5 Reasons AMC Has to Renew Rubicon
Last night was perhaps the last episode of Rubicon that we will ever see, which means that the image of Will Travers noticing the four-leaf clover and horrifically gazing into the dark -- figuratively and literally -- just might be how we'll always have to remember him. But will the 13-episode first season of Rubicon amount to a big nothing -- will it wind up, as Spangler said to Will, with no one "[giving] a sh*t?" Hopefully not. I loved last night's episode as a finale. Let me rephrase: I loved last night's episode as a season finale, not as series one. And so this is a plea to AMC to renew Rubicon for another season: Ahead, Movieline offers five reasons why this simply has to happen.
1.) We need to know what happens to Truxton Spangler
Here's an interesting tidbit that we only touched on lightly in Friday's Q&A with Michael Cristofer, holding back the really spoiler-ish discussions: During the final scene with Will on the roof, originally that was supposed to be the reveal that Spangler and his shadow group committed the terrorist acts in order to get the U.S. off of oil. In Spangler's mind, he's the protagonist and Will is trying to stop him from achieving a greater good. Consider what Cristofer mentions, having not seen the finale yet at the time we spoke.
"Do I have a speech that talks about oil and water? I don't say to him, 'forty years from now the United States will be out of oil and we'll be out of water'? When we were doing the last scene, there were a couple of different versions of it. And in one I made the case that a lot of what we were doing, we were doing because the government was too slow and couldn't get the job done. The job being, to protect the country from running out of oil and to get the country away from being addicted to oil and to preserve the water supply. The other choice, Henry kept saying he wanted to reserve that for the next season if there should be a next season."
Spangler's motivations were not money, as I had assumed a few times during the course of the season. A second season arc dealing with the fallout between the moral argument of creating a terrorist attack for "the greater good" -- going as far to start a war with Iran -- could trump this excellent first season. This is all going under the presumption that Spangler is even still alive after receiving his four-leaf clover (Cristofer mentions that in early scripts for the finale, he did in fact perish), so we kinda need to know that, too.
2.) What is Andie's relation to this whole conspiracy?
I always thought that Andie was a bit too eager to be Will's lover: considering he would disappear for days at a time, his apartment was bugged and that he carried a firearm. Next thing we know, Katherine Rhumor is over at her apartment asking for protection. Obviously, her late husband and David were behind Andie's involvement -- probably for both his wife and Will -- but what is her background? Also, she's terrible at her job. If she's supposed to keep Katherine and Will alive, she almost went zero for two. For her sake, I hope that she was paid upfront.
3.) Will the real Kale Ingram please stand up?
After 13 episodes, I still have no idea whom Kale Ingram is supposed to be. I mean this in a good way; he's fascinating -- he just may be he best character on television. But what is his role in the atrocities that occurred? If you re-watch the first episode, it appears he's very much a part of David's death. Or at least he's well aware that it's going to happen. Kale is such an enigma. He runs Will's entire investigation from the shadows, then, just as abruptly as he started helping, he backs out. He's a survivor and is not going to take any unnecessary risks after he knows that he's already lost. I cannot imagine living in a world where Kale Ingram is not a part of that world.
4.) Rubicon has a direction
Think, again, to that first episode. Yeah, yeah, as some of you made abundantly clear in the comments of an earlier Rubicon piece, you liked the slow buildup. Well, so do I ... now. Now that I know that the show found its footing, it makes the early episodes better. Rubicon is a completely different show than it was when started. (I still laugh at the notion from the pilot that Will is never late to a meeting because he was late to meet his family on 9/11 -- because he's late pretty much all of the time these days.) Now that it finally has a direction, it would be such a shame for AMC to pull the plug. I mean, remember Ed Bancroft? David's chess playing former colleague? What happened to him? My point is, the current writing team has no problem writing out characters that were slowing down the pace of the show. Case in point: Katherine Rhumor. I'm so happy about her death for two reasons: (A) She really served no purpose going forward and I feel like it was a struggle to fit her into the current arc, regardless, and (B) they actually did find a way to legitimately fit her into the arc, so the time spent watching the long scenes of her walking around an abandoned townhouse in the early episodes was not completely in vain.
5.) Grant will be in charge of the API team
No character has improved more over the last 13 episodes than Grant. This guy started off as your typical disgruntled a-hole with no actual personality. Grant's been softened in the later episodes -- to the point where now he's easily the nicest to Tanya after her return from rehab. And the guy looked generally concerned for Will's feelings when informing him of the promotion and Will's demotion. Of course, in a second season, Grant will hold the title of team leader, but Will will still hold the power. Assuming Tanya returns in some capacity: she doesn't particularly respect Grant as a leader; Miles knows 100 percent about Spangler's involvement in the attack and why Will has been demoted; and Kale's never going to confide in Grant. Grant, unfortunately, will be a stooge of Spangler's, but not an evil stooge -- which is what makes it interesting.
So, yeah, AMC, you've got a worthwhile show on your hands (as you often do). And we're still talking about it -- so please let this show develop in a second season now that it actually, finally, knows where it's going.
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Comments
Please renew this wonderful show, that makes you think!
See, I can make a case that Andie was a "bad guy". Wouldn't her actions in the park support that? She let it happen and walked off. She said, "I'll be no more than ten steps behind you..." then as soon as they got to the fountain, and Andie stood back and didn't follow Kathryn, I immediately thought she might be a part of Atlas McDowell. If Tom Rhumor was so committed to his circle of cronies that he killed himself, do you think he would let his wife bring them down? I think he led her straight to the Atlas McDowell spider web. How he got involved with David on the video is anyone's guess.
I never even considered that. And it would explain why they couldn't figure out that Will was just hiding across he street. But what about David's involvement? I can't seem him betraying Will, that defeats the purpose of the entire show. Also, I can't see Tom posthumously killing the mother of his children.
The Rhumors are too old to have those little kids we see at the opening scene of the series. besides, it was explained that Tom had a previous marriage. I don't think those kids were theirs. Grandkids perhaps. We never know exactly what David said to Will on the video. Maybe he wasn't going to lead him to Andie's apartment. Given some of the hints he gave Will in the first episode, maybe he would have told him to just do his best to vanish. Through his digging, perhaps David came across Tom and somehow befriended him. Tom knew his four leaf clover time was near and that Spangler was on to David's digging. I think it is plausible to think that David worked with Tom on the video not knowing that Tom was putting his wife in harm's way. Particularly if he knew David's message to Will was to just go away. But we'll never know... unless there is a season two.
I surely hope that AMC will continue with the series. "Rubicon." Yes, it was slow in the beginning and I was sure it was going nowhere. However, I stuck with it because I thoroughly enjoyed the cast and the plot seemed promising. It finally began to come together to make a fascinating and exciting drama. I'd hate to think that all the "buts. . ." and "therefores. . . . will come to not. So please keep this series going.
Thank you.
Carolyn
Rubicon is my Sunday Must See ... Sounds a little weird, but Rubicon and Big Bang Theory are my favorites. And the Daily Show, of course.
Rubicon is my Sunday Must See ... Sounds a little weird, but Rubicon and Big Bang Theory are my favorites. And the Daily Show, of course.
I don't think it was personal commitment to his buddies that led Tom Rhumour to off himself -- I think there is an implied threat in receiving the four leafed-clover: "Kill yourself, or your entire family will start being killed, too". Seeing as they have been friends for so long, the other members of this shadowy group will know everything about the others personal lives and relationships ...
Those were definitely their grandkids - when she listens to Tom's messages after the police return his personal effects, there's a message from her informing him that the grandkids are coming over.
I hope it is renewed as well. It's the best "thinking person's" spy show on TV since the BBC mini-series translations of John LeCarré's George Smiley books. I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a show so much. It is yet another nail in the coffin of broadcast TV. The real creative, challenging, ground-breaking shows are all on cable, with AMC and HBO leading the pack. I do disagree Mr. Ryan about Grant taking over as team leader. I don't say it's not possible BUT he was promoted alone by Spangler hours before the end. There were no witnesses. Shortly thereafter, Spangler received his lilies and 4 leaf clover. Was it documented in any way? Or does it become a Spangler told me thing? Or does it happen and Will goes to "active duty," like his boss Kale had done prior to joining API? Or...
I certainly hope that AMC renews Rubicon. There are so many reasons: (1) love of puzzles, crosswords included; (2) the reproduction of grad school atmosphere and characters; (3) Tanya's complex character; (4) The incredible nuance that Michael Cristofer gives the character of Truxton Spangler; (5) Badge Dale's ability to be silent with purpose; (6) generally terrific writing; (7) globalization and its issues. I've reached the "magical number seven, plus or minus two," so that is enough.
See @SaveRubicon on Twitter, to keep current on efforts to convince AMC to save Rubicon -- including calling AMC at 4:20 pm Eastern to urge renewal.
Thanks, Movieline, for your support.
I really think that AMC will renew the show. With Mad Men and Breaking Bad, AMC has proven itself as a network that puts out intelligent, creative, and original programming that truely rivals HBO.
I stuck with Rubicon through its first couple of slow episodes, and it was well worth it. Each character on Rubicon was great, and the show treated the viewer by allowing each one of them to have their moments. It would be a horrible decision for AMC to cancel on us, and I dont think that they will.
I have to agree and really hope they renew this very clever show. I think the casting was amazing and the storyline grabs you more and more each week (as it's suppose to!).
This is one of the few shows that I enjoy re-watching. The pacing is perfect, allowing us to simply enjoy the characters, their shabby building, South St. Seaport, everything.
It is so much more realistic than intense, up-tempo shows like 24 that try to keep you breathless all the time. After a while, they pall. Rubicon shows what intelligence gathering is all about; it's living with the data until you know it backwards; as Kale Ingram said, it's getting it wrong a lot, too.
I think that I'd watch this show, even if they all got fired from API and started a cupcake shop in Soho.
I've loved it from the start. There's a lot to chew on each week (and no smoke monster). I agree that Kale Ingram is one of the most interesting people on any television show -- comedy or drama. If Arlis Howard isn't at least nominated for an Emmy, then people just aren't paying attention. I want a couple more seasons to sort through these issues and find out if the guys taking the vote were voting to kill Spangler or the Widow Rhumor.
I loved the show. And as much as I want a second season, I'm actually okay with the ending. It felt like a long, well thought out movie. It reminded me of the BBC's "State Of Play", great writing, acting and directing. And I certainly agree with mistersnark that Arlis Howard deserves a nomination.
At least one credible show on the intelligence community/work.
I cannot wait to see season 2.
Please renew it but I'd rather have 13 episode of this quality/intensity than twice as much with lower standards.
Love Rubicon!
...a moot point and one that's been bothering me. Why did Tom leave a defunct business to Kathryn two days prior to 'his end'? What did that business do, make clothes? NOT!
Anyone have any ideas?
Rubicon is one of the very, very rare shows that my husband and I both really enjoy. Yes, it was slow to develop but the characters are interesting and the writing excellent. We would be so sad if it got cancelled. Please renew it AMC!
Why doesn't AMC leave more episodes up on AMC?? I want to watch some of the earlier eps again and it's only got the finale. It would seem an easy way to collect new viewers if you are interested in renewing.
Pardon me, I meant to say Comcast, on Demand does not retain more than the final episode. Other more popular shows you can go back and watch the whole season...
Totally disappointed that AMC did not renew. It was the best show on television.
At least write a book about it, I'd be easier than convinicing those asses at AMC, zombies lovers...so lame...
So much trash doesn't get trashed and they cancel Rubicon. Go Figure.
I love this show.... Please bring it back and we will get on facebook and get people to watch. This is one of the best shows on TV......
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