What I’ve learned from reading a bit of other people’s reactions to American Gigolo the TV show is that there are folks in this world who aren’t interested in watching Jon Bernthal strut around L.A. while being sexy and melancholy. Couldn’t be me! It’s hard for me to imagine a more telegenic leading man than Bernthal, his face all raw power, his eyes all bleeding soul, his body a machine — this time one built for sex rather than violence, as it was in The Punisher and We Own This City. His performance fascinates me, which is more than I can say for other more prominent shows at this moment. Let’s see where he rambles to next.

I reviewed tonight’s episode of American Gigolo for Decider.

The episode’s primary driver, as you might have guessed from this brief summary, is not plot at all, but character-based ambiance, specifically emanating from Jon Bernthal. I’ve had the pleasure of covering his work in The Punisher and We Own This City for this website, and I’m not ashamed to say I simply can’t get enough of the guy. The thrill of watching Jon Bernthal work out in prison, drive a car on the freeway, languorously recline in bed, walk around in expensive-looking clothing, run his hands through his floppy hair, et cetera and ad nauseam, cannot be overstated. There’s just something about his dark brown eyes, his prizefighter face, his overall physical swagger that can’t be imitated or duplicated. You either have it or you don’t.

Of course, the same could no doubt be said about Richard Gere, who originated the role of Julian in Paul Schrader’s original film. (Reports that this show functions as a timeframe-adjusted sequel to the movie are greatly exaggerated; there’s simply no way to reconcile the events of that movie, in which Julian dodges a murder rap at the last minute thanks to the grace afforded him by the woman who loves him, with the events of this show, in which he does 15 years hard time.) Gere, who in retrospect looks like a sort of Bernthal/David Duchovny prototype, portrayed Julian as a beautiful nullity, a sort of sexual idiot savant whose polyglottism and knowledge of fashion, food, cars, stereos, art, and so on functioned solely as a means to woo older, wealthier women. The movie’s big tell is that Gere’s Julian had an apartment full of framed paintings and photographs simply stacked against the walls, not hung on them; he knew what constituted Good Art in the eyes of his milieu, but he didn’t care enough to actually enjoy it, since enjoying it wasn’t his job. 

I wrote about the series premiere of American Gigolo for Decider, where I’ll be covering the show all season. I also wrote a fair bit about Paul Schrader’s original American Gigolo film, about which I have mixed feelings. Check it out!