Sneaky Pete

Newly paroled conman Marius Josipovic (Giovanni Ribisi) learns from his younger brother Eddie (Michael Drayer) that they are still in debt to vengeful cop-turner-gambler Vince Lonigan (Bryan Cranston, who also produced), who will begin cutting off Eddie’s fingers if Marius doesn’t pay what he owes in a matter of days. Desperate, Marius decides to pose as jailhouse acquaintance Pete Murphy (Ethan Embry), the estranged grandson of bail bondsmen Otto (Peter Gerety) and Audrey (Margo Martindale) Bernhardt in hopes of getting his hands on their cash. The longer that Marius stays in the role, the closer he grows to Pete’s grandparents and cousins Julia (Marin Ireland), Carly (Libe Barer), and Taylor (Shane McRae). As the family’s own desperate situations become more evident, Marius deploys his criminal knowledge to their mutual advantage while keeping up his impersonation and scrambling to get the money.

Confidence tricks can be fertile ground for film – just as David Mamet – but building a television (or, in this case, Amazon) series around them comes with a sizeable challenge: how do you keep viewers invested without giving away too much of the scheme or relying on too much convoluted happenstance? Fortunately, showrunner Graham Yost proved to be up to the task, delivering an engaging, smartly written series that always seems to have one more move to make.

Yost previously found success heading up Justified, and Sneaky Pete’s cast includes several of that show’s veterans. Martindale is again a strong matriarchal presence (though neither quite as ruthless or quite as diabolical as Mags Bennett), and she’s joined by Jacob Pitts as Julia’s ex, a sleazy lawyer improbably named Lance Lord, and Brad William Henke, the protective husband to Marius’s torch-carrying ex. In the lead role, Ribisi exudes both an unctuousness and a knack for quick-witted problem-solving that suit the character well, but in a departure from the recent wave of morally dark anti-heroes, he is, despite his profession, revealed to be caring and considerate. As the villainous Vince, Cranston indulges in some shameless monologuing, but he too seems to own this character: pragmatic, a bit world-weary, and perfectly willing to go to violent ends if his reputation is on the line.

In addition to multilayered performances, Sneaky Pete benefits from being able to juggle multiple storylines and tones. Interactions between Marius and the real Pete (who doesn’t know he’s being mined for anecdotes to aid the con) are played as farce whereas the threats against Eddie’s well-being and the lengths Otto will go to to keep his family afloat are given the dramatic heft they deserve. Though there are plenty of opportunities for the show to take the easy way out by relying too much on coincidence to get these characters out of their jams, it often prefers to let us watch the problems fester and unfold, and therein lies the juice.

The end of Sneaky Pete’s first season reveals the workings of a long con, but in keeping with its theme of misdirection, shortly after leaving both Marius and the Bernhardts in a better place, it throws them again into danger. Whether or not the show’s premise can sustain itself for another season is anyone’s guess. The first season, however, is as convincing as the grifters at its core.

8.5/10

Revolution Burger

Located at 433 Spring Garden Street in Greensboro, Revolution Burger offers grass-fed burgers as well as salads, shakes, and fries. It is open from 11-10 Sunday through Thursday and from 11 to 11 on Friday and Saturday.

Revolution Burger was one of several restaurants to open late last year at the Morehead Foundry, giving diners some much-needed options in the stretch between College Hill and Downtown proper. Along with its neighbors Four Flocks and Larder and the Baker and the Bean, it comes courtesy of the Fresh Local Good Food Group. Like that group’s established eatery, the Iron Hen Café, Revolution Burger is appealing yet inconsistent.

Revolution’s interior is deep with high ceilings and brightly colored walls. While the orange-hued farm scenes suit the ownership group’s identity, there is almost nothing, aside from a stray “Viva La Farmer,” that suggests “revolution.” Still, it isn’t unattractive, and there appeared to be plenty of seating.

Ordering here is done fast-food style: approach the counter, say what you want, and take a number for your table. The menu features seven burger combos (side and drink included), and as befitting any burger bar these days, you are free to cobble together your own. For our first time out, my wife and I went with a #3 (lettuce, onion, fried green tomato, bacon, and rev sauce) and a #4 (greens, tomato, bacon, smoked gouda, and BBQ sauce) respectively, and we each opted for fries.

It was not busy during the time (around 7 p.m. on a Sunday night) of our visit, and we hadn’t long to wait for our food courtesy of the fast and friendly staff. The results were decidedly mixed. While Revolution uses high quality meat, its pressed into thin patties and overcooked. At least being asked for a preferred doneness would have been a welcome touch. The fries that we initially received were also repulsively stale, but after my wife pointed this out, we were furnished with a new batch. The replacements were delicious, crisp, and nicely salted. Neither the burger toppings nor the portion sizes left room for complaint, and Revolution seems to do sauces well. Both the rev sauce (a smoky, spicy ketchup-mayo blend) and the cider BBQ sauce imparted welcome flavors.

Revolution’s pricing is a bit tricky to gauge. At $10-$12, the combos at first seem high, yet the inclusion of a drink makes them considerably more reasonable. Should you go the build-your-own route, the starting price ($6.50) seems fair, but add cheese and a side, and you’re already over $10.

All told, the location and the plethora of sauces, toppings, and other burger options are enticements enough to make Revolution Burger well worth trying. Still, it’s hard to imagine the establishment cracking Greensboro’s upper burger echelon (Hops/Big Burger Spot/Emma Key’s) even with a dose of much-needed consistency.

7.5/10