HOLLYWOOD—It is very difficult to hook me when it comes to a new TV series. It is not just the premise that has to grab my attention, but the characters that appear on the small screen. Who would have guessed that some channel surfing would have helped me stumble upon the MGM+ series “Emperor of Ocean Park.” It is a drama and mystery intertwined that stars Oscar-winner Forest Whitaker. Whitaker portrays Judge Oliver Garland, a big-time name in the legal arena and the political scope.
Yes, the show tackles politics in an interesting way. Oliver is a Republican, however, two of his children Talcot (Grantham Coleman) and Addison (Henry Simmons) are Democrats. However, his daughter Mariah (Tiffany Mack) is a Republican, something that tends to get under the skin of her brothers.
Oliver was tapped to be appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court, and it looked like a done deal as the audience gets to witness in the series premiere. Not quite, because a face from Oliver’s past causes a massive ripple in that appointment and turns into a massive scandal that costs him that seat on the highest court in the country. That is a direct result of Jack Ziegler (Torrey Hanson), who has done some heinous things and is feared by many in Oliver’s family, especially Mariah and Talcot, who refer to him as ‘Uncle Jack.’
There is no secret that Judge Oliver Garland is found dead in the opening episode. At first it appears his death is the result of natural causes, a heart attack. However, Mariah, the journalist of the family who has a knack for exposing deep secrets, suspects foul play in her father’s death. Her brothers, Addison and Talcot, referred to by his siblings as Tal, think her conspiracy theory is fraught at best. Her theory seems to have more substance than expected when Uncle Jack unexpectedly shows up to the cemetery to pay tribute to Oliver.
His tense conversation with Tal raises concerns for Tal, Mariah and Addison as he raises questions about ‘The Arrangements.’ Oliver left some important notes somewhere, and it seems EVERYONE is after those ‘arrangements’ which the children have no idea about. Is it directly related to something political, is it something related to Jack Ziegler and his past or perhaps something larger that the audience hasn’t even considered. That is the big mystery that as a viewer I want to know.
Tal is a lawyer at a prestigious university in Chicago following in his dad’s steps, Mariah has been out of the reporting arena for awhile as she chose family over her career, and considering she has a wealthy husband in Howard (Bryan Greenberg), money is not an issue for her. Addison is in the world of TV, but on the opposite spectrum to his father. All the kids are doing well in their careers, but it is apparent Oliver put plenty of pressure on his kids growing up, especially Talcot, who doesn’t always connect with his siblings who take a few digs whenever they can. Talcot and Oliver have a special bond and that is uncovered in the flashbacks of the series.
Yes, this series does PLENTY of flashbacks, where we jump from the present to the past with each episode. So you learn things about our characters and important plot points that are crucial to the narrative.
Talcot has plenty of pressure in his personal life with his wife Kimmer (Paulina Lule), who is in the process of being vetted by the FBI for a massive appointment in the legal arena. She comes across as a ‘Ms. Perfect’ who is actually hiding some serious secrets. At the top, she seems to be having an affair with her boss or someone connected to her boss that Tal is slowly getting closer and closer to the truth.
“Emperor of Ocean Park” does a clever job of pointing the finger at multiple characters who are holding secrets, but it is clear that Talcot and Mariah are at the core of digging for the truth. Addison is hiding a secret, Kimmer is hiding secrets, Jack is hiding secrets, I feel Howard is hiding secrets, lives are being threatened, people are being killed, Oliver is hiding massive secrets and a scrap book with family photos might be key to solving all.
Six episodes in and I’m glued to try to figure out how the first season will culminate and what bomb or bombs will knock my socks off. “Emperor of Ocean Park” airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on MGM+.
