AMC’s Latest Series ‘Rubicon’ Taps Into Our Collective Paranoia

Tapping into our collective paranoia is exactly what AMC’s newest series Rubicon does.

In the first episode we are introduced to the superstitions and quirky habits of some of the show’s main characters. For example, David, Will Travers’ mentor at the American Policy Institute, avoids the number 13 like the plague. David’s superstitions are so ingrained in his behavior that they become part of his identity in the eyes of his colleagues, particularly Will – who as an intelligence analyst has a knack for cracking codes and seeing patterns.

I got a chance to watch the premiere a bit earlier today, and I have to say I was quite impressed. I enjoyed the tone of the series, and while I’m not at all sure where it’s headed – I like the fact that the audience gets to come up with their own theories about what’s going on.

The real question is will it hold up against the trend we’re seeing right now. Yeah, Burn Notice has been extremely successful, but do we really have room for all these spy-like shows? CW is launching, or rather re-booting an older series with a new name, Nikita this fall. USA Network just launched Covert Affairs, NBC is launching the more campy version with Undercovers this fall, and then of course there’s the beloved series Chuck – which has struggled since day 1. So who knows the faith of Rubicon. It definitely takes a far more serious approach than its competitors. One thing is for sure though, nothing is exactly how it appears. And as the show’s tagline says ‘Not every conspiracy is a theory.’

AMC seems to be stepping up its game to compete with the other cable networks. With shows like this, Mad Men, and the eagerly anticipated The Walking Dead (which happens to be filming less than 2 miles from the FanBolt headquarters) – I think we’re going to be tuning in to AMC a lot more often…

AMC’s newest original drama series “Rubicon” debuts on Sunday, August 1 with a special two-hour premiere from 8–10pm ET.

Your Pop Culture Junkie,
Emma Loggins

SP.

Responses

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  1. I hadnt heard about this show yet. Great name and great themeline. Ive been awaiting the series premieres of new shows because at the moment Im not religiously watching any. I am interested in this one though so this will be my first. Lets hope its killer! Thanks for the info loved the blog!

  2. It sounds interesting, but I kind of agree. Burn Notice and Leverage pretty much give me my fill of spy/elite team shows. That’s why I was not really excited about Covert Affairs because I wasn’t sure I wanted to add another one. I guess when something works they tend to oversaturate the market.

  3. It’s not exactly a spy show but it just feels very similar in format to me – yet a lot more serious. Though I’m interested to see what they do with it. AMC has some really good quality shows – and I can easily see this being one of them.