I was really looking forward to this show after seeing the preview with the verse battle and I really want to like it, but I just can't get into it. I watched and enjoyed Reign, so it's not the anachronisms or glam rock vibe that I dislike. I just don't know what kind of show this is trying to be. Is it a light hearted view of Shakespeare's early days as a playwright? Is it a show about the supernatural? Is it an in depth look into the religious conflict going on in England during Elizabeth's reign? All of these are interesting ideas and maybe they could be effectively blended together, but this show isn't pulling that off convincingly right now.
I am especially having trouble following the Marlowe part of the story because, to me, it feels very disengaged from everything else that is happening. The tonal shifts are already a bit abrupt when we switch from behind the scenes actor/writer antics to graphic torture, so keeping up with a character whose storyline is so separate from all the rest makes my head hurt a bit.
I just finished the episode where Shakespeare's family comes to London and I'm hoping that the next few will bring Marlowe back into the main storyline because he is the character, both historically and in the show, that I am most interested in. Can anyone who has watched the whole season let me know if my hope will be in vain?