Based on a True Story is about a couple of true crime junkies (one more so than the other) who discover the identity of a serial killer and instead of turning him in, they decide to partner with him to create a podcast and cash in. Deep-down, the show is parodying the hardcore true crime fans and the spin-off industry they've created. If you're unfamiliar with the movement, this may seem like a odd thing to make fun of but it's way more common and mainstream than you may think. The show has a good grasp of the eccentricities of the fans, the jokes are pretty on-point for the most part. The writers conversely don't have a terribly optimistic opinion of how well-adjusted those fans are. So if you're part of this community and aren't open to being made fun of, this show may annoy you just a little bit.
Kaley Cuoco has transformed herself as an actress and I'm all the more impressed for it. She was great in The Flight Attendant and she continues to shine in BOTS. Ava is a different kind of character and she's not only good performing solo but she's great with Chris Messina who is just as noteworthy here. I really liked Chris on the Mindy Project, I always thought of him as more of a character actor than a lead but he showed he's got the talent in BOTS. He's excellent playing the secretly unhinged Nathan. My favourite performance came from Tom Bateman as the handsome psychopath/plumber Matt. I'd put him up for awards consideration for this, he's really good as affable nice-guy Matt but he's just as fantastic when the veneer is washed away and his character's true nature slips out. I'd also like to credit Priscilla Quintana as Ruby, she's great as this devious and self-centred character. I didn't feel sorry for Ruby but I appreciated how seamlessly Priscilla was able to jump between ignorantly selfish to cunning when Ruby makes her turn.
As I said in the title, I wasn't terribly impressed with the pilot. Ava and Nathan's initial decision to try and leverage what they know about Matt is really dumb and completely against any kind of self-preservation. Is it too outlandish or unrealistic? I'd say no (with all the obsessive true crime fans out there, someone would be this stupid) but it still stretches plausibility. But I gave Based on a True Story a little more time to develop and by the end of episode 3, I was in. What kind of helped the show turn the corner for me is that Ava and Nathan gradually admit to themselves that they're Matt's accomplices instead of keeping up the "holier than thou" charade. They're all a little crazy and sadistic as a group (this includes their well-off but hedonistic social circle), not just Matt and that self-awareness was important to making it more believable.
I hope Based gets renewed for a second season. The descent of Ava and Nathan down to Matt's level was entertaining and I kept wanting to see what would happen next. If you can't get over the initial plot contrivance, I get it, I was there myself. But I gave Based a little more time and the mystery and performances won me over. If you're open-minded enough or intrigued by the premise, BOTS is worth a shot.
Kaley Cuoco has transformed herself as an actress and I'm all the more impressed for it. She was great in The Flight Attendant and she continues to shine in BOTS. Ava is a different kind of character and she's not only good performing solo but she's great with Chris Messina who is just as noteworthy here. I really liked Chris on the Mindy Project, I always thought of him as more of a character actor than a lead but he showed he's got the talent in BOTS. He's excellent playing the secretly unhinged Nathan. My favourite performance came from Tom Bateman as the handsome psychopath/plumber Matt. I'd put him up for awards consideration for this, he's really good as affable nice-guy Matt but he's just as fantastic when the veneer is washed away and his character's true nature slips out. I'd also like to credit Priscilla Quintana as Ruby, she's great as this devious and self-centred character. I didn't feel sorry for Ruby but I appreciated how seamlessly Priscilla was able to jump between ignorantly selfish to cunning when Ruby makes her turn.
As I said in the title, I wasn't terribly impressed with the pilot. Ava and Nathan's initial decision to try and leverage what they know about Matt is really dumb and completely against any kind of self-preservation. Is it too outlandish or unrealistic? I'd say no (with all the obsessive true crime fans out there, someone would be this stupid) but it still stretches plausibility. But I gave Based on a True Story a little more time to develop and by the end of episode 3, I was in. What kind of helped the show turn the corner for me is that Ava and Nathan gradually admit to themselves that they're Matt's accomplices instead of keeping up the "holier than thou" charade. They're all a little crazy and sadistic as a group (this includes their well-off but hedonistic social circle), not just Matt and that self-awareness was important to making it more believable.
I hope Based gets renewed for a second season. The descent of Ava and Nathan down to Matt's level was entertaining and I kept wanting to see what would happen next. If you can't get over the initial plot contrivance, I get it, I was there myself. But I gave Based a little more time and the mystery and performances won me over. If you're open-minded enough or intrigued by the premise, BOTS is worth a shot.