Cinemax has always been referred to in movies as “I get-to-see-a-lot-of-sex channel”, because it’s always focused on more artistic films and those that hail from all over the world. In the emergence of two channels of Cinemax, channel number one usually contains a more known program, such as blockbusters and TV series that they themselves produce, and then on channel two, you get to see the sex.
After the ending of the exciting and action-packed bloodbath that was “Banshee”, Cinemax produced and released a retrospective into the 1970s in the form of the series called “Quarry”, which was actually based on the novel of the same name, written by Max Allan Collins.
The main character is Mac Conway who returns from his 2nd tour in Vietnam and gets a bad reputation among the locals because of a scandal that happened during his service. Not just him, but his best pal Arthur Solomon too, has seen the hell of war and came home with a semi-calm head. This is just the beginning, and the plot can be seen in episode one already – Arthur is less than semi-calm, he’s barely 3/4 calm as he takes on a dirty job worth $30,000 (which can today equal to an amount from $132,000 to $420,000) and asks for Mac’s help.
Why is the show important? It deals with two major themes that were a big issue in the past and are a big issue now, too. The relevance of giving war veterans their space and understanding when they zone out, sleepwalk or don’t want to talk doesn’t ever seem to be clear to people, especially to the wives of the men who return in such programs; you’ve seen it in every war themed movie in some way. It’s difficult to cheer for someone who’s trying to push their way into a man’s head when he’s seen dead bodies and waken up next to them for two years in a row. Despite feeling left out and abandoned, Mac’s wife can’t seem to get the elementary, at least that’s how it seems in the first few episodes.
The narrative moves slowly but has incredible scenes which reveal to us how both sides feel at the same time. This was important during the Vietnamese war, and it is important for anyone going to the battlefield in the Middle East today; his wife elaborates why she felt left out and abandoned, while Mac does his best to mutter out why he did two tours in Vietnam and what it meant for him.
I’m sure that the era when there was a general pressure for men to prove themselves through military service made some people grow up sooner than they had anticipated to.
What makes the situation harder is the fact that Mac and Arthur can’t get any legitimate jobs that they very much qualify for; Arthur bags a physically demanding gig which is way below his abilities or education, just because he came back from the war and may or may have not been involved in a mass murder.
The hipocrisy of the country that honors the men who go to war and then rejects them when they wish to move on with their lives is shown strongly and without beautification.
The other matter that is so important in the show is the treatment and inequality of America’s African-American citizens. Nowadays, we’ve been hearing on the news how police keeps treating their nation and how Donald Trump invites rallies to expel “bad ombres” from the country (I am not American nor do I live there, so I can only get informed through the news and programs) which feels unrealistic in this day and age, to be such a man and think in such a way; the situation depicted in “Quarry” shows a time of early integration of African-American citizens into the community, and Arthur Solomon’s family, and Arthur himself, are black citizens.
The very depiction of the attempts of integration and mistreatment is painful to see, if you are a normal functioning human with a heart, that is. While we watch it and think: “No one ever deserves this”, this isn’t a fantasized situation – it was real and it was recent. When we look back, 1972 is only 44 years ago from today, so not even a round 50 to say things are different; not that the number 50 would make it somehow justifiable.
Overall, the performance of Logan Marshall-Green as Mac Conway has brought our long awaited attention to him. He played supporting roles for most of his career and never really stood out. “Quarry” has shown us that he is around for a reason – he plays his calmness and his anger with a subtle difference. We can tell when he’s relaxed and happy, but most of his life has been intertwined with some of the most stressful situations known to man, so whenever he gets a release, it’s rare and valuable; Marshall-Green takes us slowly and nicely through the pain and the discomfort.
Some supporting characters carry heavy roles on their shoulders but I won’t elaborate who they are in order not to spoil anything too much. The actor Damon Herriman who plays Buddy has a huge history in the TV series universe, and he is my personal highlight of the show. Buddy is another kind of reject among the rejects of war, but he displays his insecurities through flamboyance and jokes. He rarely ever feels well but somehow manages to see things could get better for him; his relationship with his mother helps him remain encouraged, despite the relationship’s ridiculous and sometimes strange qualities.
Peter Mullan plays The Broker, another very important supporting character in Mac’s life and Peter Mullan is already a veteran in acting; The Broker’s omnipresence makes us dread but when he appears, we all know what’s coming next. When we see a character and know what’s about to happen, without ever needing him to explain, we should know that that’s a mark of a good program.
“Quarry” is heavy, gritty, emotional, captivating and exciting.
‘Til next time.
Anja
The Roll of a Lifetime 