Game of Silence

Game of Silence is an enveloping drama produced by NBC, which aired in 2016. The show is an adaptation of Suskunlar, a chilling drama based on true events from Turkish television. The American version is brought to life by David Hudgins, known for his work on "Friday Night Lights" and "Parenthood," and maintains the intense, dramatic feel of the Turkish original.

Game of Silence centers around a lawyer named Jackson Brooks, played by David Lyons, who leads a successful career in Houston, Texas. The external facade of success and achievement that Jackson portrays is underpinned by a gnarly past that he has spent considerable time and effort burying. Jackson's present-world comprises high-profile clients, a loving relationship with Marina Nagle, played by Claire van der Boom, and aspirations of becoming a legal partner.

However, his past resurfaces when his childhood friends Gil Harris, played by Michael Raymond-James, and Shawn Cook, portrayed by Larenz Tate, unexpectedly show up after 25 years. The childhood friends bond through their shared traumatic experiences while they were incarcerated in a brutal juvenile detention center in Quitman, Texas. Together with their friend Boots, played by Derek Phillips, they were victims of a harsh system, and their experiences shaped their future lives in different ways.

In essence, Game of Silence is about these friends reunited by shared trauma, revenge, and the bond that kept them all together despite everything. The story blends elements of crime, drama, and mystery into a gripping narrative. The friends' distinct lives, formed and moulded by their brutal past, clash with their shared desire to right the wrongs of their past - the fundamental point being the mystery surrounding a fatal incident from their time in the detention center.

Jessie West and her brother D.B., played by Bre Blair and Beau Knapp respectively, are the additional characters who play a crucial role in unfolding the past and present storylines. The narrative is further complicated by Jessie's previous relationship with Jackson and her ongoing relationship with Gil.

Throughout the run of the series, viewers are guided through the turbulent waters of Jackson’s attempt to balance his unsettling past with his seemingly prosperous present. He is drawn into a world of intrigue, danger, and mystery as he grapples with his former friends' plan while trying to protect his promising future. The struggle for justice, resolving painful pasts, and the very survival of the characters build the tension that underpins each episode.

The drama also explores themes of loyalty, friendship, love, haunting past, resilience, and revenge. The show's title “Game of Silence” aptly complements the narrative's suspense and uncertainty, with secrets from the past creating a significant impact on the protagonists’ lives.

The show skillfully uses a non-linear storytelling approach, with the narrative repeatedly flitting between two timeline tracks – one that runs in the present, capturing the upscale environment of Jackson's law firm and his upscale lifestyle, and the other that delves into the harrowing past showcasing the horrifying events that took place in the stark, abusive confines of the Quitman Juvenile Detention Center. This time-shift narrative provides viewers with a comprehensive understanding of the characters' complexities and the haunting past that brought them all together.

To its credit, Game of Silence doesn’t rely solely on the shock value of its premise to carry the narrative. Instead, it delves into the story's human elements, giving attention to nuanced character development alongside the suspenseful plot. The performances of its lead characters, Lyons, Tate, Raymond-James, and Blair, are commendable, evoking a suitable mix of empathy, intrigue, and disdain from the audience.

Game of Silence bristles with tension and pulsates with raw emotion, employing its fair share of dark themes along the way. As the series unfolds, it will keep audiences on edge with its intense storytelling, well-developed characters, and an intricate plot woven around secrets and silence. It is an engaging drama where shadows from the past shader the dreams of the future, testing friendships and loyalties to their edge.