It’s a pretty terrific closing salvo for A Thousand Blows’ first season. (Based on the teaser that follows the “To be continued…” title card, the second has already largely been shot.) It places the emphasis right where it’s been and belonged the whole time: on Erin Doherty’s work as Mary Carr, once (and future?) Queen of the Forty Elephants. Doherty has spent the entire season challenged to hold down her end of the screen against guys who literally trained to beat people up to play their roles. She has to answer their physical charisma with the kind that can only come out of your voice, your eyes, the set of your jaw. She clears the bar without so much as brushing it with the hem of her dress. It’s early yet, but this is one of my favorite performances of the year.
I reviewed the season finale of A Thousand Blows for Decider.
Tags: a thousand blows, decider, TV, TV reviews