David Duchovny bounces back from Californication with Aquarius and revisits his cult series, The X-Files, too, writes Debashine Thangevelo
DAVID Duchovny suits up for his new role as LAPD Detective Sam Hodiak in the crime drama, Aquarius. Now, this might be a bit of a shock to the system for fans who have become accustomed to seeing him as novelist Hank Moody, a pleasure-seeking Charlie Sheen-esque reprobate in the Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning TV series, Californication.
While, for the most part, disturbingly sober in his detective character, he also displays a cheeky sense of humour that is underpinned by a quiet confidence. He is very good at what he does, but his experience does cast him as a bit of an old-school oddball – and that’s saying something given that the show is set in Los Angeles circa 1967.
This brainchild of TV producer and writer, John McNamara (Common Law, Prime Suspect, In Plain Sight, The Fugitive), the show is inspired by real-life criminal and cult-leader, Charles Manson. However, this isn’t a faithful interpretation. It is peppered with fictional characters and story threads.
With police dramas, the chalk-and-cheese buddy partnerships do work best à la Battle Creek with Josh Duhamel and Dean Winters, Common Law with Michael Ealy and Warren Kole and Hawaii Five-O with Alex O’Loughlin and Scott Caan. There is this stream of free-flowing frustration and heart-warming camaraderie to ensure there is never a dull moment.
Now the ruggedly-handsome Grey Damon (Friday Night Lights), cast as undercover narcotics officer Brian Shafe, is the yin to Hodiak’s yang. It’s a youth versus experience tug-o’-war, but they somehow end up on an even keel: their approaches are different, but they get results.
Of course, results are what they need when they partner on the case of Emma Karn (Emma Dumont), who has gone missing. Her concerned mother is Hodiak’s former girlfriend. The investigation transports them into Charles Manson’s hedonistic, hippie world of sex, drugs and rock and roll.
The storytelling is slowly fermented – very much in the vein of True Detective. And the frame darts between several scenarios, espousing conflicting viewpoints that capture the issues and conflicts of that era.
And to catch a big fish, you need the perfect bait – in this case it is Officer Charmain Tully, played by Claire Holt, whom we all know as Rebecca Klaus in The Vampire Diaries/The Originals.
The first episode revealed all the key players. Now there is an understandable level of anxiety to see how McNamara uses his storytelling pawns.
As far as the background/wardrobe is concerned, there is an effort to create the right ambience. But analysing it from a historical perspective, which purists will do, is silly as the storytelling subscribes more to creative liberties than obtrusive facts.
Crime dramas are a dime a dozen in Hollywood. That said, Aquarius has the grittiness, gravitas and star-clout to be noticeable.
Aquarius airs on M-Net Edge (DStv channel 101) on Wednesdays at 8pm.