Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll
Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll
TV-14 | 16 July 2015 (USA)
SEASON & EPISODES
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  • Reviews
    writerchick12500

    I can't quite pinpoint the reason I continue to watch Denis Leary's FX Network show "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll". The premise is a bit clichéd (What? A rock musician finds out he has kid he didn't know about?) and the show is purposefully titillating to keep the predominantly male audience interested. But as a former rock and alternative radio DJ who was on the air from the mid-80s to the mid-2000s, I'm definitely drawn to tales surrounding punk, rock and indie music.Leary plays Johnny Rock, the lead singer of a 90s rock band called The Heathens. The quick and dirty summary of the band's dissolution is a pretty familiar one - they imploded after recording their first album because the lead singer had slept with every band member's wife and/or girlfriend.Now 51, Johnny is still a hard partying musician pining for fame and fortune. During a night out clubbing he meets his 21-year-old daughter who is also chasing the Rock God dream.Johnny's gorgeous, talented daughter Gigi brings The Heathens back together, renames them The Assassins and embarks on her own journey as the lead singer of this extremely dysfunctional group of musicians.What I like about the show:Elizabeth Gillies has a no-bull$#^* outer confidence that hides a typically neurotic 21-year-old inner monologue. It's usually a toss-up between Gillies and Leary for the best lines in each episode.Denis Leary's snarky portrayal of a bitter, almost-been rock star stuck in the past is spot-on. I've met guys just like him. Well, I've actually met Leary and he's a lot like Johnny, except for the almost-been thing. He's extremely successful as a comedian, actor and writer.The dialogue is quick, realistic and often spit-take hilarious.The show does a great job of showcasing the varied stereotypes everyone in the music business has encountered, including record producers who are not actually "on fleek", aging musicians and actors who are obsessed with their failing looks, ridiculous over-the-top hipsters and gold-digging backstage bimbos.It's super entertaining to see the occasional cameos of famous actors and musicians who are often playing a crazy version of themselves à la Neil Patrick Harris in the Harold and Kumar movies.I'm enjoying the burgeoning relationship between Johnny and Gigi. Their inappropriate father-daughter conversations are like a car wreck you don't want to see, but look anyway. And yet you can feel their affection for each other.What I don't like about the show:Every woman in the show is hypersexualized. I've yet to see a shot with one of the female leads that doesn't feature some prominent cleavage (at the very least). Their talent takes a back seat to their f*#^ability. Hey, not all women in the rock music biz dress like hookers and simulate coitus while on stage.The timeline and punk-esque vibe developed for The Heathens feels off. The show's intro clip displays band images that look more like scenes from CBGB in the 70s than scenes from the era that gave birth to grunge. Also, if Johnny Rock is 50- 51 today, he was 26-27 in 1992. That's kinda old to be in a punk rock band getting record company traction. To someone like me who was playing alternative/rock/punk records in 1992 and met plenty of bands on their way up, the years and band persona just don't quite fit together right.I don't think making fun of the fat drummer with a food obsession is that humorous.The music isn't that good. I wish they'd spend the money for the rights to use great songs that fit the flashbacks and current scenes (But not Lady Gaga!). And I wish they would get someone to write better original songs.All that being said, I'll definitely continue to watch the show. I'm a sucker for rock and roll movies/TV shows - plus I look forward to Denis and Elizabeth's snappy dialogue, the humorous appearances of famous actors/musicians and to see where the storyline goes.

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    Danny Blankenship

    Still for about two years now have been watching the FX series "Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll" and the title sure does live up to it's name as the series has plenty of just that in it! The story is pretty simple Denis Leary is Johnny a former rock superstar who's now middle aged and his fame has faded however he's got back in the game by finding his old rock band members and guess what talent runs in the genes as John's daughter Gigi(Elizabeth Gillies)is an upcoming star in the making! Thru it all this group of people just don't care as they do a little bit of it a lot of drinking goes on bring on the whiskey(also look for a good supporting turn in the series from John Corbett)and it's wild and sexy as plenty of sex like threesomes and lust making is shown and good scenes have been shown of women in very sexy colored bras! Overall this series isn't everyone's cup of tea still it's a feel good rock pleasure of a time that involves the vice of you guessed it "Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll"

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    Casey Hayes

    I love this new show! It is truly a great show with comedy, music and drama, almost too much to contain in just a half hour episodes. I understand that for some people the show seems too rough, but give it a chance because there's much more to this show than at first glance. The cast is very well chosen, they all interact great. Elizabeth Gillies is such a talent, she is an amazing actress and an even better (if that is possible) singer. Elaine Hendrix is great too and the smaller characters played by Robert Kelly and Joh Ales (Bam Bam & Rehab) are the funniest. I also love that you can actually get the music of the bands they play in the series is really on Itunes and Spotify under the name of the bands: The Assassins and The Heathens. Now it's just waiting for the Gigi & Assassins to produce an album and go on tour.

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    LouieInLove

    It starts slow, meaning it's a bit hammy in the first few episodes, it's basically all over the place. Nevertheless (and it's a big nevertheless), by episode 4/5 it really starts to find its feet. The storytelling becomes more cohesive & the actors begin to fill the shoes of the characters they inhabit.I like that the show takes a dig at the vapid state of the current music industry & in one episode it clearly attacks the misogynistic exploitation of women in mainstream pop. Essentially it reveals there is more to this show than cheap giggles.There's not much more to say than the above. If you can get past the first few episodes you'll really start to enjoy the show. I do hope that now the show has found itself it isn't cancelled.

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