Vinyl Season 1 Episode Recaps

Vinyl (2016)

Season 1 - 10 episodes (2016)
Rent Vinyl on Amazon Video (paid link)
Created by: Mick Jagger, Terence Winter, Rich Cohen, Martin Scorsese
Starring: Bobby Cannavale, Olivia Wilde, Ray Romano, Juno Temple, James Jagger
Rated: TV-MA
Watch the trailer

Plot
Richie Finestra is a New York record executive in 1973, endeavoring to sign the biggest and best talent.

Verdict
The HBO quality is apparent, but where this show is going is more interesting than where it is after a two hour introduction that was longer than it needed to be. The few scenes that focus on the music and '70s New York are good, but there are too many instances of name dropping and cutting to a still. The story isn't focused yet, but it's set up multiple story lines. More episodes will determine if this is worth watching. I saw a few flashes of a show that could be good this season, but it's only potential and not realized. At the end of the season, I have no desire to see a second season. I had no desire to complete this season. I considered stopping after episode three, and I regret that I didn't. Episode eight is my favorite episode because that episode was about a record company. This show gets bogged down in drama, drama that could have any setting. It never takes full advantage of the '70s music scene. Instead of the drama adding to, it takes away from the record industry. This show is an empty shell.
Skip it.

Review
HBO delves into the '70s music scene with the newest series from Martin Scorsese and Terrence Winter who brought us the acclaimed HBO series Boardwalk Empire, transforming a project Mick Jagger first pitched decades ago.
Mick's son James Jagger stars as a want-to-be rock star. Bobby Cannavale is the lead as record executive Richie Finestra, joined by Olivia Wilde as his wife and Ray Romano as his partner among others.

Recap: Episode 1 Pilot
The two hour premiere directed by Martin Scorsese opens with Richie (Bobby Cannavale) buying drugs. It's the '70s right? He's a music executive driving a late model car, and he has the business card of a detective. When he sees a crowd form at a music venue, he goes inside to hear the band. We see them perform the song for quite a while with plenty of indulgent shots and even some slow motion.

Then it cuts back to present day. It's my pet peeve when media does this. It starts with the final scene then cuts back and works towards that last scene. If your story's beginning isn't interesting enough, don't use this trope, pick a better starting point.
Richie is in a German conference room five days earlier, thinking about how the music business used to be. He worked his way up from the bottom to create a music label, American Century Records (ACR). Drugs and a few bad signings precipitated the sale. Ray Romano plays one of his business associates, Zak. They are looking to sell their struggling record label, which just signed Led Zeppelin.

This jet is one of the reasons the record label is struggling.

This is Richie's story, and he admits he's lost a few brain cells along the way. It's a good way to create a break from reality while still being firmly rooted in reality. It looks like the '70s and New York looks great, though it does feel like it's picking up where Mad Men left off after that carried us through the '50s and '60s..

Jamie (Juno Temple) works at ACR. On her way into the office, she picks up the demo tape of Kip Stevens (James Jagger), the front man for Nasty Bits. She relays to Richie that she discovered them on the subway and checks out their show. Nasty Bits is terrible. Their set ends in a fight with the crowd. Business becomes pleasure with Jamie and Kip as she hopes to mold him into a band that she can sign.

James Jagger, son of Mick Jagger.

There is a lot of name dropping in this episode, to the point of it feeling forced. Some of the name drops even cut to a still of the lesser known people. It's incredibly distracting. I know the time period, and I like it. The still images add to the bloat, making it feel like a gimmick. This episode could be trimmed down quite a bit. It has a lot of indulgent shots and extended music sequences, making it too long.

The Led Zeppelin deal isn't done. Richie's talk with Robert Plant leaves him uneasy. The episode sets a great mood when it showcases vintage New York against music, but more times than not it tries too hard. This episode contains a lot of  really good licensed music.

Is that Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin?

Richie stops at an apartment building, intrigued by hip hop music, but is persuaded by a guy with a gun to move on. He recognizes one of the men, but says nothing. Richie goes back to his apartment and plays a Lester Grimes (Ato Essandoh) track, remembering when he worked in a bar and saw Lester perform. Richie and Lester chat after the performance, and Richie becomes his manager. Richie gets Lester to dumb down his music to make a few hits, though Lester wants to sing the blues, real music. Richie manages to get a share of a record label and cashes out. He had hoped, and even told Lester that he'd bring him along, but it doesn't work out. Lester can't get out of his contract and ends up in an altercation with the mobster that now owns the label. We get a strong hint, though no confirmation that his vocal cords were injured in the fight. It would explain the hate we saw on his face when he saw Richie at the apartments. Guaranteed this story will be developed throughout this season.

Richie is juggling a wife at home (Olivia Wilde), the failed Zeppelin signing that puts his deal with the Germans in jeopardy, and a radio mogul, Buck Rogers, that is threatening to boycott ACR records.

Richie tries to smooth over the issue with Buck Rogers. Donnie Osmund stood him up. Remember Richie buying drugs in the first scene? He's been clean and stays clean throughout most of the episode. Two days later, still high, Buck Rogers calls Richie. Despite reservations, Richie goes and the visit ends in them strangling each other. Richie's friend whacks Buck in the head and kills him. The next day a detective wants Richie to call him. We're supposed to assume it's about dumping the body, but I'm guessing it's misdirection or goes nowhere. It's an added detail that shows how unscrupulous Richie is, but it's also unnecessary. He covered up a murder, and it's anything but subtle. We already know Richie is unscrupulous based on his scenes with Lester Grimes.

Don't mind them, they're just throwing a rug in the swamp.

The Germans are checking ACR's financial records which are anything but honest. Richie spins a story about their books and the racist Zeppelin manager. The deal with the German's goes through, but Richie doesn't share in the excitement. He's freaking out about the murder, cover-up, and the cops. He falls off the wagon, which we knew was coming. We end in the same scene that started the episode. The dive Richie entered is literally falling apart with lights falling from the ceiling and the walls cracking. Is this happening or is Richie having a hallucination? No one else seems to notice.

The building crumbles, though neither of the adjacent buildings were harmed. Richie, defying every shred of logic seems to be okay. Apparently he was standing in the one spot that avoided debris from the entire building falling down. I'd call it a death dream, but Cannavale is the star of the show so I assume he lives. I don't think HBO is going to pull a Sean Bean Game of Thrones surprise this early.

Either he's Superman or we have a plot contrivance.

This episode is a good introduction to the music in the '70s and the focus of the series, but it is definitely bloated despite glimmers of compelling stories. The Lester Grimes story has the most potential so far. I'm guessing the Juno Temple and James Jagger story line will have them fall for each other and start down a path of self destruction.

I'm interested to see more and to figure out where this is going. Is Richie going to start a new label? It seems like one of the few options. I'm not sold yet. Where it could go is more interesting than where it is. It definitely has potential. It's not worth watching based on this episode alone, but future episodes can easily change that.

Recap: Episode 2 Yesterday Once More

Richie is back.

I liked the first episode, but I wasn't sold. The show has a lot of potential, but can it capitalize? It looks good, the actors do a great job but the potential was more intriguing than what we got. The first episode lacked focus and plot.

Richie's company is trying to close the deal with the German's but Richie can't be found because he's still on a bender. When Richie finally shows up to the office he declares he's not selling, spouting nonsense about stealing God's wallet. His associates are not amused, urging him to sign. Richie claims he's seen the future. Using Kung Fu moves he saw from a movie earlier in the morning he dispatches his associates, breaking Zak's (Ray Romano) nose.

Richie and Devin meet.

 After seeing the destruction in Richie's wake, Devin (Olivia Wilde) flashes back to when they met. This is not a show that needs to rely on flashbacks. Where the story is going is much more interesting. The past needs to stay. This is another episode that doesn't move the plot forward enough. Not only is their meeting not that interesting, it's contrived and boring. The show is pushing for a comparison of how they met and how they've drifted apart. This is side plot material and it has too much prominence. I don't care about how they met. The focus should be Richie scouting bands. The show is trying to create too much back story and that is slowing down the plot.

When he puts on the Black Sabbath shirt, you know he means business.

Richie is going to trim his office staff by forty percent. Obviously the work environment is toxic. We know Jamie (Juno Temple) is going to stay and sign the band she discovered in the first episode. She's hoping to jump from secretary to talent scout. Will we get to see any other bands? I hope so. Otherwise this is going nowhere fast.

The soundtrack is s till good and the production values are high.

This show could have opened with Richie's revelation and avoid the over the top drug stupor. Have Richie go back to the basics of scouting bands. The flashbacks of him discovering talent would be more interesting than the flashbacks we got. The show is creating family drama for no good reason. Drama between an artist and Richie would have helped. This was hinted at with Lester Grimes in the first episode, and this episode concludes with Richie going to Lester Grimes and saying, "We need to talk."

I'm with Zak. Where is this going?

This episode took sixty minutes to get to a story that has potential, Lester Grimes, then it ended. I hope it improves, because I'm getting tired of it. We also get some drama about Zak and his family's dysfunction. Money will probably be his issue, driving a wedge between he and Richie.

Recap: Episode 3 Whispered Secrets
I like the theme song other than it's two or three times longer than it should be. It's not dissimilar from the show.

The show is really playing up Richie's drama with his wife. It's not a mistake, but the show is just going a bit too far into her resulting issues. Richie still hasn't told her he isn't selling the company. He tries to avoid her, but that can't last forever. I get the show wants to show us how Richie's action affect others, but it feel forced. She tries to raise money for a fundraiser when Richie won't cut a check. She goes to her friend Andy Warhol to get him to sign a painting. He sees through her charade but signs anyway.

The other annoying plot point that I assume will play a larger and larger role is the murder from the first episode. This show is not a cop drama or cat and mouse game. The murder was unnecessary in the first episode and now it serves as drama. It was done to create drama later and now they are capitalizing. Richie is having flashbacks about it, of course. Corso is pushing for Richie to review his girlfriend's demo tape. Corso mentions the murder as blackmail. Did someone think the script was weak and need an adrenaline shot? Is this going to be a plot point that snakes around the entire season? The show should focus on music.

Richie went to Lester Grimes and wants to release his old records. Lester tells him to walk.This is what I want to see, Richie chasing talent. As much as we've seen Lester, I'm guessing his story is just getting started. He lost out and could have been big in the music industry, but Lester might just discover a new genre of music.

One of Richie's scouts is pushing Vince, the front man of Alice Cooper to go solo. This later did happen, as Vince went solo and adapted the band's name for his solo career. Will the show explore this? It seems odd to include this if they aren't going to. Then again this is what I expected, cameos of artists from that era. Alice Cooper was leading the scout on. Richie spurned them a few years ago.

If ACR is a partnership why does Richie all all the shots? Richie is pushing his ideas on his partners and they just take it.  Is it easier to moan and complain than fight? Are they just making the best of a bad situation?

Jamie is still working with one of the developers to transform The Nasty Bits. When Richie walks out on the band, Jamie takes the blame for softening them when it was the developer that did it, and gets them to play something original. Richie likes the original sound.

Corso calls Richie to tell him the body has been found. It's such needless drama.  This episode did a good job of getting into what the show should do, but it also had a few unnecessary plot points. It's not lean enough and the murder plot point is just annoying.

Recap:  Episode 4 The Racket
I feel like I'm nearly done with this show. It just isn't giving me enough reasons to keep watching. I keep waiting for it to hit its stride and I'm wondering if it's already there.

Vinyl - Everyone agrees they don't like Richie.

Zak and crew, except for Richie are riding the limo back from Buck Roger's funeral wondering if Richie is embezzling money. None of them like the fact that he's back on drugs. They all took a hit when the sale of the company didn't go through. If they don't start finding and developing talent, the company is done. Richie is at marriage counseling with a less than enthusiastic Devin. Zak and Scott continue their discussion over a meal, noting Richie's narcissism.

Back at the office, Richie is courting funk star Hannibal while Skip has to stop his usual scam of returning records.

Zak is dealing with Robert Goulet's recording session to make a Christmas album.

Vinyl - Lester Grimes, the only interesting story so far.

The Nasty Bits have been waiting around all day to sign, but that turns out to be a good thing when Lester Grimes sees them and decides to give them an education, becoming their manager.
Lester is upset at the album Richie put together for him, earlier setting Richie's trash can on fire. Richie isn't happy with the business arrangement. He can't steamroll The Nasty Bits now. They hardball negotiate before Richie asks about the guy mixing records on two turntables.

Vinyl - Just what we needed, a pair of bumbling cops.

The cops that interview Richie over the Buck Roger's murder seem like a sketch idea instead of a drama show.  They state that Richie was the last person Buck Rogers called.

Vinyl - Devin, that annoying character that's too prevalent.

Devin visits a divorce lawyer, who advises her that she is still in love with her husband and just wants a card to play.  She doesn't even get to throw it in Richie's face when he hurriedly tells her he has to entertain Hannibal. I almost take joy in her defeat. She seems largely unimportant. Her only role is to add drama to the show, not to function as an actual character. What Richie is really doing is trying to create an alibi.

And then, thankfully the show ended. It's relying too much on forced drama, still. The show needs to tighten focus to the music. Lester Grimes is easily the best story. At least that is being developed.

Recap: Episode 5 He in Racist Fire
Is this show still going? Why? That was my thought going into this episode, but I actually enjoyed it. I was teetering towards outright disliking the show, but this episode was better. I still can't recommend it, but I'm hoping the second half of the season is better than the first half.
The window into the music world is good. Richie battling Lester and kip on the band's direction and trying to keep talent is where this show should focus and this episode actually realized that for a change.

We start the episode by listening to renaissance fair headliners. This is where we are now. Thankfully the rest of the episode is better.

Richie has talked his dad into giving him an alibi, but the cops have a tape of Richie discussing it with his dad. I'm guessing the cops have audio surveillance. It's enough to arrest him, but not to convict him. Richie is inspired to call his new label Alibi Records.

Richie meets with Kip Stevens and Lester Grimes to talk about marketing for the band. Jamie helps sell Kip on meeting radio stations and working with Richie. Kip just wants to make music and doesn't realize the majority of getting a record heard is marketing. Richie palys hardball and sets Kip straight, telling him he signed Kip and some other guys. Richie  wants guitar player Duck cut. If they want to get the band booked, you follow the order. Lester takes charge and cuts Duck from The Nasty Bits.

Cece lets Richie know that Hannibal is thinking about leaving the label. Richie is desperate to keep Hannibal, and he uses Devon to woo Hannibal back. Richie doesn't like where that goes when it ends with Hannibal dancing close with his wife. Richie abruptly leaves, pulling Devon behind him which causes Hannibal to sign with Richie's competitor. Hannibal appeared in episode five and I'm guessing this will be the last of him. His point was to split Richie's marriage further, and push the story line and Richie to recruiting Andrea.

Richie is looking for a new head of publicity. He tracks down a former employee and flame, Andrea, who wants core changes to the company and wants to be a partner. She declines Richie's offer initally as working for Richie is a downgrade. Richie has an idea but no vision. After the fight wtih Devon about Hannibal, Richie goes back to Andrea who reiterates she wants to be a partner. Richie agrees, desperate after losing Hannibal. He offers her nothing more than before, but she agrees. I guarantee that Richie's marriage problems will lead to him pursing Andrea who already stated she doesn't want a romance and wants to keep their relationship strictly business. I'm guessing they will hook up in episode six or seven.

Recap: Episode 6 Cyclone
Episode five picked up, and this episode went right back down and how. It's boring. Richie manages to become more unlikable and less interesting each episode, much like the show. Episode five might be the highlight, and that is not saying much. This show has been mishandled. This episode is my official breaking point. Do not watch this show. You will find little to no joy, and you will feel your time has been robbed. No matter how much you wish this episode to end, it just keeps going. The ending is twist that in many shows would surprise, but in this it's used to distract us from the sub-par quality.

Richie has been on a three day bender since Devon left. I guess this episode is going to focus on his personal problems and not his record company. Exactly what I don't want. A guy with marital and job problems cant be set in any period. The record industry in the '70s is the draw.

Devon is back with her artist friends. She's having a mid-life crisis. She has no seeming regard for her children. Richie and Devon both come back home, but Richie of course does a good job of ruining what could be a turning point. His apology turns into belittling and Devon leaves him, as she should. She's upset when he tells her he's been hanging out with Ernst. We don't know why that precipitated her leaving until the end of the episode. Check out the last paragraph of this review.

Newly hired Andrea wants to execute her vision at American Century, and everyone openly welcomes her back but they aren't sure about her changes. She wants to change the logo and their office decor. No one realized their logo looks like a toilet bowl. It's fitting on many levels.
Andrea is pushing for David Bowie. That could be a good angle.

Richie is worthless this episode. He attacks Andy Warhol, thinking he knows Devon's whereabouts. He then steals a Firebird. His buddy Ernst is present just to help Richie make bad decisions. 
At Zach's kid's bat mitzvah Richie wishes he had a family like that. Zach reminds him he does. He already has exactly that. Richie then flips out and ruins the party, much like he's ruined his life, Zach's life, and ruined both families. Richie likes to be complete in his destruction.
It's not a total loss as Zach discovers a talent on the piano. 

Kip is having trouble picking a new guitar player for the band. He claims it's energy and look, when it's really that he doesn't want to be outplayed. He might have found the person he needs at the guitar store. His potential guitar player cajoles Kip into stealing a guitar.

In a flashback, a high Richie crashes a car he, Devon, Ingrid, and Ernst were in. Ernst is killed, Devon's pregnancy is apparently aborted, and maybe that was the point that Richie stopped doing drugs. That explains why Ernst seemed like a source of only bad ideas for Richie and why it sent Devon packing, but it's also whats wrong with the show. This fluff that adds nothing to the show. It's a misdirect and a cheat to try and trick me into watching this horrid episode again. 

Recap: Episode 7 The King and I
This isn't a bad episode, thought not without faults that multiply as the episode goes forward, but unfortunately it comes in too late.

Richie and Zak are desperately trying to sign new acts while whittling down the payroll. The splicing of pseudo music videos works in this episode. It balance music, story, and feels like forward progress when many of the preceding episodes have been stagnant. As Jamie tells Scott, it's about the hustle. That's what this show should have been about. Now it's finally getting there, or so I thought. The first half of the episode is pretty good at least.

Richie is sober. I assume it's related to his wife leaving. The show is either giving us credit or doesn't care. I know I don't. Less focus on Richie's wife is a good thing.

Andrea is a good addition to the show.  She brings levity to ACR, and she's a character so far that isn't morose.

American Century can't make pay roll so they're selling the company jet. Zak and Richie travel to Los Angeles to unload it. They fight, make up, and arrive. 

After the sale, they plan to sign some L.A. talent. They get a lead on Elvis Presley, but Zak isn't impressed with what he sees. Richie wants to pursue it. Elvis's manager shuts that down.

Zak does some gratuitous wish fulfillment and loses all the money from the sale of the plane. I suppose that ends Zak's high and mighty attitude with Richie.

What are they setting up with Richie's number eighteen obsession? Zak didn't lose the money, Richie gambled it all away betting on eighteen. So much for his "know when to quit" gambling sentiments earlier. He's going to let Zak take the blame? It's unnecessary drama and this show doesn't know when to quit. 

Recap: Episode 8 E.A.B.
This show just doesn't stop, and thus neither do my episode recaps. Richie and the gang need a loan, and it's not looking good. They have no revenue or collateral, which is something upon which banks frown.

Richie pursues a loan from a former associate, which has more strings attached than he expected. I don't know how he didn't see it, I did.

Andrea is steering the ship and setting up Alibi Records. This is a story line that's actually interesting. She fires Andy which leads to her and Richie exchanging insults.

Zak's talent prospect Gary might pan out, and he signs him to a contract hoping for the next David Bowie. Zak's been by and large a joke, it would be nice to give him a foundation. He's still taking the rap for Richie losing ninety grand. I don't see Richie copping to that soon.

The Nasty Bits are in the studio, and it isn't going well. Lester Grimes steps in and lays it down, showing the Nasty Bits how to make music. He's the unsung hero, and it's about time the show gave him some screen time. If this show continues in subsequent seasons, Lester could and should have a big part in developing talent. It's a great scene that shows how smart he is and breaks down music. This is what the show should be doing. 
Kip wants to rework one of Lester's songs. Lester complies and the Nasty Bits create a song that isn't bad. They aren't much of artists, but they sure can copy.

The cops finally get Richie and start grilling him on the Buck Rodgers murder. It's not a bad scene, but it doesn't belong in this show. It's unnecessary drama in a show that should be about music. The cops have him dead to rights since his office is bugged. Hopefully they arrest him and put him away. 

Recap: Episode 9 Rock and Roll Queen
The last episode ended with Richie arrested. Now he's being interrogated, his lawyer present. The DA wants to make Richie an informant, though the cops aren't happy about that. This is going to play into the big finale. It's a shame I don't care. He won't got to jail, the only thing that will happen is it will be used as a source of tension. Tension for his life and the job.

It's going to jail or getting killed for being a rat. Richie's off the dope and paranoid about the surveillance of the conversations in his office.

Andrea wants to bring Hannibal back to make up for the firing an episode back. She goes off the rails when she learns Jamie is screwing Kit and that Richie's secretary is pregnant with Hannibal's baby.

The hotel where Richie lost ninety grand calls Zak. The reservation was under his name. he's going to find out what Richie did. I guess another payoff for the season finale. No, somehow Zak has extra sensory perception and sees Richie's theft and roulette game through Richie's point of view. Zak proceeds to punch Richie a few times, well deserved I might add.

Jamie is kicked out of her aunt's apartment, staying with Kit, and trying to get Kit to The Nasty Bits photo shoot. Tensions are running high among the band members. It feels they are poised to be a break out hit and put Richie's company back on the map. Will this show last long enough to depict their rise to fame? Are they going to have an Aerosmith-like journey?
Lester isn't happy to see Maury Gold in the office. It's part of Galasso's loan terms. Galasso is the reason Lester lost his career.

Devon's doing her thing, living the barely making it artist lifestyle. Her new boyfriend thinks the undeveloped photos of musicians in her attic could provide temporary funding.
Richie pays her a visit and finds her boyfriend chasing a bat instead. Richie and Devon aren't going to work out. He tells her he's clean, and as she asserts it's only been for a couple of days. 
To continue his steak of coming clean, Richie confesses to Deven he killed Buck. He then takes the DA's deal.  

Recap: Episode 10 Alibi
I saw a few flashes of a show that could be good this season, but it's only potential and not realized. I have no desire to see a second season, I had no desire to complete this season. I considered stopping after episode three, and I regret that I didn't. Episode eight is my favorite episode because that episode was about a record company. This show gets bogged down in drama, drama that could have any setting. It never takes full advantage of the '70s music scene. Instead of the drama adding to, it takes away from the record industry. This show is an empty shell. Richie's involvement in a murder has plagued the entire season since the first episode. It's unnecessary drama. HBO has already renewed it for a second season, and I hope that it can start fresh and focus on what makes this series unique. This needs to be a start up record company in the '70s. It's teased that, but never committed to it.

This is an engrossing episode, though a bit mob heavy. Everything related to bands and the record company works well. If this season had more episodes like this it could have been pretty good. It helps that Richie's drug problems and family are avoided.

Richie playing informant just seems wrong. It's going to pull the show in the wrong direction. This show needs a time skip in the interim to reboot the series.

Zak seeks out Galasso to talk about removing Richie from the company. He's still mad about Richie losing ninety grand and skirting the blame.
Galasso reprimands Zak for petty problems and selling out his partner. When Galasso's chop shop gets raided, Zak looks guilty. Tempers flare and Zak discovers Richie was involved in the murder of Buck Rodgers.

Richie can't release The Nasty Bit's new album until he gets the rights to the song they remixed written by Lester. Lester drives a hard bargain and signs over the rights.

Kip overdoses. He's jealous of Jamie's relationship with his band mate Alex. He's probably jealous in general that he lacks talent. His best song is one he remixed from Lester.
Richie fires Jamie from the band since she is causing the rift. The band has the biggest opportunity of their career and they're flushing it, but they make it on stage and deliver a great performance before getting arrested, bolstering their popularity.

Richie stumbles upon the inception of CBGB's and then encourages everyone to graffiti and wreck the ACR office at the Alibi Records launch party.