When 30 Rock would show promos for fake shows coming to their version of a ratings-challenged NBC, the joke was always how absurd the concepts were (and how goofy the concepts looked). And wow, David Duchovny’s ’60s-set cop drama Aquarius seems like it’d fit in nicely alongside “MILF Island” and Will Ferrell’s unfortunately-titled action drama.
JoBlo has the good word on the show, which sees the X-Files alum playing a straight-laced L.A. police officer who teams up with a loose cannon to try and find Charles Manson.
Here’s the low-down:
“It’s 1967, and the era of free love, drug experimentation, and the Vietnam War is in full effect. When the teenage daughter of a respected lawyer goes missing, L.A. Police Sgt. Sam Hodiak (David Duchovny; “Californication,†“The X-Filesâ€) starts asking around. He soon discovers that the hippie kids he’s questioning don’t take kindly to cops, especially one with hair as short as his. Needing the help of someone they will trust, he partners with rebellious undercover cop Brian Shafe, a man who’s more comfortable rolling a joint than patrolling a beat. It’s not long before they stumble upon a small-time cult leader seeking out vulnerable women to join his cause. From there, they follow this man’s trail down a rabbit hole of drugs, sex, murder, and cultural revolution. Little could they know, however, the guy they’re hunting will eventually become the killer we now recognize as Charles Manson. He was a lost soul who desperately wanted to get into the music scene of the ’60s until something snapped. This is the show that will explore the cat and mouse game between him and the police that will go on for several seasons, ultimately ending with the infamous Tate-LaBianca murders.”
The Tate-Labianca killings took place in August of 1969, meaning Aquarius would have to take a pretty leisurely route to get to the incident which made Manson and his followers infamous. NBC has ordered 13 episodes and based on the synopsis, someone is confident the network will want more.
The mismatched cops on the trail of a killer premise isn’t half-bad, and there’s something deeply fascinating about Charles Manson’s strange infiltration and exploitation of hippie culture for his own end. However, the description seems to be attempting to set Manson up as a Zodiac-style villain toying with the police which would, I suppose, require Aquarius to play fast and loose with some of the facts to get to where it’s going.
Anyway, here’s the logo:
Yup. I’m looking forward to this one.
I can’t really understand how this will work, either. Manson et al have been accused of bumping a few people off in the year or two prior to the Tate/LaBianca murders, but is the series going to create a bunch of fictional murders just to keep the audience interested until the big “season finale”? And will Duchovny’s character work with Vincent Bugliosi to solve the case in season two or three or whatever? Will the victims (Tate, Sebring, Folger, etc.) be major characters? What about Roman Polanski, Dennis Wilson, Terry Melcher, Candice Bergen, Rudy Altobelli, Doris Day, Jack Nicholson…good lord, there’s a cast of thousands even without creating “fictional characters.”
Can’t wait! Sounds very interesting and DD is on the show! But I’m trying to control my emotions right now because I don’t trust in NBC anymore since they cancelled shows like Community!! #SixSeasonandAMovie #NetlfixSaveGreendale! .