REASON 1:
ELITE ENSEMBLE CAST
Bloodline's ensemble cast is one of the most talented group of actors and actresses you will find on a television show. The cast includes Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights), Ben Mendelsohm (The Dark Knight Rises), Linda Cardellini (Freaks and Geeks), Norbert Leo Butz (Dan In Real Life), Jacinda Barrett (Ladder 49), Sam Shepard (The Right Stuff), and Sissy Spacek (Coal Miner's Daughter). This is the principal Rayburn family. The acting is top notch and really helps to sell the story even better. When you have people that know what they're doing on screen, it makes for a better viewing experience, and the work of this cast just hit it out of the park. There's also great supporting roles from people like Chloe Sevigny (American Psycho) that add depth to characters. The chemistry this cast has is phenomenal. Their emotions, dialogue, and actions really sell the story. If you're looking for a show just based on solid acting alone, Bloodline succeeds in every way. You definitely want to make sure you watch this show for Ben Mendelsohm's Danny Rayburn. He's the star of the first season. His ability to shape Danny's persona to the character he is interacting with shows how talented he is. Danny is a dark character, but there are so many family secrets why he became the man he is. The interaction with him and Kyle Chandler's John Rayburn is excellent. Where Danny is more of a rebel, John is the golden boy, and the yin and yang of their characters creates many memorable moments, especially the biggest events surrounding the first season. Chandler is one of my favorite actors and it's amazing watching him change during the first season. Chandler is so good at making you understand deeper meanings to characters. Linda Cardellini is such a talented actress and never really gets enough credit. Her work here as Megan Rayburn shows her in situations that ultimately cause many of the events we see unfold. Norbert Leo Butz's Kevin Rayburn was so great as the guy that acts first and thinks later. Sissy Spacek is excellent as the matriarch and provided some of the most emotional moments next to the situations involving Mendelsohm & Chandler. The casting choices were brilliant and everybody worked together to create something special. Both Ben Mendelsohm and Kyle Chandler are nominated for Emmy awards. The beach scene in Episode 12 should secure a win for both men. I honestly don't think anybody else in their categories deserve it as much as them.
REASON 2:
COMPELLING STORYLINES
An element of television or movies that should always be there is the presence of great storylines, and Bloodline has them in spades. I won't spoil the storylines, but each one is important to the bigger picture. Each story will somehow connect to the major storyline of the season. Each arc revolves around Danny in some way. The pace of the show is brilliant as it starts at a slower speed and then picks up with each twist and turn of the character's decisions. The emotion of the decision and the actions involving the decision hook you right away. You know you watched something good when you rewind it to look at the scene again. I did that so many times during this 13 part season. Scenes are memorable. You question who you should support. I absolutely love that. It's a show that makes you think. It gives you both sides of the issue. The viewer takes it from there. Characters cross the line. Characters make you see their side of the story. Characters make you root for them even if you shouldn't. Characters make you guess where they're going next. The writing is brilliant as the dialogue serves the purpose of reflecting on the past, while fueling events of the present. The family secrets are dark. The dark secrets lead to even more intriguing situations. I think "The Water Lets You In" is an incredible theme for the show. It captures the dark history of the Rayburn family, the present situation of the black sheep against the entire family, and the actions & consequences you see unfold during the season.
REASON 3:
DAMAGES FORMAT
The show was created by Glenn Kessler, Todd Keslar, and Daniel Zelman. These three created one of my personal favorite shows: Damages. They created a format that shows you a big event and then go back and show you what led to that. They follow that format with Bloodline. I really like the format. The pilot immediately hooks you with a major event that will send ripples throughout the Rayburn family. After we see what happens, we go to the moment where everything starts when Danny Rayburn returns home. From there, we get a look at the family history, intense dialogue, amazing scenes, and different actions from all family members that lead to the major event. You think you know what happens from the narration, but much like Damages, Bloodline will take you down a different path. Twists will shock you. I think it is an intelligent way to approach this show.The Kesslers and Zelman are such great storytellers. They plan out their conclusion first and then work back. Every television show should do that. You have to know what your end game is before you start. When you know how you want an arc to end, you can take different twists and turns to get there. If you start off before you know where you want to go, that leads to show creators dropping storylines or taking the show to a conclusion that just doesn't make sense. The format of the show is excellent. It's always great to be reminded of Damages while watching it as well. I miss seeing Ellen Parsons and Patty Hewes battling it out with intellectual wit and definite times where their characters crossed the line.
CONCLUSION:
The combination of an elite cast with impeccable acting, brilliant storytelling, and an intelligent show format makes Bloodline the best original content on Netflix. I think it's one of the best first seasons of television I've seen. Ben Mendelsohm's performance as Danny Rayburn is one of the best acting performances you'll find on any current programming. Kyle Chandler is one of the most solid actors today, and his work as John Rayburn will show you why he's so good. I'm rooting for them to win their respective Emmys as much as I am rooting for Tatiana Maslany to win Best Lead Actress in a Drama at the Emmys. The family secrets, the interactions with the characters, and the twists and turns the story takes you keeps you on the edge of your seat. It's a show where protagonist and antagonist is not a black and white thing. There's more than 14 shades of gray with these characters and that's a good thing. You want to create characters with layers to keep the show moving, and Bloodline delivers. Bloodline is quality programming that will keep you invested.