House of Guinness: Rich Irish History As Strong As Their Beer

This historical series follows (as you might guess from the title) the eponymous Guinness family in 1860's Ireland. The patriarch has just passed away, leaving his four divided children behind: Arthur (Anthony Boyle), Edward (Louis Partridge), Anne (Emily Fairn) and Benjamin (Fionn O'Shea). They must continue to build the legacy their father left behind, while living through a tumultuous time of Irish rebellion.

The storytelling was great; I was slurping it up like one would a bottle of Guinness, or in my case, a very sweet Hugo Spritz. The plot was told with great humor, rich historical context, and a surprisingly fitting modern soundtrack. The characters were all played to perfection, with each actor portraying the subtle (or not so subtle) emotions of their historical counterpart with care and dedication. But, I fear that couldn't solely save the show for me.

The distribution of focus on the main characters wasn't as balanced as I thought and hoped it would be. 98% of the show shared the stories of Arthur, Edward, and Anne, while Benjamin was increasingly ignored. Perhaps less is known about the real Benjamin Guinness, but I felt that the decision to transform him into an army captain being shipped off to London was a misstep. He became scarcely included, and viewers missed the chance to see the detailed development of what I'm sure would've been an interesting journey.

Initially, the pace was incredibly satisfactory, being rapid enough to keep my attention but simultaneously sharing the necessary details of both the characters and their world. However, in the second half of the season, the pacing felt absurdly quick. Events that happened two minutes prior soon enough became four months in the past and because of that, details and plot lines eventually were swept over very quickly. Although still entertaining, it felt like a setback that unfortunately affected how I finished watching.