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[RatskyWatsky]

'TURN: Washington's Spies' takes viewers into the stirring and treacherous world of the Revolutionary War and introduces Abraham Woodhull who, after aligning with a group of childhood friends, forms the Culper Ring -- America's first spy ring.

Season 1 ended as Abe’s dangerous balance of fighting for what he believes in while keeping the violence of war far away from his family collapsed, and he was forced to burn his home to the ground to cover up the murder of a British soldier who discovered he was a spy.

Season 2 will dive deeper into the twists, turns, victories and betrayals of a Shadow War waged behind enemy lines, pitting the cunning agents of King George against the intrepid and inventive spies serving General George Washington.

The two hour season premiere airs Monday, April 13 at 9/8c.

Cast

• Abe, a spy for the Culper Ring, continuously makes sacrifices for the revolutionary cause.
• Mary is Abe’s wife and the mother of their young son, Thomas.
• Richard is Abe’s father and the local magistrate of Setauket.

• Ben works as a liaison between General Washington and his friends in the Culper Ring.
• Anna, a childhood friend of Abe, Ben, and Caleb, is a dedicated spy working with the Culper Ring.
• Caleb is a Patriot courier, relaying messages between the Culper Ring members.

• Major Hewlett is the prideful and paranoid commander of the British garrison in Setauket.
• Simcoe is a ruthless soldier in His Majesty’s Army serving under Hewlett’s command in Setauket.
• Major André is the experienced and cunning head of British Intelligence.

• George Washington is the general in charge of the Continental Army.
• Nathaniel works for Washington, creating spy gadgets for the Culper Ring.
• Benedict Arnold is a brave and rugged commander in Washington's Army.

Videos

Season 2 trailer
A Look at Season 2
The New Characters of Season 2
Making of Season 2

Read the prequel motion comic and then catch up on the first season which is now on Netflix!

Photos

 

[CreeperBlocks]

Hurray it's Back!

One thing: Fuck Simcoe

 

[Linius]

Some of the best CGI there in the OP

 

[Verger]

Gotta love the CGI

My biggest beef though has been the whole "Love Triangle" aspect of the storyline. It's just so freaking unnecessary and boring.

When it gets to actual "Spy" stuff, like when Stephen Root is helping craft schemes, it's very entertaining.

And Simcoe is a hilarious/amazing villain.

 

[Linius]

This was when he left with his boat

 

[RatskyWatsky]

This was when he left with his boat

Perfect

 

[Enduin]

In it for the CGI.

I liked S1 a good deal, but it definitely needs to find its groove and improve upon the spy stuff. I don't want this to be another Hell On Wheels where it never lives up to it's potential and has a weird almost directionless progress.

 

[Escape Goat]

Its not exactly The Americans but I keep watching and hoping it hits something good.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

I didn't see much potential for improvement in the first season, but I'm still hoping they manage to find their groove this year.

 

[Escape Goat]

I wish they introduced some more sympathetic villains. Simcoe may as well be twirling a mustache while he strokes a white cat. The only decent bad guy got killed after a couple scenes.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

Variety - TV Review: ‘Turn: Washington’s Spies,’ Season 2

At the risk of sounding unpatriotic, perhaps it’s time to temporarily retire the Revolutionary War as a dramatic TV backdrop. Following “Sons of Liberty,” the miniseries that presented history in the style of a beer commercial, comes the second season of “Turn: Washington’s Spies,” an AMC series that certainly looks handsome and draws on literary material but remains dramatically limp, despite near misses, turning doorknobs and other tricks of the espionage-on-screen trade. George Washington and Benedict Arnold are among this season’s historical supporting players, but barring the occasional flash, it’s not just the teeth that are wooden.

Give the network credit for gambling on a period series with obvious ambition, produced at considerable expense. Yet after the opening salvo of this second campaign, what kept coming to mind about “Turn” is that it also describes what somebody can readily do with a TV remote.

As I feared, it sounds like it'll just be more of the same.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

Two part season premiere tonight:

Thoughts of a Free Man; Hard Boiled

Spoiler

In the two-episode Season 2 opener, Abe is determined to infiltrate New York City. Meanwhile, Simcoe escapes his punishment, and John Andre attempts to seduce Peggy Shippen in Philadelphia.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

The deafening silence in here was also reflected in the ratings:

Season One:

Episode 1 - 2.12 million 0.5 A18-49
Episode 2 - 1.87 million 0.6 A18-49
Episode 3 - 1.40 million 0.4 A18-49
Episode 4 - 1.29 million 0.3 A18-49
Episode 5 - 1.23 million 0.3 A18-49
Episode 6 - 1.08 million 0.3 A18-49
Episode 7 - 1.09 million 0.3 A18-49
Episode 8 - 1.39 million 0.3 A18-49
Episode 9 - 1.16 million 0.3 A18-49
Episode 10 - 1.60 million 0.4 A18-49

Season Two:

Episode 1 - 827K 0.2 A19-49

So. Obviously things are a bit different since this is now airing on Mondays (as opposed to Sundays), and the ratings were always going to be lower on the new day, but I'm surprised that AMC's strategy hasn't even given the show a small boost. They changed the name of the show (adding the 'Washington's Spies' subtitle), aired repeats after Hell on Wheels, put the entire first season up on AMC. com/VoD, and, finally, on Netflix just a few weeks ago.

That the ratings would go down, this much, is really quite shocking. AMC, like every other cable network, is now all about the L+3's, so we'll see how it does there, but these live ratings are spectacularly bad. I know it's still early yet, but that, coupled with the facts that A: critics are still cold-to-lukewarm on the show, B: there's no online/awards buzz whatsoever, and C: it's very expensive to produce, doesn't bode well for the show's future.

I was honestly surprised they even renewed the show in the first place.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

The Variety review was right: Turn is still the same as ever. The main thing is that it's just plain dull. Sitting through one episode is hard enough, but two? I found that to be almost unbearable. Those 90 minutes felt like 4 hours. Things thankfully picked up towards the end of the second episode - Andre at the party and Simcoe taming the rogue soldiers were the only parts of the premiere that held my attention at all - but it sure wasn't easy getting there.

 

[Scarecrow]

The first season sometimes felt like a slog to get through. Can't say I'm on board with the second unless I hear it improves sometime down the line.

 

[RangersFan]

Damn it, why am I watching this again? Wanted it to get canceled so I wouldn't have to watch another season (i'm weird like that).

That being said I thought the premiere was OK. Simcoe is fucking awesome.

 

[dead souls]

The Variety review was right: Turn is still the same as ever. The main thing is that it's just plain dull. Sitting through one episode is hard enough, but two? I found that to be almost unbearable. Those 90 minutes felt like 4 hours. Things thankfully picked up towards the end of the second episode - Andre at the party and Simcoe taming the rogue soldiers were the only parts of the premiere that held my attention at all - but it sure wasn't easy getting there.

I don't think they did the show any favors by premiering it with back-to-back episodes. This isn't the kind of show I want to watch more than one episode of at a time.

 

[metsallica]

It's sitting on my DVR like a lead weight. I might give it a shot tonight but I thought season 1 was completely mediocre; the show is not just boring but it's hard to follow as well. We've had a lot of baffling S2 renewals lately but I thought this one was the strangest by far... If the premiere doesn't hook me or I find myself drifting at all I'm probably going to drop it. Which I never do; I hear you RangersFan!

 

[dead souls]

It's sitting on my DVR like a lead weight. I might give it a shot tonight but I thought season 1 was completely mediocre; the show is not just boring but it's hard to follow as well. We've had a lot of baffling S2 renewals lately but I thought this one was the strangest by far... If the premiere doesn't hook me or I find myself drifting at all I'm probably going to drop it. Which I never do; I hear you RangersFan!

The good news about networks having to accept terrible ratings now is that almost everything gets renewed, the bad news is that almost everything gets renewed.

 

[metsallica]

Very well said and totally true.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

Simcoe is fucking awesome.

He's definitely one of the only bright spots on the show. Samuel Roukin seems like he's having a ball.

 

[backflip10019]

The Variety review was right: Turn is still the same as ever. The main thing is that it's just plain dull. Sitting through one episode is hard enough, but two? I found that to be almost unbearable. Those 90 minutes felt like 4 hours. Things thankfully picked up towards the end of the second episode - Andre at the party and Simcoe taming the rogue soldiers were the only parts of the premiere that held my attention at all - but it sure wasn't easy getting there.

You just convinced me to delete this from my DVR.

I found season 1 to be a slog, and only continued to watch because my lady likes JJ Fields. I think we're done with it, though.

 

[Verger]

Call me crazy but I enjoyed the premier. Particularly the opening and the ending, and of course any moment when Simcoe was on screen, that actor must really enjoy his work.

I think I do agree though that 2 hour-long viewing was too much. It's a heavy show and there's a lot to digest and most people won't want to sit through 2 hours with commercials, but then that's why I DVR everything these days.

The one thing I do hate though is the whole "love triangle" stuff with the women characters. In this shows case it comes off as trying to hard to create compelling women characters for the period. But both Mary and Strong are unlikable.

Perhaps that's this show's biggest issue. the only "Likable" characters are the "villains", with Simcoe, Andre and Roberts, and even Huelet is kind of endearing in his awkward way.


I think AV Club's review echo my thoughts well. Hopefully the Arnold arc proves interesting: http://www.avclub.com/tvclub/turn-thoughts-free-manhard-boiled-217984

 

[Verger]

Wish I had a gif of that ending with Simcoe breaking that guys arm in two, scalping and then shooting him and then all the soldiers fall in line. That was fucking awesome and hopefully there'll be more of that.

 

[Linius]

I'll think about making that gif. It was quite a drag to get trough these two episodes with so little highlights. And due to me constantly confusing characters I do learn bits about the revolutionairy war. I keep finding myself going to wikipedia during the episodes to find who these guys are

 

[Bandit1]

Lol Ratsky those sailboat gifs were unnecessary! I'm on board for the season, enjoyed the premiere, but those ratings look quite dismal.

 

[Qvoth]

oh shit turn is back? niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice

 

[RatskyWatsky]

The one thing I do hate though is the whole "love triangle" stuff with the women characters. In this shows case it comes off as trying to hard to create compelling women characters for the period. But both Mary and Strong are unlikable.

I don't think the show knows what to do with its female characters. Mary is the typical nag/wet blanket/roadblock wife that you see in a lot of these recent dramas and Anna is just sort of there. I actually think Abigail is one of the most interesting characters on the show, since she's one of the only ones who is really in the thick of things, so hopefully we'll get to see more of her in the coming weeks.

Perhaps that's this show's biggest issue. the only "Likable" characters are the "villains", with Simcoe, Andre and Roberts, and even Huelet is kind of endearing in his awkward way.

I think the show's biggest issue is that the only compelling characters are the villains.

Lol Ratsky those sailboat gifs were unnecessary

Quite the contrary, my dear man!

 

[RatskyWatsky]

New episode tonight:

False Flag

Spoiler

Ben sets a trap to capture a traitor in camp; Richard discovers Abe is conspiring with Major Hewlett; Caleb collides with Robert Rogers.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

Ratings:

Season One:

Episode 1 - 2.12 million 0.5 A18-49
Episode 2 - 1.87 million 0.6 A18-49
Episode 3 - 1.40 million 0.4 A18-49
Episode 4 - 1.29 million 0.3 A18-49
Episode 5 - 1.23 million 0.3 A18-49
Episode 6 - 1.08 million 0.3 A18-49
Episode 7 - 1.09 million 0.3 A18-49
Episode 8 - 1.39 million 0.3 A18-49
Episode 9 - 1.16 million 0.3 A18-49
Episode 10 - 1.60 million 0.4 A18-49

Season Two:

Episode 1 & 2 - 827K 0.2 A19-49
Episode 3 - 865K 0.2 A19-49

 

[Rafa=FedKilla]

Ratings:

Season One:

Episode 1 - 2.12 million 0.5 A18-49
Episode 2 - 1.87 million 0.6 A18-49
Episode 3 - 1.40 million 0.4 A18-49
Episode 4 - 1.29 million 0.3 A18-49
Episode 5 - 1.23 million 0.3 A18-49
Episode 6 - 1.08 million 0.3 A18-49
Episode 7 - 1.09 million 0.3 A18-49
Episode 8 - 1.39 million 0.3 A18-49
Episode 9 - 1.16 million 0.3 A18-49
Episode 10 - 1.60 million 0.4 A18-49

Season Two:

Episode 1 - 827K 0.2 A19-49
Episode 2 - 865K 0.2 A19-49

I think the ratings have fallen off a bit with the change bevause the audience crosses over with NOVA and Frontline.

 

[Verger]

I don't think the show knows what to do with its female characters. Mary is the typical nag/wet blanket/roadblock wife that you see in a lot of these recent dramas and Anna is just sort of there. I actually think Abigail is one of the most interesting characters on the show, since she's one of the only ones who is really in the thick of things, so hopefully we'll get to see more of her in the coming weeks.

Abigail is definitely the most interesting, and it'd be nice if they could come up with more things for her to do, but she's so far only on screen whenever Andre is at home. Mary is definitely the annoying one but I could actually see development for her if the writers had the mind to do that. Anna is kind of bleh, she's waffling between this and that, though she's got some potential if she can spy on Huelet.

I think the show's biggest issue is that the only compelling characters are the villains.

Well it definitely helps that the actors who play those roles are definitely enjoying chewing up the scenery. Simcoe just owns every scene he's in, even this week with his minor appearance and his comment about the Bayonet and naming his second in command. Rogers just exudes crude malice so perfectly towards everyone and Andre is a charming silver-tongued devil personified, and even Huelet has an interesting persona.


Anyway, it is too bad this is getting shafted in the ratings. I really enjoyed this last episode since it dealt with more spy stuff and the backstory of Benedict. Arnold's character is definitely another compelling one and looking forward to his role.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

Anna is kind of bleh, she's waffling between this and that, though she's got some potential if she can spy on Huelet.

I hated how in this week's episode, she was all "I'mdoingthisformycountryiguesswhatever but I'm mainly doing this for you Abe!!" Like, way to make the main female character's motivations be all about LOVE.

Anyway, it is too bad this is getting shafted in the ratings. I really enjoyed this last episode since it dealt with more spy stuff and the backstory of Benedict. Arnold's character is definitely another compelling one and looking forward to his role.

I thought it was way better than the premiere.

 

[dead souls]

I hated how in this week's episode, she was all "I'mdoingthisformycountryiguesswhatever but I'm mainly doing this for you Abe!!" Like, way to make the main female character's motivations be all about LOVE.

The funnies thing is all these rather attractive women lusting after Jamie Bell. I feel like they should add someone from Arrested Development to go "Him?" after every time one of the women confess how much they love him.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

New episode tonight:

Men of Blood

Spoiler

Abe tries to recruit a new agent in New York; Caleb races Rogers as they hunt down intelligence from London; Andre's history is exposed.

 

[Enduin]

I haven't watched the latest episodes yet. I liked the fist season but it needed some big changes to keep it alive and make it more compelling. Looks like nothing's changed though and the ratings make it not long for this world at all.

 

[Verger]

I hated how in this week's episode, she was all "I'mdoingthisformycountryiguesswhatever but I'm mainly doing this for you Abe!!" Like, way to make the main female character's motivations be all about LOVE.

I thought it was way better than the premiere.

I think it was one of the best episodes of the series. It's too bad they couldn't have had something like this as the Premier. And yeah, Anna continues to be the "dumb" character, now having been reduced to "I'm doing this all for you!!" in motivation. Although maybe what happened this episode will shock her enough to begin making her own decisions.

The funnies thing is all these rather attractive women lusting after Jamie Bell. I feel like they should add someone from Arrested Development to go "Him?" after every time one of the women confess how much they love him.

It's definitely the most annoying part of the show and the cynical part of me thinks its intentional trying to "pander to that audience" of women who want to be "lusting after Jamie Bell". Thankfully so far this season it's not been too prevalent.

I haven't watched the latest episodes yet. I liked the fist season but it needed some big changes to keep it alive and make it more compelling. Looks like nothing's changed though and the ratings make it not long for this world at all.

I personally think it's gotten more compelling after the lackluster first episode of this season. The choice to air a two-parter (which wasn't even a two-parter) as the premier was definitely misguided as this show is pretty heavy. This last episode especially was pretty good and set up a lot of interesting plot points. The most interesting is definitely the addition of Benedict Arnold and hearing his backstory has been very compelling. It's actually one of the things I'm looking forward to in seeing how Andre will "Turn" him.

And got to love Rodgers always carrying out his duties like he's drunk (and I laughed when someone actually told him that to his face and he got his throat caved in as a response), his appearance at the end of the episode was hilarious.

 

[Linius]

Simcoe and Rodgers are the true villains in this show. They enjoy the violence too much :lol

 

[RatskyWatsky]

Ratings:

Season One:

Episode 1 - 2.12 million 0.5 A18-49
Episode 2 - 1.87 million 0.6 A18-49
Episode 3 - 1.40 million 0.4 A18-49
Episode 4 - 1.29 million 0.3 A18-49
Episode 5 - 1.23 million 0.3 A18-49
Episode 6 - 1.08 million 0.3 A18-49
Episode 7 - 1.09 million 0.3 A18-49
Episode 8 - 1.39 million 0.3 A18-49
Episode 9 - 1.16 million 0.3 A18-49
Episode 10 - 1.60 million 0.4 A18-49

Season Two:

Episode 1 & 2 - 827K 0.2 A19-49
Episode 3 - 865K 0.2 A19-49
Episode 4 - 591K 0.1 A18-49

 

[dead souls]

I burst out laughing when I saw those ratings on Showbuzz Daily yesterday.

Time to dust off all those "the revolution will not be televised" jokes that were made when NBC canceled that turkey. I think we might be needing them again.

 

[Linius]

Woooow, that's a drop alright :lol

Well at least we now know for certain it won't make it for a third season.

 

[Verger]

It's a shame. It is an interesting and entertaining show. But I guess Period pieces aren't really that hot in the market now.

Simcoe and Rodgers are the true villains in this show. They enjoy the violence too much :lol

And it so happens those are currently the best/most entertaining characters on the show

 

[Linius]

They certainly are. Well, Simcoe more so. We haven't seen Rodgers that much so far this season. But that neck punch was nice. I think Hewlett, Simcoe and Andre are all kind of interesting. Even though they're all branded to be part of the 'evil' English army. Still rooting for Abe and his crew though.

 

[Verger]

They certainly are. Well, Simcoe more so. We haven't seen Rodgers that much so far this season. But that neck punch was nice. I think Hewlett, Simcoe and Andre are all kind of interesting. Even though they're all branded to be part of the 'evil' English army. Still rooting for Abe and his crew though.

That's the point I made above that the so-called "antagonists" are by far the most interesting and entertaining characters of the show.

Simcoe alone could carry the show if all we saw was his adventures in training and carrying out orders with his new platoon.

Rodgers is funny in that he pretty much has no respect for anyone of authority, and acts drunk all the time (for which that poor soul got throat bashed in for pointing out).

Andre is pretty much the pinnacle of charm and intellectualism combined into one. You just know he's got all sorts of schemes going on.

And even Hewlett, who seems a gentlemen is interesting with his own character mannerisms and his newly portrayed self-confidence issues at least in the presence of women.

Also, I feel Benedict Arnold has been amazing in the time we've seen of him. I really want to see his story told.

 

[ezekial45]

I'm wondering if they should've had this show on Saturdays instead. HoW did pretty well there, and with Turn reruns happening then, I'd imagine assume it must've built it an audience for that time slot.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

I burst out laughing when I saw those ratings on Showbuzz Daily yesterday.

Time to dust off all those "the revolution will not be televised" jokes that were made when NBC canceled that turkey. I think we might be needing them again.

Woooow, that's a drop alright :lol

Well at least we now know for certain it won't make it for a third season.

It's not the lowest rated episode of a post Mad Men AMC series, as Halt and Catch Fire dipped even lower than 591K a couple times last year, but it's definitely in that ballpark. AMC hasn't even mentioned how it's doing in L+3 (unlike The Walking Dead, Better Call Saul and Mad Men) so I think it's safe to say it's not doing well there either. Even if the numbers tripled, it'd still be in a bad way.

Last year the ratings were already in the gutter and there were no signs of life in the show itself nor in the conversation surrounding it, and yet AMC decided to take a chance and renew it anyway, surprising everyone, so I guess a third season is possible (maybe they're making money off it from international or streaming or something?) but I don't think it's likely.

That's the point I made above that the so-called "antagonists" are by far the most interesting and entertaining characters of the show.

I agree. All of the good guy characters are bland and unexciting and most of the "villains" are pretty darn entertaining. I was kind of hoping Ben would turn (heheheh) with Benedict Arnold and we'd have a reason to care about him, but alas.

 

[Verger]

I agree. All of the good guy characters are bland and unexciting and most of the "villains" are pretty darn entertaining. I was kind of hoping Ben would turn (heheheh) with Benedict Arnold and we'd have a reason to care about him, but alas.

Yep. Again this episodes the Stars of the show were the "villains". I like how this show is giving them so much depth to their characters that they're fully rounded personalities who have several shades of grey to them. Except of course Rodgers and Simcoe who are just plain evil, as the latter shows it by attacking those rebels and then setting up poor Major Huelet with that forged letter.

The biggest surprises this episode was again the depth added to Andre and Huelet. Seeing Andre on the defensive and looking vulnerable after his upbringing was questioned was a new side of him compared to his normal in-control self. And seeing Huelet show off his own personal side with his fascination with Astronomy to Anna was pretty moving, and shows that he's probably the least "villain-like" of the villains, which only makes it more evil of Simcoe to set him up in revenge, and the preview

Spoiler

seems to indicate that something bad will happen to him next ep

.

Loved the "tongue" thing, and Rodgers ambush. And the "mugging" in the alleyway was pretty brutal, but it was smart of Abe to use that as a secret weapon to keep his Father silent.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

New episode tonight:

Sealed Fate

Spoiler

Abe makes a last-ditch effort to recruit a spy inside New York. Meanwhile, Ben must determine which of two deserters is a double agent.

Tonight's episode marks the half-way point of the season.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

Ratings:

Season One:

Episode 1 - 2.12 million 0.5 A18-49
Episode 2 - 1.87 million 0.6 A18-49
Episode 3 - 1.40 million 0.4 A18-49
Episode 4 - 1.29 million 0.3 A18-49
Episode 5 - 1.23 million 0.3 A18-49
Episode 6 - 1.08 million 0.3 A18-49
Episode 7 - 1.09 million 0.3 A18-49
Episode 8 - 1.39 million 0.3 A18-49
Episode 9 - 1.16 million 0.3 A18-49
Episode 10 - 1.60 million 0.4 A18-49

Season Two:

Episode 1 & 2 - 827K 0.2 A19-49
Episode 3 - 865K 0.2 A19-49
Episode 4 - 591K 0.1 A18-49
Episode 5 - 631K 0.2 A18-49

 

[dead souls]

I thought that was a pretty decent episode this week.