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Flesh and Bone - Gritty ballet drama from praised Breaking Bad writer - Sun. on Starz

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R

RatskyWatsky

Hunky Nostradamus


Created by Emmy winning 'Breaking Bad' writer Moira Walley-Beckett (Fly, Ozymandias) comes 'Flesh and Bone', an 8 episode miniseries set in the cutthroat world of ballet. The series will premiere on Sunday, November 8 at 9/8c. Originally conceived as an ongoing series, 'Flesh and Bone', which employs dancers from the Semperoper Ballett Dresden, American Ballet Theatre, and Ballet Arizona Company, proved to be so expensive and complex that it was deemed as unsustainable on a seasonal basis. Hence, a miniseries.

The entire season - all 8 episodes - will go live on Starz Play and Starz On Demand in the U.S. in conjunction with the premiere of the the first episode on November 8.

Since all the episodes are going up at once, Netflix style, we'll follow the rules set in the Netflix original series threads and spoiler tag (and label) all spoilers for the first two weeks, until November 22. Please spoiler tag any discussion and label which episode you're talking about outside of the tags: e.g. Ep 5:
What a twist! The characters aren't human - they're dancer!

“Flesh and Bone” follows a young dancer with a distinctly troubled past as she joins a prestigious ballet company in New York. The dark, gritty, complex series unflinchingly explores New York City through the eyes of Claire, an emotionally wounded but transcendent ballerina navigating the dysfunction and glamour of the ballet world. Claire's self-destructive tendencies amid her vaulting ambitions drive her in compelling, unforeseeable ways, especially when she is confronted with the machinations of the company’s mercurial Artistic Director, played by Ben Daniels.
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Cast



  • Claire is a profoundly emotionally wounded but transcendent ballerina. Having escaped an abusive past, she harbors self-destructive tendencies, and is plagued by sexual restraint despite vaulting ambitions. Her inner torment drives her in unforeseeable ways. She is on a journey of self-discovery without a compass.
  • Paul is the bipolar, bisexual Artistic Director of the American Ballet Company, who views Claire as the key to its success.
  • Mia is a New Jersey native with an eating disorder and a penchant for casual sex. She is also Claire's reluctant roommate, desperate to ascend the ranks of the company.
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  • Kiira is a prima ballerina. A competitor. A survivor. Having emigrated from the Ukraine, Kiira was born and bred to overcome adversity. The reigning star of the company and Paul's longtime muse, she is now terrified of "aging out" of her coveted position as prima.
  • Ross is the company's leading man and Lothario. A principal dancer, he is Kiira's longtime ballet partner and former lover (who still carries a torch for her).
  • Trey is gay and proud of it. He's bitchy, and funny, and can hang with the ballerinas like a girlfriend, but is also close with Ross. Ruthlessly ambitious, Trey is always on the lookout for opportunity.
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  • After being forced by his abusive father to enlist in the Marines and serve in Afghanistan, Bryan is focused on returning home to Claire, his beloved sister.
  • Daphne is a confident and inveterate "wild child" who plays by her own rules. A product of old New York money, Daphne wants what money can't buy: artistic excellence.
  • Romeo is a homeless fellow who lives under Claire's building. He is a dedicated guardian, but he has his own way of looking at the world.
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Videos and Articles




Photos

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Ratings

Episode 1 - 190K
Episode 2 - 147K
Episode 3 - 130K
Episode 4 - 124K
Episode 5 - 122K
Episode 6 - 73K
Episode 7 - 116K
Episode 8 - 93K
 
Grizzlyjin

Grizzlyjin

Supersonic, idiotic, disconnecting, not respecting, who would really ever wanna go and top that
I've been looking forward to this for awhile. Glad that I'll be able to binge the whole thing.
 
R

Rafa=FedKilla

Banned
I'm a bit disappointed that they cut it o just a miniseries. But maybe that's just getting the disappointment out of the way....
 
T

theaface

Member
I'm going to watch this. My wife is a dance teacher with the main specialism being ballet, so this already caught my eye for her sake. Though I'm not much one for ballet myself, this looks genuinely promising.
 
T

Tucah

you speak so well
I had no idea this was so close and coming out all at once. That's a nice surprise. This weekend's going to be busy between this and Master of None.
 
R

RatskyWatsky

Hunky Nostradamus
Reviews:

Washington Post said:
Even though it feels caught somewhere between "Black Swan" and "Flashdance", "Flesh and Bone" gets off to a polished and often riveting start in its first two episodes.
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Entertainment Weekly said:
The performances and the realism, psychological and otherwise (Hay really dances!), are riveting, and the urgent drama of a young woman trying to rise and thrive within a degradingly competitive, predatory, exploitative culture — or just surviving it, without moral compromise — positions Flesh and Bone as a meaty allegory that resonates with the times.
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C

Cornballer

Member
Mixed reviews so far:
Deadline said:
Maybe if Starz had kept to its original plan and the Breaking Bad executive producer’s F&B was a multi-season show as opposed to an eight-episode one-off, some of the seeds planted would have had time to grow. But honestly, I doubt they had the strength to do so. Here’s the takeaway: While sometimes stunning to watch, Flesh And Bone is a mix tape of Black Swan, Flashdance, Fame and a dollop of Glee that in the end is more the puree of Smash than anything else – and who wants that?
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Link.

Also, on Twitter:
Tim Goodman said:
Well, since I’m not reviewing it (@TheFienPrint will), I can add that #FleshAndBone coming up on Starz is disappointingly awful. Ugh.

I watched the first hour and can’t imagine watching another frame of it. #FleshAndBone
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D

dead souls

Member
Not surprised by the mixed reviews. I figured it wasn't that great ever since Starz abruptly announced it was a limited series.

I guess I'll add it to the "possibly watch later" mental queue I have, since there's so much stuff I'm already watching and that doesn't even take into account that Netflix is dropping at least three shows I'll try and watch this month.

#toomuchTV
 
R

RatskyWatsky

Hunky Nostradamus
Mo Ryan said:
“Flesh and Bone” presents a lived-in world in which ballet dancers refer to the rehearsal studio as “the shark tank.” It’s an apt description, given the rivalries and backstabbing that goes on in that room (and away from it). If only “Flesh and Bone’s” sharks were more complicated and charismatic, this program would land with greater force.
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.
 
C

Cornballer

Member
- THR review from Fienberg:
Enter Starz's new limited series Flesh and Bone, which masquerades as an alternatingly realistic and operatic look at the world of professional ballet, but plays as something closer to Showgirls en Pointe.

The mixture of tonal miscalculation, absurdly out-of-place characterizations, Starz-friendly exploitative raunch and fleetingly lovely dancing is almost certain to win fans prepared for camp lunacy, but goodness the disappointment for those viewers excited to see creator Moira Walley-Beckett take the reins of her own show after years of superlative writing and producing work on Breaking Bad.
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B

berzeli

Banned
AVClub review (C-):
Flesh And Bone isn’t that show. There’s not much of value outside of the actual dance sequences, and even Dave Porter’s high-drama score feels like overkill when it isn’t used to back a performance. The show gives in completely to the gothic overtones that make so many cable dramas too heavy and humorless. Walley-Beckett is all too thrilled to tug at the ballet industry’s hangnails and expose the barely concealed dysfunction behind one of the most rarefied artistic disciplines.
But the insights are facile, like the lingering shots of a gored toenail or an emaciated, fully nude dancer soliciting tampons in the locker room. Often the insights aren’t insights at all, they’re predictable personality traits assigned to each character seemingly at random. There’s the girl with the insatiable coke habit, the loud-and-proud nymphomaniac, and the girl who applies her classical dance training to a side hustle at a gentleman’s club. Ballet can be super dark, y’all.
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This isn't what I wanted.
 
MisterFalcon

MisterFalcon

Member
Too bad this ended up the way it is. I was not really impressed or turned off by the first episode but the criticisms were on point and from the full season review it seems to get worse rather then better. Which is a shame, ballet is a great background for a show. You've got beautiful people doing amazing things with intense competition, grueling demands on the dancers and a whole host of odd people involved in the whole thing. There is a great documentary on Netflix called First Position full of quirky characters that seem larger then life. But none of the joy that drives the passion can be seen in F&B and then it just becomes a slog.

I hope Raychel Diane Weiner at least gets some recognition, she's by far the best part of the show and rocks that short hair like no one else.
 
R

RatskyWatsky

Hunky Nostradamus
A couple more reviews:

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said:
It’s intriguing for its setting and some of its stories--although the fine arts world in New York does call to mind the lighter “Mozart in the Jungle” on Amazon--and yet at the same time it’s often predictable in its premium cable-style plotting and pretentiousness, which is where the irritation comes in.... And yet, Flesh and Bone proved highly addictive, encouraging a binge of all its episodes in just a few days.
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Wall Street Journal said:
If German expressionism is your thing—and the sensation of emotional battering feels real here for the characters and viewers alike--the eight-episode series will be searingly satisfying. Everyone else, be warned and encouraged: This is a long walk on the dark side pierced by occasional moments of glittering, breath-stopping beauty.
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R

RatskyWatsky

Hunky Nostradamus
Series premiere tonight!

Bulling Through

Premiere of a drama about a troubled young dancer who lands a job with a prestigious ballet company in New York City, where she deals with a mercurial artistic director with whom she has a history.
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Reminder:

The entire season - all 8 episodes - will go live on Starz Play and Starz On Demand in the U.S. in conjunction with the premiere of the the first episode on November 8.
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Grizzlyjin

Grizzlyjin

Supersonic, idiotic, disconnecting, not respecting, who would really ever wanna go and top that
Yep, every episode is up on Starz Play right now. I might just watch the premiere and then wait for some other reactions from the thread. I like the binge model, but I'm not a very good binge watcher. I like spacing my programs out a bit.
 
choodi

choodi

Banned
I watched the first episode and...it's an uncomfortable watch.

I will probably give it another episode or two before making my mind up, but at the moment, i am leaning towards liking it.
 
R

RatskyWatsky

Hunky Nostradamus
I thought the first episode was pretty decent. Nothing amazing, but nothing too bad either. It showed promise and I'm looking forward to watching the rest of the season.

Other thoughts:

The actress who plays Claire is quite good.

The biggest complaint I had was for the character Paul - he seems to be operating on a much campier wavelength than any of the other actors. His performance (and the way his character is written) is really over the top.

The dancing scenes are mesmerizing.

What was with that scene at the end with Claire's brother masturbating while he was on the phone with her? I'm guessing Claire ran away from home due to her incestuous father and brother? :/
 
choodi

choodi

Banned
RatskyWatsky said:
The biggest complaint I had was for the character Paul - he seems to be operating on a much campier wavelength than any of the other actors. His performance (and the way his character is written) is really over the top.

The dancing scenes are mesmerizing.

What was with that scene at the end with Claire's brother masturbating while he was on the phone with her? I'm guessing Claire ran away from home due to her incestuous father and brother? :/
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Agreed on the first point. He really stood out as very cartoony.

That's what i thought. There is definitely some serious shit going on at home. Remember the locked door at the beginning? She hightailed it out of there before her brother came home.
 
Grizzlyjin

Grizzlyjin

Supersonic, idiotic, disconnecting, not respecting, who would really ever wanna go and top that
RatskyWatsky said:
I thought the first episode was pretty decent. Nothing amazing, but nothing too bad either. It showed promise and I'm looking forward to watching the rest of the season.

Other thoughts:

The actress who plays Claire is quite good.

The biggest complaint I had was for the character Paul - he seems to be operating on a much campier wavelength than any of the other actors. His performance (and the way his character is written) is really over the top.

The dancing scenes are mesmerizing.

What was with that scene at the end with Claire's brother masturbating while he was on the phone with her? I'm guessing Claire ran away from home due to her incestuous father and brother? :/
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I'll have to agree with you on the Paul. I totally get what they are going for with his character, but it really stands out when everyone else is way more subdued.

I loved the first episode. The direction was superb and it avoided one of my biggest pet peeves with shows that deal with high level performing arts. They didn't dumb everything down so a layperson could follow the technicals.

Yeah, I was leaning towards Claire being either physically or sexually abused right from the opening. I'm pretty sure that putting the books over her body to sleep was a coping mechanism, and when she lived at home it probably discouraged her brother from assaulting her. She's definitely super sexually repressed, and I also think there was something there with her smelling the condom.
 
choodi

choodi

Banned
Grizzlyjin said:
I'll have to agree with you on the Paul. I totally get what they are going for with his character, but it really stands out when everyone else is way more subdued.

I loved the first episode. The direction was superb and it avoided one of my biggest pet peeves with shows that deal with high level performing arts. They didn't dumb everything down so a layperson could follow the technicals.

Yeah, I was leaning towards Claire being either physically or sexually abused right from the opening. I'm pretty sure that putting the books over her body to sleep was a coping mechanism, and when she lived at home it probably discouraged her brother from assaulting her. She's definitely super sexually repressed, and I also think there was something there with her smelling the condom.
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Apparently using the books is a way of helping with their 'turn out'. Basically, she is using the weight of the books to stretch her legs so she can stand with her feet in a horizontal line.

Pretty much just reinforcing that ballet is torture.

images
 
C

Cloyster

Banned
I've read two scripts for this a LOOOOOOOONG time ago.

Yes
Claire ran away from a thing with her brother.
 
Grizzlyjin

Grizzlyjin

Supersonic, idiotic, disconnecting, not respecting, who would really ever wanna go and top that
choodi said:
Apparently using the books is a way of helping with their 'turn out'. Basically, she is using the weight of the books to stretch her legs so she can stand with her feet in a horizontal line.

Pretty much just reinforcing that ballet is torture.

images
Click to expand...

Oh wow, I never knew that. That's pretty cool. I don't know how ballet dancers can put their bodies through all of that. It's amazing how far they push themselves.

Like when she mentioned she lost a toenail to her roommate, it was no big deal.
 
E

Eegah

Member
First I'm hearing of this show. Sounds really interesting. I like the fact that they decided to make it only eight episodes, as I think having a defined limit like that forces the writers to make a more focused story.
 
F

Famassu

Member
Grizzlyjin said:
Oh wow, I never knew that. That's pretty cool. I don't know how ballet dancers can put their bodies through all of that. It's amazing how far they push themselves.

Like when she mentioned she lost a toenail to her roommate, it was no big deal.
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A lot of them start young. At that point it's easier to "mold" your body into some of the crazy physical requirements of ballet. I remember seeing a picture where, like, a 6 year old girl ballet dancer is bend around some kind of gymnastic equipment, to make her more flexible.
 
Grizzlyjin

Grizzlyjin

Supersonic, idiotic, disconnecting, not respecting, who would really ever wanna go and top that
Episode 2 Spoilers:

Not as great as the first episode, but still good. I can't stand Mia though, I wonder what she's going to do to take things to the next level.

Damon Herriman as Romeo was inspired casting. Not every actor would be able to make that role work, but he has this sensitive charm to him under his gritty exterior. His role in Justified was similar in a way, where he was playing a criminal you couldn't help but like.

They also did a great job with Claire's brother. You could just tell he was a powder keg, waiting for a match.

And the last sequence in the hotel...whew, intense and hard to watch. It was making my stomach turn.

Some of the characters are still coming off a little too cartoony. I can't tell if they'll become of significance later or if they're there solely for comedic relief. Ross the creep fits into that category. Not really sure if his advances towards Claire are meant to go somewhere...


I have to say. I really love the opening credits. Definitely gets you in the right state of mind to watch.

https://youtu.be/g4n_VpzBQIA
 
Grizzlyjin

Grizzlyjin

Supersonic, idiotic, disconnecting, not respecting, who would really ever wanna go and top that
Episode 4 Spoilers

I honestly don't know if Bryan has had a scene where he wasn't either being creepy, accused of being a creep, or an asshole. I do wonder if he was abused by their dad, along with Claire, or if whatever is going on between him and Claire just involves them. Also, I think this was the first time I've heard a jizz splat sound effect in a TV show. Foley artist must have enjoyed that one.

I like the choreographer, Toni. I do think her methods are partially full of shit but she obviously picked up on Claire's repressed nature. I think down the road she'll help her open up.
 
R

RatskyWatsky

Hunky Nostradamus
Episode 3:

At this point, I feel like the stripping subplot is awkwardly implemented and maybe even flat out unnecessary. I think the world of ballet is rich enough that it didn't need to be convoluted with sleazy strip club shenanigans.
 
Monocle

Monocle

Member
choodi said:
Apparently using the books is a way of helping with their 'turn out'. Basically, she is using the weight of the books to stretch her legs so she can stand with her feet in a horizontal line.

Pretty much just reinforcing that ballet is torture.

images
Click to expand...
I can do that naturally. Guess I should have been a dancer.
 
Vert boil

Vert boil

Member
Beautifully grim show
but it falls apart as it goes on. Too many ingredients that aren't mixed well with some events that are nonsensical when you think about them.
I don't see how any of the remaining story elements could make for an interesting second season.
No spoilers, just Debbie Downers.
 
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