It isn't entirely unentertaining, but it is disappointing, mostly because where the first act proceeds from uncertainty to revelation, the second act is largely concerned with making the spooky coincidences come out without loose ends.
According to historian Patrick Jung, "The attack, while relatively small, was significant because it was the first act of war committed against the United States by Indians in the region since the War of 1812".
The Senate vote is key because it represents "the first act in a long-term play here over the next couple of months to try and force Congress to do, you know, the things that need to be done to help the economy in the short term," a senior White House official told reporters during a briefing.
Because I had read the first act of the script and I was like, "This could be brilliant or this could be fucking bad".
And the first act works beautifully because, almost in spite of itself, it discovers -- and reveals -- a great deal about its characters.
And Patrick Stewart paid the cast the awkward compliment of leaving after the first act because he found it too close to home (he promises to return).
The Doctor features minimally in the first act because Smith was busy filming pick-ups or reshoots for "Nightmare in Silver".
Similarly, Boxoffices Amy Nicholson coined the character "Disney's Smartest Heroine," while Rob Burch of The Hollywood News observed that the character "comes across as arrogant at times" because she "spends much of the first act complaining".
It's a dangerously obvious setup, but the first act works because none of the characters fulfill their stereotypes, and the performances are largely deft and largely restrained, particularly that of Mr. Henry, who beautifully colors his good-ol'-boy turn with the heart of a good man.
