Before I went to the HBO panel on new series John from Cincinnati, I didn’t know much about it. Having seen a reel of clips, and having heard creator David Milch (NYPD Blue, Deadwood) hold forth on it for a half-hour, I know even less.
As best as I can summarize: It’s about several generations of a surfing dynasty in Southern California. John, a mysterious stranger comes into their lives, and odd things begin happening. Characters begin levitating off the ground. A dead parrot comes back to life. String theory is apparently involved.
Milch, a former academic, created distinctive, expressive languages on his two best-known shows. In real life, he tends to wander off on rambling, professorial disquisitions. Asked about the themes of his show, he began, "William James–some of the actors have attempted to take their own lives listening to my prolific speaking on William James–but William James said…" and here my notes trail off.
Like the admiring cast who sat dumbly on stage for most of the panel–and who I don’t believe know much better what the show is about yet–I’m willing to take a lot on faith from Milch, given his track record. Artists create art because they can’t express what they want to express literally. Will John from Cincinnati, which debuts this summer, be another triumph from Milch, or will it be his Finnegans Wake, easier to admire than to understand or enjoy? We’ll have to catch that wave and surf it before we know.