headphones are on

Let’s take it back to early 2007, it’s my senior of college, final semester. Deeply entrenched in the indie music scene (I miss you, 2000’s), I was spending a lot time between college, Boston, and my beloved New York City. An interesting era as lower Manhattan climbed from the ashes, and small clubs became victim again to the relentless progress machine that is NYC. But that’s for another day.

This was also the infancy of on demand video services (beyond PPV) and online streaming, tapping into the beginnings of the yet unknown that Netflix would capitalize on.

So, as every TV worshipper does, I planned much of my week around shows I couldn’t miss, agonizing over which to prioritize if time slots were doubled up, and utilized the quickly becoming ancient VHS tape to record anything I’d miss, on my little TV with its built in video tape deck and timer features.

I’d heard rumor of a new show set in Hell’s Kitchen, an NYC neighborhood with a long list of real and fictional Irish Mob and Italian Mafia dramas playing out in its streets for years. I was also deep into my personal study of organized crime (not quite an obsession, but not quite a casual interest either), so I hit the internet to find out more about this show called The Black Donnellys and came across a crushing blow – it would air on NBC. Already passionately boycotting NBC I begrudgingly watched it one night in hopes of catching the trailer. 3 seconds in and I was hooked, and so with the NBC death knell in the background, I put a hold on my boycott and tuned in for the pilot (whose premiere was rescheduled at least twice, true to NBC’s reputation).

Four brothers, a legendary neighborhood, and one of the most legendary rivalries of the underworld? It’s been done at one point or another. But based on co-creator Bobby Moresco’s family and childhood in Hell’s Kitchen? More intriguing. All that combined with impeccable writing, flawless acting, and a soundtrack that’s both mid-2000s perfection and timeless? Poised to be a sleeper hit.

In the end, NBC dug the grave pretty early on, first by moving the premiere date, then only airing the third episode online due to “extreme violence” (not any more violent than the other episodes …), and then pulling the show off the air halfway through the season, and streaming the remaining episodes on their website and for purchase through iTunes.  In case you forgot, this was 2007.  Streaming just wasn’t a thing many people did or had the internet capabilities to do, and it certainly didn’t count towards viewing numbers for TV shows.  And they replaced it with an extremely short lived reality show. It still pains me.

And thus, after 13 episodes of an incredible show, The Black Donnellys were snuffed out, and with a cliffhanger.  All these years later, I still think about the characters, where they would be, what future seasons would’ve brought.  I watch it in its entirety at least once a year.  No better time in 2020 than now to start watching it again.

Who are the players? Well, we know Hell’s Kitchen looms big in the background, but the human cast is just as fantastic.

Jimmy Donnelly (Tom Guiry): The oldest of the four brothers, Jimmy is a drug addict, the owner of The Firecracker, and has a penchant for theft and guns.

Look familiar? Tom Guiry is THE Smalls of “The Sandlot”, the Smalls of “You’re killing me, Smalls”.  Also known for “Mystic River” (big fave of mine), “Black Irish”, and “U-571”.

Tommy Donnelly (Jonathan Tucker): The second oldest, Tommy is the sensible one, trying to balance his family and being an art student. He has spent his life keeping his brothers out of trouble with the law, while working himself out of precarious situations.

Look familiar? Jonathan Tucker is currently on “City on a Hill”, and absolutely fantastic in “Kingdom”, which Netflix recently acquired.  Also known for “Sleepers”, “The Virgin Suicides”, and “Parenthood”.

Kevin Donnelly (Billy Lush): The second youngest, Kevin is blindly loyal to the family, easy to manipulate, but when it comes down to it, can do what needs to be done.  Not the brightest bulb in the bunch, but he’s got great one-liners, and a penchant for gambling.  By the end of the show, he became my favorite character. 

Look familiar? Lush was in “Generation Kill”, “Low Winter Sun”, and had a guest role on “Kingdom” (really, you need to watch this).

Sean Donnelly (Michael Stahl-David): The youngest brother, he’s bait to women of all ages, and is typically kept out of serious family business. He’s just trying to figure out life and keep his mom off his back about getting a GED. Oh, and not get killed.

Look familiar? Stahl-David is in the “Cloverfield” franchise, “Narcos”, and “The Deuce”.

Kate Mulgrew steps in as the Donnelly matriarch, “Helen”; Olivia Wilde as the neighborhood girl and long time love of Tommy, “Jenny Reilly”; Peter Greene as “Dokey Farrell”; Kirk Acevedo as “Nicky Cottero” (another Kingdom acquisition); and Keith Nobbs as quite possibly the greatest unreliable narrator of all time, “Joey Ice Cream”. 

Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco as co-creators? Yes, yes, yes. 

Have I convinced you yet?

To my despair, it’s currently only available for purchase (iTunes, Amazon, DVD) or to stream free on NBC.  To add insult to injury, the episodes on the NBC site are not even the right order.  So, as of the time of this post, Episode 4 = Episode 2, Episode 2 = Episode 3, Episode 3 = Episode 4. The title of each episode should reference the quote slide following the opening credits.

Episode Commentary:

Episode Notes: “The Black Donnellys”: Episode 1

Episode Notes: “The Black Donnellys”: Episode 2

Episodes Notes: “The Black Donnellys”: Episode 3 (Unaired)

Episode Notes: “The Black Donnellys”: Episode 4

Episodes Notes: “The Black Donnellys”: Episode 5

Episode Notes: “The Black Donnellys” Episode 6

Episode Notes: “The Black Donnellys” Episode 7

Episode Notes: “The Black Donnellys” Episode 8

Episode Notes: “The Black Donnellys” Episode 9

Episode Notes: “The Black Donnellys” Episode 10

Episode Notes: “The Black Donnellys” Episode 11

Episode Notes: “The Black Donnellys” Episode 12

Episode Notes: “The Black Donnellys” Episode 13 – Season/Series Finale