelled so he could concentrate on JFC. But now, we’ve got no Deadwood AND no JFC. To recap for those of you who didn’t watch:

Just north of the border, in a tired coastal town, live three generations of the Yosts, surfing royalty turned society misfits. The Yosts' reign and reputation, once defined in the curl of a perfect wave, have been eroded by years of bad luck, addiction and hubris. But just as things are looking like they can't get worse, a stranger named John arrives – and the Yosts' banal existence is lifted into something profound, miraculous and, possibly, universal.Set in Imperial Beach, California, the last great surf-break before Tijuana, where the U.S. meets Mexico, and water meets land, John From Cincinnati tells the story of the Yosts, a family of surfers whose awesome athletic talents have seemed for generations to come with a curse attached. The gifts of 13-year-old Shaun rival those of Butchie, his addict-derelict father, and his now-ascetically-withdrawn grandfather Mitch, both of whom defined the sport in their heydays. In shaping Shaun's career, his grandmother Cissy strives to achieve a commercial and athletic success that will compensate for the frustrations and failures of her life with her husband and son.Into this world, where even simple joy has been turned into a commodity, steps a mysterious stranger named John. Soon after, things begin to happen to the Yosts, and those whose lives they touch, that test the boundaries of past and present, the mundane and the miraculous, the natural world and what lies beyond it.

Ed O’Neill (the former Al Bundy) played a fabulous character, Bill Jacks, who was a retired cop, friend of the Yost family, and very eccentric. This role will certainly revive his career. He stole every scene he was in – from talking to birds, his deceased wife, and himself, and his interaction with the others. “Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ” with gritted teeth has become a sort of mantra in the Grim household. Most of the other characters were standouts as well. Many came from Deadwood, and we were happy to see them, like friends you’ve been out of touch with for a while. Clever music, too – Johnny Appleseed by Joe Strummer was the opening theme song, while old clips of sufers on long boards played. Other excellent choice – Feeling Good, played when Shaunie Yost miraculously recovered fully from a brain/spinal injury and goes out on the half pipe on his skateboard.

Cast List: http://www.hbo.com/johnfromcincinnati/cast/index.html

The only disappointing factor about JFC was that Keala Kennelly, who played Kai, did not surf on screen until the end of the finale. Keala is rated one of the best women surfers in the world.

So, our lamenting continues, and we will probably drop our HBO subscription, once this season of Big Love is over. Losing Deadwood, Rome, and now JFC (after only 1 season I might add) is just too much to bear. Although maybe now they can do the two Deadwood movies they promised us.