John Adams

[DannyBoy]

Is anyone else watching this? I was worried going in (my boy Sepinwall ripped it, as did the NYTimes), but I thought the first two episodes were awesome.

[yesno]

I'm looking forward to it.  I read some reviews that gave it backhanded compliments, like that it's good, but it's just a prestige/vanity project.  That kind of bad review makes me just want to see something more, because it sound more like axe-grinding than an honest assessment.

It is kind of weird to see Pig Virus as John Adams, though.

[Chris L]

I'll ON DEMAND IT later this week.  Since this is HBO, is there a scene where Adams becomes the first person ever to see a therapist?

[Dorvid Barnas]

I thought the first two were excellent.

[bruce]

It is kind of weird to see Harvey Pekar as John Adams, though.

Fixed

[Laurie]

My dad's a fan.

[TL]

I hear they've pretty much completely written Tom Paine out of the "story" (history?), though - what up with that??

[Laurie]

He has a bit part!

More John Hancock, please. He is foxy.













I want his Hancock. In my Virginia. Yes, I'm ashamed of myself.

[TL]

He has a bit part!

A bit part??  Ouch - that poor Tom Paine has truly not gotten his due.  Home-nut had more than a bit part, to say the least...

[Martin Edison]

I worked with a guy who was an extra on this series.
Very much into war reenactments. I don't have HBO but let me know if anyone sees him.

Dark hair, scruffy beard, very olde tyme hat and maybe holding a musket.

Oh, and his name is Sal. So if you hear anyone say: "Hey, Sal?! I can't on the file server again."
Then that's probably him. 

[DannyBoy]

Well they do mention "Common Sense" and the book talks about how Adams bought two copies of it, one for himself and one to send to his wife. Adams was a big fan of Paine's early on, but soured on him later in life and ended up denouncing him while president.

I think the reason Paine doesn't have a bigger part is because they simply never crossed paths too often.

[Dorvid Barnas]

It took a third viewing to catch it, but Thomas Paine did appear in the first episode.  He was in the scene following the trial where Sam Adams and other Sons of Liberty were trying to convince John Adams to join the Massachusetts Council.

[Laurie]

Like I said, a bit part!

[Dorvid Barnas]

Like I said, a bit part!

Sorry, I forgot the rest of your post after reading your toilet-mouthed puns.  I was trying to think of a witty follow-up.  Ready?

"Well you know what they say about the size of a man's signature..."

Thank you good night.

[Wes]

I don't want to spoil too much, but Paine does come up in a later episode as the prospect of the 1796 election begins to loom. Adams asks Thomas Pinckney who he thinks might join Jefferson on a Democratic-Republican ticket and Pinckney, apparently ignoring the fact that he was jailed in France at the time, answers: "My prediction? Paine!"

Also, Thomas Pinckney is played by Mr. T in the mini-series.