This really ticks me off. Was this show too difficult for the pea brained people to get their heads around? I was willing to go along for a LONG time not knowing what the heck was going on, with the expectation that eventually it would all be explained. Why do people demand that everything be handed to them so easily, so quickly? I hate that! It doesn’t bode well for HBO, does it…I mean….that was the place we could count on for really different and challenging dramas.

Sorry to rant. I liked JFC.

You know, this happened recently with a show on the networks called “The 9″. It was quite a complicated show with all sorts of flashbacks built into its premise and therefore every episode, and I invested a lot of time making sure I watched each episode to keep up with it and see where it went, and POOF! Gone, right in the middle of the season! Probably too much work for people to follow that plot, too.

Again, I’m ranting. Well it’s been nice reading you all. I discovered this blog on the evening of the finale, and well….so much for that!

I am also very upset about this. I really enjoyed the eccentricity of the show and the character depth. Al Bundy, the drug dealers, John, Butchie, Sissy, Dilan from 90210, damn, it was so good!!!

All my friends love this show too!!!

“You Hurt my feelings HBO, You did!”

People who don’t get it aren’t “pea-brained”. On the contrary, many very bright people didn’t get it. I love it, but it’s not a congitive thing. The show is more about a feeling. It has a little Six Feet Under in it in that regard. I feel like Milch planned for a bigger arch than one season…well, I think it’s obvious…and that’s why so many people are annoyed with the show. They were hoping for some kind…any…resolution…or at least a touch of clarity. Oh well. We’ll never know where he was going with this…unless he maybe wants to write something to give the faithful and idea of where he was headed. Either way, it’s a shame. And I wish HBO would quit doing this cancellation song and dance at the end of every season. If not for the Wire coming up, I’d be cancelling my subscription.

Fwiw…I know some people aren’t into the music video thing…but that scene of John and Shaun surfing in from (heaven?) to a Series of Dreams was flat-out beautiful.

Why does HBO cancel every good series.

Beckett meets the Gospel of John, through the medium of magic realism. That was bound to work on mainstream TV.

I can’t believe it! I rarely get excited by a television show anymore. This one had really gotten to me, spoken to me. It really was a new kind of theatre, I think.

I can understand how this show probably pushed too many conservative viewers’ (and executives’) buttons, with its mystical wordplay and out-there pronouncements (”We come 9-11-14″, “Not every towelhead will be eradicated”). But I believe that it was touching on a nerve that many people could relate to. It was art, not easily explained, but moving, inspiring, and funny.

Maybe they’ll bring it back? It was such a short run! Didn’t even go into a second season - this is the kind of show that definitely would have built up a cult following had they invested in it some more.

Hey Brendan -

Maybe Milch can sell the show elsewhere. How much can it cost to shoot? Lots of ocean and sleazy motels in CA.

The fact that the show wasn’t pulled after the first couple episodes means that HBO gave it way more time than was necessary.

I watched every episode (only the repeats after the pilot) and am very glad to see it gone, and Big Love taking over that much more receptive time slot.

I did get the show and still think it was horribly implemented. None of the characters were believable with their actions or dialgue (John should have been the only one), and some were just not likeable. Some (Shaun, and Kai specifically) were also horrible actors. I would not have been able to tell a body double surfing or not in their method of “surf shots from so far back you have to squint” so getting real surfers was not key to this show.

They did have some very good actors, some good characters, and a very good theme to work with but the writing and implementation just was not there.

After 10 hours some questions should be answered as well.

I couldn’t agree more! I’m so disappointed! To say I was enjoying the show is an understatement! It intrigued me and kept me coming back! I TIVO the damn thing! @#$@#$#

I’m really unhappy w/ HBO! Finally something positive and thought provoking! Oh well, it figures!

It seemed to me that whole thing was a large puzzle, with part of the show existing in web pages based on the show.
Actually, it part treasure hunt and part puzzle. Clue in the show pointing to the web. On the web pages there were additional puzzles and clues.

I haven’t heard others discussing this for some reason.

I was just getting into to it. Too bad, I guess the show was too involving for most people, most prefer to have entertainment shoved at them while they sit passively on the couch.

Well, I’ve heard it said that characters weren’t developing? Hmmm…. Barry is getting thru the process of dealing with his abuse issues. Butchie is getting stronger, better at dealing with life in general without the heroin. Tina has decided her life oughta go in a different direction. So has Dr. Smith. Cass is doing great work and will make it on her own. Shaun has decided to break away from his parents. Bill is learning to deal with his wife’s death. Mitch seems to be coming out of himself somewhat, taking some of the weight along with Cissy. Cissy is beginning to see that she might be able to depend on Butchie and Mitch, but she still has a long way to go. Freddie is lightening up some too! There’s a lot more. I would have loved to see how all this turned out, no matter how long it took. I’m the kind of person who loves 1400 page novels and prefers the 3.5 hr version of Return of the King. I prefer 10 hr. miniseries to movies. The longer and more involved, the better. I don’t like predigested entertainment. Apparently I am in the minority. I don’t like neatly tied up stories. I like puzzles and mysteries. JFC was the best show I’ve seen in a long time. But then it’s always the best ones that get cancelled (admittedly along with some stinkers)….

Color me sad and disappointed. The season finale was one of the most beautiful and interesting 50 or so minutes of television I’ve ever seen. Is there nothing a devoted group of people can do to change HBO’s collective mind?

I think that John from Cincinnati was a brilliant show, Possible the most challenging program on television since the Prisoner. Its was smart, and odd and thought provoking, This advanced Television and its not for everyone, this is tv that your not necessarily supposed to get on a first viewing, TV culture has a passivity about it, especially in the recent era the audiences seem to want a everything wrapped up in a neat little bow, just like life…oopsie, life doesn’t work that way does it.

The uproar over the Sopranos ending is a great example of this; for about a week and a half that was all anyone seemed to talk about; “what did it mean”, ‘ what happened next”. For those that didn’t figure it out here it is in black and white: Life went on, maybe something happend, maybe it didn’t but a for a flickering moment you had the same trepidation as Tony, is today the day? The maker of the show asks the viewer to use their imagination and the viewership isn’t always up to the task. What is even more remarkable is for that week and half it was the most epic tv ending since M*A*S*H, before the summer is over it became a Trivial Pursuit answer that most will get wrong.

J from C ’s biggest sin is that it got cut to short, they could only hint at what was to be. My guess is that this choice was less an artistic one then HBO keeping it on a short leash. Sort of a -”if you can build a fanbase in 10 weeks your good, otherwise you can go to the isle of misfit shows “kinda thing. In fairness you can’t blame HBO, their sunday nights sells from either sexy or violent, John was neither. Instead its TV in search of it soul, and the audience seldom rallies around that flag. Dylan’s born again period anyone? As a commercial choice this is purely an outside shot, It requires the viewer to be actively engaged. Thats not a problem that “Sex in the City” or “the Sopranos” have. You can watch those shows drunk, and get the general gist of them. Whereas you could write a dissertation about any episode of J from C and still not totally get it. Thats not to say they weren’t well made shows, the just had a different level of detail.

The great thing about an ambiguous show is that response to it can’t be defined anymore concretely then the show itself. There isn’t a right answer, or for that matter a wrong one, it just is. It seemed like the makers wanted to be able to hint at what was to come and did it with far more detail then one would suspect from the show.

There is also a more sinister option, that it was planned obsolesce that HBO would can the show early and try and then use guerrilla tactics to grow support and audience. That would be a losing ploy though, the viewers of J from C a viewers that have premium cable, they have jobs and lives, and thinking they would take time away from those to sign petitions or send letters to the network is just sort of silly, after all if their main problem is the that you need the viewer to think, how can you expect them to take action.

My husband and I are VERY disappointed that JFC has been canceled. We watched it from the start and looked so forward to each new thought provoking episode. HBO, in our opinion, has made a BAD decision…we will miss JFC and all the characters that we’ve come to love…

The Wire only has one season left, so when it is over my subscription to HBO will be too. Big Love and Entourage can’t carry the whole network. Tell Me You Love Me, In Therapy, and Twelve Miles(don’t know if that is the right name,and don’t care!)all look like they will be a little to soft for me. I want to see Vorenus hacking limbs off, Bullock kicking asses, Avon taking names, not Gabriel Byrne talking to his therapist. HBO is washed up and doesn’t deserve another cent from me. John from Cincinnati was a good show, that was doomed because of the odd ending of the Sopranos. Most people turned the TV off after the The Sopranos to say “whiskey tango foxtrot”,as I am now saying after learning the fate of John from Cincinnati. HBO no longer do I have my eye on You!!!!!!

HBO has to learn they cannot just cut a show (There is more than one) With out letting it have a ending.They are about numbers not viewers. HBO is loosing touch with the viewers.

I usually speak with class and decorum when posting in public forums…but all I have left for HBO is…..

Fuck You!

I’m very disappointed in HBO’s decision to cancel this show. The characters were engaging and most of the episodes were captivating. Every show left me wondering what was in store next, what would be revelaed next week.

It certainly had its flaws. There were a couple bad/marginal actors (Shaunie and Kai, but I still liked them), and though the series started so well I thought, it lost steam for me toward the end. The show had me on the edge of my seat very early on, trying to glean significance and some type of connection or pattern from everything. After a while though, unable to put a lot of it together, I started to question the significance of much of what was going on. The development and action of many of the characters also became less plausible to me toward the end (mainly the last two or three episodes).

That being said though, I was awaiting the next season with a good deal of anticipation. I still wanted to see what was next. The hook had been set very early on and I expected the show would redeem itself. The series seemed to have a much bigger design than just the first season (one would hope) and I really wanted to see it played out.

That’s the major disappointment for me, the show was headed somewhere, but now we might never know what Milch had in mind. It was shot down before it had time to develop. I really hope HBO reconsiders their decision.

My wife and I are so caught up in this series, and like many others, we were anxiously anticipating the the return season. I suppose the show was just a bit too cerebrial for a lot of the boneheads that watched. Tsk tsk..shame on HBO, at the very least, they should make public to us loyal followers what Milch was GOING to unfold. Cannot begin to express what a let down this is. Maybe like John, “Some things I know, some things I don’t”. This much I do know…Big let down HBO !

It’s a travesty! HBO could have set a new high standard for television, but they have lost their spine.

Flight Of The Conchords stays, but JFC goes???
That’s insulting. HBO thinks you’re stupid.

I suggest everyone write, call, e-mail HBO and demand it be brought back.

After that write Showtime and try to get them to pick it up. Remember when Buffy was canceled? The fans revolted and took it back (to another network).

If someone spits in your face…be the wind!

Flight of the Concords is probably still around because it is only 1/2 hour. JFC might have been given a second season to redeem itself if it had been 12-15 30 minute episodes.

@Ross
I agree Ed O’Neil was outstanding, but him and his character were the only ones, with maybe some decent Luke/Linc action.

Most of the other characters were very one-dimensional and didn’t go through an actual growth. Oh they did change, but it was more instaneous with no buildup.

Instead of telling a story and letting the viwers immerse themselves in and pick out the intricate Milch decided he was going to get his vision across with the finesse of a blunt hammer. Unlike other better written shows where you can listen to a conversation and pick up the characterization, or the deeper implications, Milch goes the opposite way and spoonfeeds us his cryptic messages.

Ask yourself the question, which of these setups is better.

Listening to two characters talk and then walking away discussing how revealing certain words/inflections/phrases/looks are, stuff that wasn’t said directly. Or, do you prefer them to stare directly at the screen and mysteriously say “These words I’m saying make no sense but are important. Talk about them…wonder about them…they must mean something”

And that is why JFC got cancelled and should have been while Big Love is on for a 3rd season, and Sopranos went 6.

I want to take a second and go back up to Rob’s question about the BillJ - Yost connection. Shaunie helped Bill’s wife carry the groceries. My bet, Butchie had run-ins with Bill when Bill was “on the Force”. Maybe even Bill and Sissy or Mitch knew each other when they were teens?

Anyway, I could talk about this show forever. Anybody else catch the shuffleboard was also corrected to indicate “10 OFF” on the bottom tier? JFC works another miracle. I loved it, but continually struggled to get what was going on. And that’s probably why I loved it. Just the whole challenge to try to figure out where it was going.

I will confess I didn’t expect HBO/Milch could take this longer than two seasons, possibly three, but I’m devastated it’s over without a shot at Season 2. I want to own this thing on DVD and watch it again and again for years.

Last thoughts for now. Anyone else notice Jerri didn’t talk any different (sentence structure, choice of words, etc.) than she did as Trixie on Deadwood? Speaking of Deadwood, I counted 4 actors on JFC from Deadwood; Freddie, Jerri, Vietnam Joe, and the Doctor. Anybody have any thoughts on the 9-11-14 date? The only thing I can come up with is Asteroid 2003 QQ47 which might strike earth in 2014.

Ross,

Yes it read the date AND had 10 OFF on the bottom tier. Now that you point it out, I was wrong about the Shaunie thing…I guess Bill did mean Butchie.

Another question comes to mind: why does John say “my Father 4-walled Barry’s bar”? To me that would mean no one could get in (or out). Also, John says something like “I will be murdered twice”, but he just stabs himself in front of Bill…which wouldn’t be murder. Other than the guys that stab him in the van, did I miss something else?

I swore I would not be taken in by HBO again after the cancellation of Deadwood. But I so loved John from C. Everyone in my law office 18 to 80 loved it. I feel like they killed my friends. Surely a network with more vision will pick up the show. I don’t think I have ever been more upset about a cancellation

Renee’, Kathy, Deb and everyone else…

E-mail HBO and complain. Threaten to cancel.

Then write Showtime and ask them if they have the courage that HBO lacks!!!

I dont watch TV ever expect for sports.

JFC was the best show since the X Files.

In brief.. I “dumped out” my HBO and Showtime today.

Nothing good on TV anymore.

I hope everyone here realizes that “good” is a subjective concept, there seems to be a lot of people that disagree that the show was good. Which is fine but I find it interesting that you would keep posting about something that in your opinion failed. It would seem to me then that even though some of the writers here “feel that the show didn’t live up to its potential” it still intrigues you enough to be here.

That alone should tell you that the show was a success. I believe good art makes you think, even if you don’t like the thoughts, I believe great art makes you act. By writing , by conciously coming to this site, you are acting.I can say that this is the first time I have posted to a board on a tv show, or really any board, that how J from C made me act.

You might see a poorly put together piece of art and think about it, but that doesn’t mean the art compelled you to do that, rather good art leaves the viewer forced to ponder its mysteries, (think a wander roaming through miles and miles of flat desert who comes upon the sphinx).

LIke the show hate the show your still engaged in the discussion, your still trying to solve the puzzlies and that says more then the comments will

c

im finished with HBO. id rather throw my thirteen bucks in the garbage than give it to time warner. disgusted disgusted disgusted.

Please join me and my wife as we petition HBO to bring this series back (or sell it to SciFi or something). Write or call:

William “Bill” Nelson
Chairman and CEO
Home Box Office, Inc.
1100 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10036

Phone: 212-512-1000
Fax: 212-512-1182

Does TimeWarner own this blog? JFC was HORRIBLE. HBO made the right decision by cancelling the show….it was too complicated and abstract for TV. Funny that all the actors were from Deadwood (a show that deserved one more season). Milch should retire, and shame on HBO for allowing this show to come on air.

I could howl in pain, but I’d rather say thanks. Thanks to the cast who were just great. They absolutely left it on the field and were probably the #1 reason I like the series so much. Thanks for the bravado to even attempt this thing. As a surfer for over 30 years I understand the nuance better than most, but that is probably the problem. I’m not the target market, but if I was - you nailed it.

Thanks for Joe Strummer and the outstanding sound track!!!

The topic wasn’t the failure, it was the plot and character development. I’m sorry to criticize as writing is certainly the most thankless job, but (as example) Cicci’s endless ball busting realy buried Rebecca. I was hoping their would be more transformation as characters were touched by John.

Still, just thanks … I’ve enjoyed it so much

I really enjoyed the show and watched every episode faithfully ( I was a Sopranos and am a Big Love watcher).

I am definitely not a genius, but I like to think I can take a hint and/or follow a plot.
I couldnt tell you what JFC was about…I dont know where they were going with any of it. Was John an alien or an angel? I couldnt even tell you that much.

If any of you have any more answers than that, Im sure some of us would love to hear them. If not, then that was 10 episodes that dont add up to much. GREAT CAST….but very little payoff.

This show had so much depth in it’s story aswell as it’s characters. It left you hanging for the next week to come so you could be penciled in on yet another mystery. And little by little things were reveiled and yet still left opened. It’s for certain that John was sent from the heavens to help this disfunctional family improve there lives and peice back together what all along was there. The back drop Of I.B. and it’s surfing lore can put any true So Cal right at home. Flip Flops, surf shops, VW buses and joint in hand equal the laid back feel in which the beach life has to offer. I am soooo dissapointed this show has canceled. It was a special show that I guess took a special viewer. Almost like reading a huge novel only to build up to a incredible story, field with vision and purpose. If for some reason I missed it on Sunday I knew I could catch up on Monday. It was a part of my day to day schedule-My morning water cooler talks that if I found somebody who watched the series, that in it’s own made my day. I though sooner or later the show would catch up to the main stream instead of it’s cult following. I guess the show left you with one thing, that would be HOPE. And all we can do is Hope that the show will resurfaces again on that big wave.

I believe that this is total stupidity on HBO’s part. They got rid of a great show. With a great cast and they need to bring it back. Its clear that theres so much more to be told.

SOME PEOPLE NEED TO LEARN HOW TO WAIT.

“GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO WAIT!”

I’m sick of impatient people and hbo canceling shows on the subscribers. We should boycott those idiots!

GIVE JFC A CHANCE DAMN IT!

Oh my God! It’s Sunday night and instead of watching JFC I’m relegated to reading these comments and signing petititions! What the hell were they thinking?!!! JesusChristJesusChristJesusChrist!

For the last few years or so, HBO and Showtime have really been making some badass original and thought provoking series from Sopranos and Dexter to Curb Your Enthusiasm and Weeds. It took a little while for JFC to catch on with me, but after that I think I watched three or four episodes in a row on demand. In a way I think this show is a little ahead of it’s time. Several years ago I think there would have been no way they’d have even given JFC a chance to begin with. I believe, with a little more time for the audience to grow there are many more people who could enjoy the show.
If everyone signs the online petition and writes to HBO, I’m optimistic that they’ll bring the show back. Lets all remain hopeful that JFC is saved!

Cant believe it…. My parents, one of which is a “So You Think You Can Dance” fanatic, and the other, “SportsCenter”, and I LOVED this show. Having a show like this bring the family together was priceless. BRING IT BACK

HBO is not a novice at jumping off the high dive, but they have shown a reluctance to climb the ladder again to get a better score on their second dive on 3 accounts now.
Carnival, Deadwood, and JFC. Who ever said that the whole core of a storyline could be summed up in 1 viewing season?
The acting in all 3 of these shows has taken every actor involved to new previously unknown heights of their potential like no other project had taken them before.
How the actors have landed after the “un-finales” is representavtive of how much they absorbed the personas of the charracters they portrayed.
That same feeling is transcribed to loyal viewers who also have let those on screen personas become part of their lives, anticipating where the evolving personas from episode to episode will take them.
I feel confident in adding that even many of those who were on the fence about the show, will be looking on the horizon for the next perfect HBO wave to ride.
HBO I ask that you reconsider the cancelation of JFC, if for no other reason than to know whether or not you could have ultimatly won the competion.
If not all you have done is turned 1’s & Zeros to x’s and o’s

What can I say about HBO’s big mistake in canceling this show? Let’s see . . . it had very interesting characters that made you want to watch each episode repeatedly so that you could discover more about them and understand them better. And when you did watch an episode again, you always discovered something else about the show that you missed before, which is a GOOD thing! It had excellent actors who performed so well that you became engrossed in their characters enough to want to get to know them better. It had plots within plots. It not only entertained me but really made me think. Each episode left me hungry for the next one. So what’s wrong with watching a show that makes you actually sit and pay attention? NOTHING! Apparently it’s the kind of show that HBO determined nobody wants to see, and that’s just a huge error on their part. They had a show which was surely the topic at water coolers everywhere come Monday morning; a show that got people thinking enough to view each episode over and over again, and yet someone decided it was a good idea to cancel it! We can all watch mindless cloned tv shows on regular tv. I subscribed to HBO to upgrade the caliber of shows I could watch and JFC was definitely one of those shows, in my opinion. It’s a real shame that one season was all they gave it. Finally, here was a show that had us all saying “What? I have to watch that again! I can’t wait until the next episode!” Doesn’t a show that can do that for folks deserve more than one season? I am still scratching my head in amazement that HBO dropped the ball on this one. The potential is there. Viewers might have had to sit and pay attention to figure it out, but they sat and watched. They thought about what they’d just seen and they either ordered it up on Demand or anxiously awaited next week’s episode. People are talking about it. And they’re talking about it because it made them think. It made them want more. And with all that going for it, someone at HBO decided it was a BAD thing? I asked myself why the powers that be at HBO didn’t stop and consider the decision to drop this show longer than they did and I could come up with only one answer — I Don’t Know Butchie Instead!”

Hey you guys, hi. Some of us had a long discussion and comments on the “What do you think?” section of this blog, and I never looked at this thread. I’ll read yours, always good to digest good data.

I loved the show, and am surprised to read that it’s been cancelled! It was my favorite new show. Its quirkiness is what made it great; like an abstract work of art.

Mesadude

Cancelled? What is HBO thinking? I loved the show and hope HBO rethinks their decision.

Well congratulations HBO…you’ve succumbed to the masses of MORONS who are proliferating this nation! Heaven help us if there was something on TV that actually made your brain cells function! Let’s be sure to have a lame-a** intellect to compliment our fat and flabby American bodies. I am convinced that there is not one network that can provide entertainment with any intellectual value outside of the education centered networks. So it seems HBO doesn’t have the stones to stand out! Shame on you HBO and David Milch for “caving”! Now run along and produce some piece of crap that will rot some more brain cells! I guess you get paid the big bucks to not know a decent show if it bites you in the face! BTW, the more educated masses also tend to be those who have jobs which allow them spending money for your merchandise!

This show was amazing. I couldn’t wait to get home from work each week to watch. A lot of times I would stay awake through the night watching and re-watching the shows just to recapture all the messages behind the show. I really don’t find a lot of shows or anything that can capture my brain and thoughts like the way that JFC did. I wish I could find a way to unite with the other loyal people to the show in order to protest the return (no matter which channel). After the show was canceled, I canceled HBO. Every time they have a truly great show they cancel. I can’t keep getting hooked only to have them cancel on me. Nowadays with netflix and blockbuster online it isn’t worth keeping HBO anymore. The only reason to keep them was shows like JFC.

This is the best show HBO has ever had on. They are now doing re-runs. This reminds me that I have HBO for no reason. Time to cancel. Sad thing is people live for TV reality, and cannot handle shows as deep as this…..sad, really sad.

Please bring back JFC!!!!!!!!We will thank you…