E-Ring (2005–2006) User Reviews

We really enjoyed this show & want it back!

[jemer3405 · 8/10 · 27 April 2006]

We want E-Ring returned to it's original prime-time location. It made Wednesday evening something to look forward to. Enjoyed the action & the personal interchange of the characters. Ventures into the Middle East are informative. We considered E-Ring an intelligent introduction into the workings of our military & state departments. A look into our covert shenanigans is helpful in keeping the American people aware of our government's activities in other nations. Excellent & interesting cast! Powerhouses like Dennis Hopper & Benjamin Bratt really added spark! We were also really looking forward to MSgt Jocelyn Pierce's budding romantic relationship. Hopefully, E-Ring will return! Soon!

Not Crap At All

[franciscoaliberti · 8/10 · 16 January 2009]

By far the best example of American war-on-terror so far. Muslims = evil terrorists. US military intelligence saves the world from Muslims. Civilian bureaucracy and international opinion is threatening to the nation just as much as terrorists, maybe more. Europeans aren't bad. Israelis are good. Hamas is bad. Acting is emotional and silent, most of the time, which proves that the actors are good if they can transmit what they want without words. The dialogs are strong and decisive, most of the time making you want to go back to hear it again, and serves the purpose of explaining how evil the terrorists are and how heroic the Americans are.

There is a small attempt to introduce a romance but they focus more on the friendship relationship between the co-workers. The producers also have thrown in the mandatory "good Muslim", just to explain that there are, in fact, some Muslims that are not rotten to the bone, which is hard to believe. In essence the show is nothing more than very good US propaganda. I have no doubt that stupid ignorant narrow minded Swedish people won't understand the meaning of this show.

As long as shows like this keep pumping out, showing that the world is in fact black and white and that complex political problems can't be solved by bureaucratic politicians, there is still hope for this world. It's not only good. It's a must have.

Absolutely Marvelous

[h_M_nicholson · 22 September 2005]

I enjoyed this show to no end. It was great, a thousand times better than it's same slotted ABC competition. It showed the military from a perspective that few people get to see. I love that fact that Benjamin's character was is in the Delta Force and is able to give his battlefield perspective, when important military decisions are made. As a Non Commissioned Officer myself, it is all to rare when you see officers concentrating on the men and mission and not the politics. These few officers are greatly appreciated by people such as myself. The show was complete from top to bottom. It had great suspense and conflict and it told a great story. IT's like getting to see a great Jerry Bruckheimer produced movie every week. I saw zero flaws in this show. It was so realistic that it's scary to see how much insight the public has to the Department of Defense. Politics versus Soldiers is the classic struggle that we face everyday. There is nothing on TV better than this show

Grading the Show E-ring

[njricky · 10/10 · 4 July 2006]

I really enjoyed the show, E-Ring. I am a veteran of 26 years military service and got to work briefly at the Pentagon and found the show to be very authentic.

I have not heard if the show is coming back and would be extremely disappointed if NBC does not bring it back.

All the actors are superb and I have been a huge Dennis Hooper fan since the 60's. Benjamin Bratt is very talented and does add a lot the the show. The rest of the cast are superb also.

Please bring back.

Thank You

Detail

[ironteacher · 9/10 · 15 October 2006]

This is an excellent show but they should pay more attention to detail. The episode about catching chemical warfare terrorists in Amsterdam London Washington etc. had two basic mistakes One: Kings Crossing station does not exist in London it's King's Cross Two: English policemen have not had whistles since the '60s they have radios on their left shoulders.

I would have thought they could spend a little money on these details as they make you think that other things in the show are not quite as accurate as they should be. Surely they should employ someone to check these small details especially about foreign countries when they show is shown in these countries.

This is one of the greatest shows I have ever seen

[fwgrhouse · 10/10 · 29 April 2006]

This is one of the greatest shows I have ever seen. I'm a big fan of military- style movies and TV shows and e-ring is just the movie for anyone interested in military style shows. This show is pretty much the same as the west wing only it deals with the military, so instead of having the white house you have the pentagon, instead of government officials you have military officials, instead of the president you have the joint chiefs of staff, and instead of handling with laws, you handle with planning missions. I feel that it gives a good idea with how the military works because it takes you into the pentagon itself. I really hope that they come back with new episodes and not replace it with some stupid comet like my name is earl or the office.

Crap

[cityjeppe · 1/10 · 6 July 2006]

By far the worst example of American war-on-terror propaganda so far. Summary: Muslims = evil terrorists. US military intelligence saves the world from Muslims. Civilian bureaucracy and international opinion is threatening to the nation just as much as terrorists. Europeans are bad. Israelis are good. Acting is limited to harsh faces and simple lines. The dialog is frightening bad and only serves the purpose of explaining how evil the terrorists are and how heroic the Americans are. There is a lame attempt to introduce a romance but is so utterly boring that watching ice freezing is more sexy. The producers also have thrown in the mandatory "good Muslim", just to explain that there are, in fact, some Muslims that are not rotten to the bone. In essence the show is nothing more than US propaganda. I have no doubt that the already brainwashed American audience will love this show. But for non-American viewers its just an other flabbergasting example of American ignorance and hawkish war-mongering. As long as shows like this keep pumping out its black and white pictures of complex political problems, there is little hope for the world. It's not only bad. It's dangerous.

E-Ring

[gjgreen · 10/10 · 10 December 2007]

All I want to say is that this was one of the best shows that came out during that time period. Never missed an episode.

I am retired from the Army and absolutely loved the show. I am waiting for the Series to come out on DVD. The characters and actors were fantastic. This was one hell of a show, that should have NEVER been canceled. I keep waiting for another station to pick it up. Someone please read this and do something (tv stations).

This is one show that could go on and on for many seasons, if the powers to be (politicians) would stay out of this. Anyone notice when this was canceled? Does Afghanistan or Iraq ring a bell?

Rather boring...

[buiger · 3/10 · 17 April 2012]

Nothing special. The series never managed to get above par and actually become involving. The main problem was that the principal premise on which the whole thing is based was wrong. In each episode, the good guys are trying to convince the bad guys (the bureaucrats) that they need to utilize special ops for this or that reason.

The result was basically boring after the first episode. So much more could have been made out of this. If they had used the time to explain the actual actions and how they are executed rather than for the haggling inside the pentagon, the series would have been much more involving.

What's wrong with this show?

[DeweyQ · 16 October 2005]

Critics of this show say there is a fundamental flaw with the concept of E-Ring: the main characters, including the protagonist played by Benjamin Bratt, are not really heroes.

The line of thinking says that characters have to operate completely autonomously to be considered heroic. The comments I've seen point out that Bratt and his colleagues (including boss Dennis Hopper) direct others to do the work but need to get approval from above for that work to be carried out. In other words, they don't DO anything themselves.

I watched the episodes I've seen with a jaundiced eye, the critics' words in mind. But Bratt comes off as, while slightly arrogant and naive, a true crusader who is learning to work the system to get very heroic things done. Along the way he designs some pretty creative military missions.

Jerry Bruckheimer may be stretching himself a little thin, but this one is pretty darn good. I would give it 7 out of 10. For one thing, the acting and writing (discounting a few egregious clichés) is better than CSI: Miami.

Why Do They Stop Running the Good Shows!!!

[pamangel49-2 · 10/10 · 21 March 2007]

I loved this show!!! But it just disappeared???!!! Were the ratings that bad???? With all the ---- they have on now, there is nothing to look forward to. Bring it Back!!! The characters were believable and the cast they assembled was great. I just don't understand!!! Especially since they didn't even air all the episodes. Is there no way to get in touch with Warner Bros. Television make a point with them?? I feel like I need to just keep my television turned off these days. I guess the target age is below me and I am just crazy to think the networks care if we don't fit into that. I want to see more of Benjamin Bratt on television. I hope something else is planned.

E-Ring, with Hopper, was one of the worst shows to hit the airwaves.

[MadMax4333 · 1/10 · 4 June 2010]

Now that Dennis Hopper is dead, I've been wondering what quixotic and absurd thinking perpetuated his acclaim? He couldn't really act and looked dull on screen and no matter what role he played, he was always dopey-looking Dennis Hopper, never very convincing, in my opinion.

And, E-Ring, in particular, was one of his worst, embarrassingly bad efforts. Speed was just as bad. The list of his bombs is endless.

Many viewers inexplicably liked this silly show, which was nothing more than a Hollywood/USA propaganda concoction, with a premise that made absolutely no sense. I am not the first to have voiced that comment. Far too many factual details were completely wrong. Hopper was awful, his stodgy dialog ridiculous. Bratt, whose boyish good looks and brash attitude kept his career alive - longer than it should have - was not nearly so boyishly good-looking any longer, and he never could act either. His staggering lumbering macho efforts were laughable. The best thing that can be said about this show is that it is gone. We can be grateful NBC, in axing this thing, was not as stupid about programming as previously thought.

Great Show!

[adamjbernay · 27 September 2005]

The pilot of this show was great. Action-packed, well-written, and well-acted. It reminded me a lot of Tom Clancy's writing. Those who think the show was too "macho"... well, that's Special Forces for you. They ARE like that. I wouldn't be surprised if Benjamin Bratt spent some time for Special Forces types in preparation for the show. I also loved Dennis Hopper as the colonel (great to see Hopper in action!) and the actor playing the under-secretary is one of my favorite character actors. The Marine sergeant was the perfect senior NCO -- "I make things work while you guys skate on thin ice". The characterization was brilliant! I enjoyed "E-Ring" immensely and will be following it weekly... and I'm not just saying that because a cousin worked props on the pilot!

GREAT!! Right on the money!

[sgtscream · 10 October 2005]

What can I say, this show is awesome. I thought that it was researched and right on target. I could try to nick pick certain terminology used but that would be really weak and sorry. This was done right! Forget what the civilians say about this show. Trust me B.T.D.T. and the producers and writers are dang near 100% on this show. Terms are on the money forget what so called or want to be "experts" think they are in the dark, which is where they need to stay. Great action, super dialog and a crew of actors that show no sign of stopping.I hope that the general public will support this show and keep it going for many years to come.

Enjoy!! HHHHHOOOOOYYYYYAAAAAAA!

fills the void left by JAG

[ztownley · 6 October 2005]

Been missing Harm, Mac, Bud and Harriet, et al. I think Tisnewski, McNulty and Pierce may be the answer.

Love the rule-breaking for the right reasons and the loyalty. Loyalty is big in my book. Sorry, but there are a lot of us old-fashioned types still out here!

Also, like the bike-riding to the Pentagon! That is GREAT stuff.

The feisty Pierce is probably my favorite character so far. She stands up to the big boys and delivers a lot of tough love.

Hopper surprised me as McNulty. I like him.

Tisnewski is appropriately sexy, completely good and right. In short, he's courageous as a Gryffindor (can't resist the Harry Potter references you know).

The other characters aren't developed enough yet, but I'm convinced so far.

Bring on the white hats.

What "West Wing" did for the White House, "E-Ring" does for the Pentagon

[Agent__Smith · 9 November 2005]

Into what has become a recent sub-genre of network television -- that of the government operational-situation drama -- NBC's newest entry, "E-Ring," boldly enters the arena.

Sharing the same network as the hugely successful "West Wing," "E-Ring" draws inescapable comparisons to its popular predecessor. Simply put -- what "West Wing" did for the White House, "E-Ring" does for the Pentagon.

Helmed by Hollywood uber-producer Jerry Bruckheimer, E-Ring is set in the all-powerful outermost ring of the Pentagon's five concentric corridors, where special-ops military responses to the ever-changing world situation are planned and executed. As one might expect, such an open-ended, dynamic setting lends itself to an almost limitless list of scenarios -- ripe for the traditional hour-long TV drama format.

The basis for "E-Ring" centers around a newly-assigned special-ops Army major, Jim Tiznewski, or "J.T.," played superbly by Benjamin Bratt. The series follows Tiznewski from his initial posting to the Pentagon from his former field-operations status as he reports to his new C.O., played by film veteran Dennis Hopper in a canny bit of casting. Along the way, the pair deal with up-to-the-minute intelligence reports from around the globe, determine which are deserving of immediate military attention and then apply the appropriate response.

Bratt and Hopper are joined by a well-placed supporting cast, including Anjenue Ellis as the tough-as-nails Marine Sargent who serves as the logistical guru who holds the Spec-ops planning office together; Kelly Rutherford, who plays the high-ranking civilian counsel acting as a legal liaison between the Pentagon and the White House; Joe Morton, as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Spec-ops who serves as the ranking decision-maker for Bratt and Hopper; and, in another bit of brilliant casting, former "Brat-Packer" Andrew McCarthy as a slippery Congressional liaison (a casting choice not unlike that of Rob Lowe in the early seasons of West Wing).

Although original plans for the series apparently called for Bratt's character to be married, those plans were changed in favor of having "romantic interests." It is hard to imagine that the first of these "romantic interests" could be improved upon -- at least from a plot standpoint -- as his first live-in girlfriend is a covert CIA operative who sometimes "unofficially" hands him key bits of intelligence. This development should remain an interesting sub-plot for many episodes to come.

What impresses me, as a viewer, is that the show has the ring of authenticity. Although I have never served in the military, a friend of mine has -- even spending time in the Pentagon itself -- and reports that, although the show has the usual amount of TV glamorization added to it for dramatic purpose, it has enough accuracy to hit close to the mark. Characters in the show might bend the rules occasionally, but respect for chain-of-command is inherent throughout.

Also impressive is that the show does not take on a level of high-handed moral "preachiness" which might mar a lesser show. The main theme to "E-Ring," if there is one, is that the military takes care of its own -- because others won't -- and this is done with a minimum of political strings attached.

Between the excellent cast, intelligent story lines which are suitably complex without being burdensome and the high-quality Hollywood-like production values undoubtedly insisted upon by Bruckheimer, "E-Ring" has the potential to be a sure-fire hit -- providing NBC gives it enough of a chance for it to find its audience.

Grade: 9, out of 10.

Enjoyable show, even if not perfectly accurate

[temp0-1 · 26 April 2006]

The political and bureaucratic hurdles facing covert operations make an interesting and informative juxtaposition to the actual operations themselves. The show is like the West Wing (with somewhat less left-wing bias) combined with The Unit (without the soap opera/Desperate Housewives storyline). The characters are realistic, and the special forces exploits appear fairly plausible; however, I doubt that Pentagon staffers head into the field with any regularity, even if that does make for good television.

I enjoy E-Ring and hope NBC or another network picks it back up and continues to run it. (It would be amusing if E-Ring were to go the way of JAG, which started on NBC, was dropped at the end of the first season, and then ran for nine additional, successful seasons on CBS.) Whoever runs it, I certainly hope the show is not killed for good.

Thanks for reading.

-dave

One of the best new dramas!

[SonicStuart · 25 November 2005]

I think of "E-Ring" is a NBC's version of FOX's "24" but yet a in different style. "E-Ring" is about a former CIA agent, Jim "J.T." Tisnewski (Benjamin Bratt) who is an irreverent and resourceful U.S Army Major who works with Colonel McNulty (Dennis Hopper) in the military team. It's a hub of highly explosive conflicts between American military heroes and the civilians to whom they report -- a world where crises can escalate into life-and-death climaxes, for individuals or entire nations! I'm glad Jerry Bruckheimer decided to do this show instead of making another CSI show because those CSI shows are kind of getting out of line! Plus I wonder if Dennis Hopper's character will die at all? Because vast majority of the characters he plays, most of them die. But if you want a show with good action, you should check out this one! This show premiered on NBC, September 2005.

User Rating: 9/10

BOTTOM LINE: ANOTHER PIECE OF GREAT WORK DONE BY JERRY BRUCKHEIMER!

please don't complain

[Anawf74 · 17 March 2006]

To all vets who pick this show apart. I appreciate your views and values to the military as to what is right and wrong as far as uniforms and chain of command. You have to understand this is Hollywood and do you really want the average American to know what we really go through and what really goes on in those special ops deployments. it would really scare the hell out them. the average American doesn't want to see or hear about the true goings on. they want all of the good guys to win every time and the bad guys to always die. So please don't criticize this show for the small errors the average American doesn't see them only a few special people knows between the right and wrongs of the show. remember Russia, Viet Nam, and Korea all had their propaganda this show is ours. again i appreciate all the true blue Americans

OK...but the producers need to do some research...

[minerva95825 · 22 September 2005]

Overall, I enjoyed the show but the nomenclature got on my nerves. The producers need to research and use the correct terms. Boskowitz was not an "agent". In the intelligence world, an "agent" is a foreign national who provides information to the agency. Boskowitz is a CIA officer. CIA employees take an oath of office. The Chinese "asset" was not an "asset". She was an "agent", a foreign national who provided intelligence. Aside from making all the CIA characters look like bumbling careerist fools, the show was pretty good but, please, use the right names for people, positions and things! It ruins the authenticity of the show when these details are not correct. I'll look forward to future shows.

clear violation of "Posse Comitatus" and treason

[steven_j_blake · 16 November 2005]

There is a serious problem here with the show "e-ring" being sponsored by and having partial creative control in return for access by the pentagon, tonight's show, sickeningly named "delta does Detroit" shows clear and flagrant violations of Posse Comitatus, a foundational element of our country and our democracy, a bright blood red line against the use of the military in any law enforcement involving us citizens or others in the US by the military.

In addition portray the FBI as an impotent useless bureaucracy that can do no better than push papers around and would be happy to have the pentagon take care of all national law enforcement.

Otherwise the production values are good and Bratt does a good job of portraying a self-righteous self-important treasonous "ends justify the means" circle in the crack.

I would say people should not watch this show, but I think you should, so you can listen and understand the siren song being sung by the pentagon to the generation of Americans who watch this show and are educated as to how America should be run by these shows.

don't believe me? just keep this statistic in mind: the average American is now watching 6 to 9 hours of television.

The president has already stolen the unconstitutional right to declare war at will from the people of the united states, among other blatant anti-American acts, such as torture of American citizens, authorizing the CIA to operate nationally, with assassination powers, when will we wake up?

Steven James Blake Citizen of The United States of America NOT the "STATE" of America

Bunch of Macho Flubber

[jdarryls · 22 September 2005]

I watched the premiere last night. I found it a very macho show, with Bratt strutting around with the built body, bedding the girl, and strutting around the pentagon with an arrogant smirk that he is Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.. Let any new officer would be stupid enough to insult an under secretary and have a career to worry about afterwards. Seriously need to tone this show down, and lose the smirk and cockiness Bratt, this is not the gym. It can be witty and serious as well, but that constant arrogant smirk makes the show too smug for my liking, and I was waiting for this show too. Tone it down, get a leash on that boy, and it could be as good as the West Wing.

Terrible and Unbelievable.. and I KNOW

[graelson · 26 October 2005]

As a former Enlisted admin assistant to J-3 Special Ops Division on the Joint Staff (the same position as portrayed by the female Marine Gunnery Sergeant on the show) I can tell you that this show is the epitome of Hollywood fake.

First and foremost, NO O-4 (Army Major) has THAT much power and pull in the Pentagon. As for the rest of the show, the plot lines and overly dramatic tones are ultra-fiction at best. Also, the Colonel isn't even Army Special Forces (As every J-3 SOD commander is). Where are the green berets?

Lastly, it's not even that entertaining.... I'd rather watch JAG.

Great Show....Now they'll probably cancel it.

[dniezby · 10 November 2005]

I love this show. Sorry to those that feel the same. It seems that every show I love they cancel.

Like "Over There" on FX. Though the advantage this show has over "Over There" is that they seem to have the networks support. NBC, seems to actually give shows a shot.

Could you imagine if they didn't give Seinfeld the chance? It had some really lack-luster ratings for three years and then look what happened.

Thankfully, E-Ring doesn't seem to have this problem and people will soon start to find the show.

For those with the earlier comments about realism and lingo...Come on. It's a TV Show and it's designed to be entertaining not realistic. Even true stories add fluff to build up the drama and energy.

Just sit back and enjoy.

E-Ring

[Deltfsu22 · 22 September 2005]

I caught a few minutes of this show last night and thought it was absolutely horrible. The acting was atrocious and the graphics were even worse. To be completely honest it looked like a very cheap movie where the scenes and scenarios were extremely unrealistic and put together with an overhead projector, they definitely weren't using technology from as early as 2000 to make the graphics. What caught me by even more surprise was to see who produced this show as the credits rolled. I could not believe I saw Jerry Bruckheimer was behind this show, usually his movies are great, but this was flat out terrible. My guess is he is the only reason that Dennis Hopper and Benjamin Bratt agreed to be in this show, without Jerry they may never have signed off on this script.

Wow, just wow this was awful and I only saw the last 10 minutes, there is no way I could have watched the whole thing. The cast of military actors you see in the end should be ashamed of their talents as the celebration in the end looked like something out of Hot Shots Part 1 and Duex.