The Black Donnellys: Pilot

Thanks to iTunes, I am watching the first episode of The Black Donnellys. Just FYI, I have never watched The Sopranos, so I don't know whether there are comparisons to be made, and I won't be making them.

First impressions:

• Is it just me, or does Joey Ice Cream's voice not match his face?
• "Hey, that's mine! I stole that!" Heh.
• The fight scene at the wake is kind of awesome too.
• These guys need more distinctive names, because I can't keep Tommy, Sean, Kevin and Jimmy straight.
• I like that, while the language is network-safe, there's some in the scuffles that sounds like cursing, but it's unintelligible. That's classy and it seems realistic
• The last 2-3 minutes? Whoa. Also? Hah!
  

Overall:

• This pilot is super put-together. I've heard it described as "cinematic" and it totally is. We learn the main guys we need to know, and get a feeling for the drama and comedy that will probably run through the series. That's important in a pilot. More, it's also engaging and compelling, which is often missing in a premier episode (especially one that's the usual 44 minutes.)
• I will probably watch this show a couple more times, but they're going to need the humor to keep me involved with this series. The characters are interesting, but if the dramatic situations wear out (like they do on so many dramas), the humor can carry it through rough patches. That's what shows like Lost and Studio 60 have missed out on for me lately.