Rubicon - "You Never Can Win"

Will (James Badge Dale) and Truxton (Michael Christofer) finally have that important talk.

Photo Credit: AMC


Review by Paul Steven Brown

'Rubicon'
Season 1 - Episode 13

"You Never Can Win"

As much as I really enjoyed this first (and hopefully not the last) season of 'Rubicon', I was disappointed in the handling of the episode's conclusion. Don't get me wrong, James Badge Dale and Michael Christofer were as excellent as always and the scene crackled with tension. However, we're left with both Will and Truxton knowing that the other knows about everything involving Atlas MacDowell and the Galvaston attack. Spangler walks away daring Will to go public. Fade to black.

Rubicon - "Wayward Sons"

Will  (James Badge Dale) visits Katherine Rhumor.

Photo Credit: AMC

Review by Paul Steven Brown

'Rubicon'
Season 1 - Episode 12

"Wayward Sons"

For the last eleven episodes, we've been introduced to and tracked the development of characters that have never appeared on the screen. Kateb, Tanaz, Boeck, and Popovich have been spectres in the background and the people of interest being investigated by Will team at API, all the while not actually appearing in a single episode. That is until now.

Rubicon - "A Good Day's Work"

Truxton Spangler (Michael Cristofer) enjoys a glass of "the good stuff".

Photo Credit: AMC

Review by Paul Steven Brown

'Rubicon'
Season 1 - Episode 11
"A Good Day's Work"

The presence of Andy in Will's life has provided a voice for the idea that intelligence work is glamorous and action packed. What we've learned watching 'Rubicon' is that it can be slow and tedious, and in Will's case, the action is brutal and vicious. So, it's no surprise that when Andy makes a badly timed appearance at Will's apartment just hours after he had just killed a man in self-defense (and whose body was chopped up and removed), it makes sense that he doesn't want her around anymore.

Rubicon - "In Whom We Trust"

Will Travers (James Badge Dale) and Katherine Rhumor (Miranda Richardson) finally meet to compare notes.

Photo Credit: AMC

Review by Paul Steven Brown

'Rubicon'
Season 1 - Episode 10

"In Whom We Trust"

Ten episodes into the first season and we finally (finally!) have our first real meeting between Will Travers and Katherine Rhumor. They had briefly bumped into each other at a party about six episodes back, but this time they've done enough independent digging that circumstances have brought them together. Unfortunately, this is a potential alliance that is killed quickly in the crib thanks to the intervention of Donald Bloom. Will has some protection and resources thanks to Kale. Katherine is completely powerless and alone, so Bloom's threats on her life, her parents' lives, and that of Will, too, are more than enough for her to cut ties with young Mr. Travers.

Rubicon - "No Honesty in Men"

Andy (Annie Parisse) and Will (James Badge Dale) are having a very odd first date.

Photo Credit: AMC 

Review by Paul Steven Brown

'Rubicon'
Season 1 - Episode 9
"No Honesty in Men"

I'm not sure about how I feel about Andy, Will's across the alley neighbor. If she is not someone keeping tabs on him, as Will and our paranoia may have been led to believe due to the various scenes of Andy looking from across the way into his apartment, then she's kind of odd. A guy shows up in the middle of the night with a bottle of wine, a tomato, and a story about a bugged apartment and she takes it all in stride. This might be a case of one's attraction to another overriding the common sense center of his or her brain.

Rubicon - "Caught in the Suck"

Tanya (Lauren Hodges) and Miles (Dallas Roberts) get to witness the wonders of information extraction at a undisclosed location.

Photo Credit: AMC

Review by Paul Steven Brown

'Rubicon'
Season 1 - Episode 8
"Caught in the Suck"

I so hope that 'Rubicon' gets renewed. I know the ratings aren't that stellar, but this show is fantastic. I would hope that AMC will give the show at least another season. I would really hate to see the main story thread rushed to a conclusion or just left hanging there at the end of the season due to cancellation. This show continues to be a wonderful surprise that's unlike anything on at the moment.

Rubicon - "The Truth Will Out"

Miles (Dallas Roberts) feels the pressure as he begins his polygraph test.

Photo Credit: AMC

Review by Paul Steven Brown

'Rubicon'
Season 1 - Episode 7
"The Truth Will Out"

I'm not sure if Will Travers if very brave or completely stupid at times. One thing's for sure, he's turning into a risk taker. Maybe to crack the mystery of the "unsanctioned op" as David Hadas' voice on a CD puts it, Will is going to have to take a lot of chances that could potentially get him caught or even killed.

Rubicon - "Look to the Ant"

Will (James Badge Dale) is invited over to Kale's (Arliss Howard) place for a little dinner and information dissemination.

Photo Credit: AMC

Review by Paul Steven Brown

'Rubicon'
Season 1 - Episode 6
"Look to the Ant"

It appears that my (or should I say my wife's) recent speculations about Kale were correct. I wouldn't say he's exactly a good guy just yet, but he's certainly not one of the bad guys. In this episode he makes a mean white bean salad, complains about Hot Chip, and starts funnelling intel to Will. Of course, this was after a little B & E at Will's apartment and a look at his homework.

Rubicon - "Connect the Dots"

Will Travers (James Badge Dale) receives an ominous warning from his boss, Kale Ingram (Arliss Howard).

Photo Credit: AMC

Review by Paul Steven Brown

'Rubicon'
Season 1 - Episode 5
"Connect the Dots"

"I strongly suggest you stick to the analysis side of things. I would hate to see you involved in any mayhem." - Kale Ingram

Rubicon - "The Outsider"

Will Travers (James Badge Dale) and Truxton Spangler (Michael Cristofer) have a drink after a successful trip to Washington.

Photo Credit: AMC

Review by Paul Steven Brown

'Rubicon'
Season 1 - Episode 4
"The Outsider"

Despite 'Rubicon' being a show with a handful of running mysteries to deal with from week to week, "The Outsider" is pretty much a standalone episode. We get a few scenes of the isolated Katherine subplot and Will gets some information on the names he had ran (off the record, of course), but that's about it for the bigger picture material. The real meat is in two concurrent stories; one involving Will and Spangler in D.C., the second focuses on Will's team back in New York working on a new case.

Catching Up With… Rubicon

Will Travers (James Badge Dale) knows that just because you're paranoid, it doesn't mean that they're not after you on 'Rubicon'

Photo Credit: AMC

By Paul Steven Brown

‘Rubicon’
Season 1 – Episodes 1 – 3
“Gone in the Teeth”
“The First Day of School”
“Keep the Ends Out”

I wasn’t sure if I was going to continue watching ‘Rubicon’, the new conspiracy series from AMC, after the first episode. Despite the intrigue and the acting, this show is a very slow burner. I decided to catch up with it this week and I can finally say that I’m sold on it and I’ll continue with it through the rest of the season. As a result, this review will be a truncated look at the first three episodes.