L.A. Noire 1.1 - Upon Reflection

L.A. Noire - Upon Reflection

Genre: Crime

Director: Gavin O'Connor

Writer: John Malone

Cast: Joe Alwyn, Michael Mosley, Josh Charles, Brent Sexton, Katie Findlay, Gabriel Basso, Todd Stashwick

Plot: Plot: 1945 - The Battle of Okinawa. Exploding mortar shells kick earth up into the air as Cole Phelps (Joe Alwyn) and his fellow U.S. Marines begin trying to push through the enemy lines at Sugar Loaf Hill. A bunch of Japanese soldiers seemingly pop out of nowhere. Phelps tackles his friend Hank Merril (Gabriel Basso) out of the way and opens fires on the enemy combatants. In the fire fight, the rest of their battalion is killed, leaving just Phelps and Merril to fend for themselves. Phelps suggests they fall back, but Merril protests, citing their orders to continue pushing forward. They begin crawling forward through the tall grass to avoid detection, eventually stumbling upon a foxhole. Phelps says they need to rest. Merril digs through his pack for some provisions when suddenly he is ripped to shreds by an explosion. Cole looks on in shock, as pieces of Merril are scattered throughout the foxhole. Cole looks down at his hands and feels what has to be a piece of Merril's skull. Cole stares straight ahead. The next morning, a group of Marines find Cole sitting next to Merril's remains.

1947 - Los Angeles. Cole Phelps is now a police officer in Los Angeles. He is walking with his partner Officer Ralph Dunn (Michael Mosley) back to their squad car after getting a cup of coffee when they hear a call from dispatch over their radio. Dunn answers the call immediately. The dispatcher informs them of a shooting at 16th and Industrial Street and that the officers already on location are requesting uniform assistance for an evidence search. Dunn responds, telling the dispatcher they are on their way. Cole gets behind the wheel and begins driving towards the location. Cole speeds through the developing streets of Los Angeles, sirens blaring.

When Phelps and Dunn arrive, they see a body being placed in the coroner's van and being driven away. A Homicide Detective at the scene, Det. Floyd Rose (Josh Charles) asks if they are the backup. Cole responds in the affirmative and introduces himself and Dunn, saying they are from the Wilshire Precinct. Floyd then briefs them on the situation. He tells them that the victim was a black male named Scooter Peyton, who was shot in the alleyway and is on the way to the Central Morgue. Rose says that witnesses claim a tall Caucasian male shot Peyton twice in the head and then tossed his weapon before fleeing the scene. Floyd tells Dunn and Phelps that he's tasking them with finding the gun, since he could care less about the death of a lowlife like Peyton.

With their flash lights out, Phelps and Dunn search through the alleyway. Dunn freezes and aims his light at the sizable blood splatter on a nearby doorway. Phelps walks by the blood stain when suddenly he freezes. Something has caught his attention. Dunn asks him what it is, and Phelps points to an open window. Dunn is confused, thinking Phelps is suggesting the killer through the gun through it, saying that wouldn't be much of a place to hide a murder weapon. Phelps tells him to look in the reflection on the window, but Dunn doesn't notice anything. Phelps walks around a corner to a drainpipe and begins climbing it. Dunn is confused. Phelps climbs all the way up to the rooftop where he finds the gun. He then slides back down the drainpipe. Dunn demands to know what the hell Phelps was doing, when Phelps pulls the murder weapon out of his pocket. Dunn is excited and wants to turn the gun into the station, but Phelps suggests they try to get the name of the gun's owner first, and asks Dunn if there is a gun store nearby. Dunn says there's one just a couple of blocks away.

At the gun store, the gun owner remembers selling the gun, a Smith & Wesson Model 27. Phelps is surprised that the store owner would remember the weapon in particular, but the owner says that the grip was custom so it had to be special ordered. He tells them that the gun was purchased by Errol Schroeder. Dunn says they should call their findings in, but Phelps says they're not going to get any where in the department without showing initiative and insists they go pay Schroeder a visit.

When they arive at Schroeder's address, Phelps immediately hops out of the car and checks the apartment complex's directory for Schroeder's apartment number. Phelps and Dunn make their way up the complex's stairs and knock on the door. Errol Schroeder (Todd Stashwick) answers and demands to know what they want. They ask if he owns a Smith & Wesson Model 27. Schroeder confirms that he does. Phelps then informs him of the murder of Scooter Peyton. Schroeder does not seem surprised by this news, but insists that he didn't have anything to do with it. He tells them that his gun is safely tucked away in a drawer in his living room. He walks over to his drawer to show the officers that his gun is where he said it is. He opens the drawer, but finds the gun is missing. Phelps tells Schroeder that he is under arrest for the murder of Scooter Peyton. Schroeder tries to make a run for it, knocking Dunn to the floor. Phelps punches Schroeder, knocking him out. Phelps then cuffs Schroeder as he lays on the floor of his apartment.

With Schroeder cuffed on the floor, Phelps begins looking around the apartment for any other useful clues. In a dresser, Phelps finds a green notebook. Phelps begins to look through it and he determines it to be a list of bribes that have been given out, showing the name of each person and the amount given to them. Phelps scrolls through the list when he stops at the name Floyd Rose. Phelps asks if that was the name of the detective from the crime scene. Dunn confirms the information. Phelps wonders aloud if maybe Floyd had something to do with Scooter Peyton's death. Dunn tells him that such a question is way above their pay grade. Dunn says to call in their arrest of Errol Schroeder and leave the notebook where he found it. Phelps agrees, and places the notebook on top of the dresser.

Detective Rusty Galloway (Brent Sexton) arrives at the crime scene, relieving Phelps and Dunn. He thanks them for their diligent work, but tells them that he and his partner, Floyd Rose, will handle the case from here.

Phelps returns home to his small bungalow-style house in one of the many new housing developments on the outskirts of the city. He walks inside where he is greeted by his wife, Marie (Katie Findlay). She asks how work was, but he doesn't want to get into it, he just wants to get some sleep.

Just like John Malone's earlier work for the studio, you can sense there's a certain prestige to the series. From the unprecedent attention to detail to the immaculate writing, L.A. Noire has the word prestige written all over it. 

I'll start by saying that I really enjoyed the overall pilot and I'm really excited about the series overall thanks to the talent involved, but it must be the nitpicker in me that feels like the investigation in the pilot could have been more interesting, because as the characters principal vehicle, it felt a little bland compared to the world and setting of the series.

I've always been a fan of period pieces and John Malone knows how to make one. In the crazy world of the 60's, the series has great production design and direction. I'd also like to point out the great ensemble cast formed by character actors who really work well together.

Manson 1.1 - Pilot

Manson - Pilot

Genre: Biography

Director: Antonio Campos

Writer: Lon Charles

Cast: Jim Sturgess, Zackary Arthur, Madisen Beatty, Domenick Lombardozzi, Ryan O'Neal

Plot: 1956. Young clean-cut Charles Manson (Jim Sturgess) is paroled from a Federal Reformatory in West Virginia. He walks through the town of McMechen, West Virginia, trying to find a job, but everyone turns him down due to his criminal record and lack of experience. He goes to a local casino to drown his sorrows and hopefully make a buck or two. While there he flirts with a waitress, Rosalie (Madisen Beaty). Manson is immediately smitten with her, openly telling Rosalie that he believes the love of a woman like her will keep him on the straight and narrow from now on.

Six months later, Manson is working a miserable job as a janitor that Rosalie's parents helped him get. Rosalie has had to quit her job as a waitress at the casino now that her pregnancy is starting to show. As Manson gets dressed to head to work, Rosalie chides him for not making enough money to support the two of them, and now that there is a third mouth on the way that they are doomed. Manson storms out of the house. He drives to work, but he can't bring himself to head inside the building. He strips off his janitor uniform and sets fire to it in the parking lot.

Manson drives over to the casino where he met Rosalie and interrupts a craps game with a local mobster, Dom Spezzo (Domenick Lombardozzi). Manson tells Spezzo that he needs money to support his family, but he's only ever been any good at being a criminal, and offers his services to Spezzo. The mobster laughs at Manson, calling the entire interaction pitiful. Nonetheless, Spezzo tells Manson there is a job he can do. Spezzo tells Manson that he needs someone to drive a stolen car down to Florida. They'll pay $500 for the car, and Manson will get to keep $200 of the pay. Manson leaps at the opportunity, profusely thanking Spezzo for the chance to prove himself. Manson goes home and tells Rosalie that he got a new job. She asks where, but he says he can't give her the details, just that he has to go out of town for a few days. He throws some clothes in a suitcase and kisses her goodbye.

Manson drives down the open road, happy as can be. However when he arrives to deliver the car down in Florida, Spezzo's contact gives him $100. Manson says he was supposed to collect $500. The guy tells him it's $100 or nothing. Manson begrudgingly accepts the money and walks away. He heads to a bar and has a few drinks. Still furious over being screwed over, Manson decides to steal the car back and drives it back to West Virginia. When he returns home he tells her that some bad people are going to be angry with him and that they need to pack up their things and leave town immediately.

When they get to California, they drive all the way to the coast. They sleep in the car that night. In the morning, they are awakened by a police officer knocking on the window, telling them they can't sleep there. Manson quickly shakes himself awake and tries to start the engine, but the battery is dead. He then rolls down the window and greets the officer. Rosalie is still asleep in the back seat. The police officer asks for Manson's license and registration. Manson smiles at the officer, who promptly arrests him for grand theft auto.

1947. 12-year-old Charles Maddox (Zackary Arthur) is sentenced to the Indiana Boys School, a reform school located on a farm in the flat plains of southern Indiana. Maddox is put to work in the dairy of the farm, moving buckets of milk for processing. While he is working, a group of older, larger boys grab Maddox and pin him down behind a large stack of milk crates. Maddox tries to struggle against them. One of the boys pulls down Maddox's pants and begins to rape him when a guard comes along. He tells them there's no wrestling in the dairy building. The older boys run off. Maddox lays on the ground crying. The guard tells him to wash his face and stop crying.

1956. Rosalie goes to visit Manson in prison, bringing their newborn baby, Charles Manson Jr., with her to meet is father for the first time. Manson assures her that the three years he was sentenced to will go by quickly and then he will be able to be with them and help her raise their son. Rosalie begins crying. She tells Manson that she can't do this, she can't bring a newborn baby to a prison to see his daddy, it just doesn't feel right. Manson gets upset and tells Rosalie that he needs her. She assures him that she will write every week, but she doesn't feel comfortable bringing Charles Jr. to the prison. Rosalie then gets up and leaves the visitation room.

Manson walks through the cell block when an older inmate, McVeigh (Ryan O'Neal), introduces himself and offers to show him the ropes of the prison. Manson says all prisons are the same, so he will be fine. McVeigh asks what Manson's in for. Manson tells McVeigh that he stole a car and drove it across the country. McVeigh tells Manson that he runs women. Manson asks if McVeigh means to tell him he's a pimp. McVeigh says yes, that he was a purveyor of the world's oldest profession. Manson asks McVeigh to teach him the ropes of being a pimp. McVeigh says why not and tells Manson that the first key to the business is getting women to love him enough to do anything for him.

1947. After curfew, Maddox steals a heavy window crank and sneaks over to the bunk of the boy who raped him. Maddox beats the boy in the head with the crank over and over again until the boy's face is a bloody mess. Maddox then hides the crank under the bunk of one of the other boys who beat him. In the morning the guards find the beaten boy bloody and unconscious. Maddox smiles as the guards begin searching everyone's bunks. The guards find the blood-stained window crank under one of the bunks and drag that boy away. The boy kicks and screams, proclaiming his innocence. Manson looks on, satisfied in his revenge.

Manson introduces us to the infamous character that is Charles Manson in what will probably be a slow-burning descent to madness with a shocking realism and with Lon Charles teaming up with his Deprogramming director Antonio Campos, I'm convinced that it will be one hell of a ride.

Many former stars try to use the small screen to be relevant again and I certainly hope that Jim Sturgess will get recognition for his role as the demented Charles Manson. We don't get to see his crazy side yet, but Sturgess shines as the calmly menacing Manson through the pilot

The series not only follows Charles Manson as a man, but also presents the early years of the man in a disturbing manner. The pilot is well-written and well shot, making Manson, not only a show to watch, but also one of the best LRTV has to offer following its first week.