"Rich Man, Poor Man; Book II" picks up where "Book I" left off and soon fast forwards five years as we follow Rudy Jordache's messy political career, his relationships with his nephew and stepson, with three women who impact him greatly and his inevitable showdown with the slimy Falconetti.
After a somewhat slow buildup, "Book II" kicks into high gear about 10 episodes in and never lets up. Rudy's battle in the political arena is very well handled, suspenseful and really dramatic. Always lurking in the background is Falconetti, who's vendetta against Rudy proves fateful in the end.
As said; "Book II" starts out fairly slowly, introducing us to Wes (Gregg Henry), Tom Jordache's son, and Billy (James Carroll Jordan), Rudy's stepson. Wes is definitely his father's son and ultimately hunts down Falconetti to even the score. Billy, like his father in "Book I", proves to be an opportunist as he relentlessly pursues a career in the music industry and betrays Rudy's trust to further himself.
But the main interest here is Rudy; his political career as he tries to expose a corrupt and venomous businessman and bring him down. The main side story is Falconetti's vendetta against Rudy and as the end draws near; that story takes center stage. And it all culminates in one unforgettable ending.
It was nearly impossible to replicate the near-perfect success of "Book I" but this follow-up comes damn close. Wes and Billy really grow on you, especially Billy as he becomes more and more decent as the season progresses. Both Henry and Jordan are likable actors and they pull off their roles respectively. Other solid supporting actors include Susan Sullivan, Kay Lenz, John Anderson and especially Peter Haskell as Charles Estep, the corrupt businessman Rudy wages war against.
But top honors go to Peter Strauss as Rudy and William Smith as Falconetti. Just over 30 years old, Strauss effortlessly plays middle aged Rudy very convincingly and injects fire and passion into this very subdued character whose life is never very pleasurable for too long. William Smith is just perfect as Falconetti, who here gets much more screen time and you get a good glimpse into his twisted mind.
Highly recommended.
After a somewhat slow buildup, "Book II" kicks into high gear about 10 episodes in and never lets up. Rudy's battle in the political arena is very well handled, suspenseful and really dramatic. Always lurking in the background is Falconetti, who's vendetta against Rudy proves fateful in the end.
As said; "Book II" starts out fairly slowly, introducing us to Wes (Gregg Henry), Tom Jordache's son, and Billy (James Carroll Jordan), Rudy's stepson. Wes is definitely his father's son and ultimately hunts down Falconetti to even the score. Billy, like his father in "Book I", proves to be an opportunist as he relentlessly pursues a career in the music industry and betrays Rudy's trust to further himself.
But the main interest here is Rudy; his political career as he tries to expose a corrupt and venomous businessman and bring him down. The main side story is Falconetti's vendetta against Rudy and as the end draws near; that story takes center stage. And it all culminates in one unforgettable ending.
It was nearly impossible to replicate the near-perfect success of "Book I" but this follow-up comes damn close. Wes and Billy really grow on you, especially Billy as he becomes more and more decent as the season progresses. Both Henry and Jordan are likable actors and they pull off their roles respectively. Other solid supporting actors include Susan Sullivan, Kay Lenz, John Anderson and especially Peter Haskell as Charles Estep, the corrupt businessman Rudy wages war against.
But top honors go to Peter Strauss as Rudy and William Smith as Falconetti. Just over 30 years old, Strauss effortlessly plays middle aged Rudy very convincingly and injects fire and passion into this very subdued character whose life is never very pleasurable for too long. William Smith is just perfect as Falconetti, who here gets much more screen time and you get a good glimpse into his twisted mind.
Highly recommended.