Shut Eye

Shut Eye is a thrilling and darkly comedic Hulu Original series that first premiered in December 2016. The show, which ran for two seasons until January 2018, features Jeffrey Donovan, well-known for his lead role from the popular show 'Burn Notice', in a riveting performance as a scam artist who becomes ensnared in a world far more dangerous and unpredictable than any he could have imagined.

Set in Los Angeles, the series dereveals the underground world of Romani fortune-telling storefronts and the scams often associated with them. Donovan plays Charlie Haverford, a failed magician who now works as a psychic for a Roma family run business. He is tasked with overseeing a small chain of fortune-telling parlors, ensuring each one brings in enough money to satisfy his hard-nosed and demanding bosses. Charlie and his wife, Linda (played by KaDee Strickland), live reasonably comfortable lives but constantly dream of breaking free from the Roma family's hold and taking control of their own destiny.

Charlie's world begins to spiral out of control after he suffers a blow to the head, which suddenly seems to give him actual psychic powers - or at least what he perceives to be such. Suddenly, he's experiencing vivid, disorientating visions that muddy his reality and lead him onto a path where he's unsure of what's real and what's not. This "gift" also reveals the shady underbelly of the business he's a part of, making him question everything about his life and profession. This newfound power also puts him and Linda on a collision course with the ruthless Romani family, who have no tolerance for disloyalty or deception.

Charlie's transformation from a smooth-talking conman to a man struggling to separate reality from his disturbing visions sets the stage for a fascinating character study. Donovan gives a convincing performance as a man torn between the raw fear of his predicament and the excitement that his newfound 'ability' might finally be his ticket to a better life.

Meanwhile, Linda Haverford emerges as a compelling character in her own right. She is a no-nonsense woman who refuses to merely play the subservient wife. Strickland brilliantly portrays her character’s determination, strength, and ferocity to fight for a better life for her and her son. The dynamics of their marriage evolve throughout the show as they grapple with their circumstances, desperation, and desires offering an interesting subplot to the series.

Offering a healthy balance of crime, drama, and dark humor, Shut Eye is a blend of genres that touches upon aspects of family, the metaphysical, and the heinous consequences of unremarkable actions pushed to extremes. Each episode keeps viewers on the edge of their seats with unexpected plot twists, compelling character developments, and a consistent undercurrent of suspense that permeates throughout the storyline.

Complementing the gripping narrative of the series is its expertly constructed world, full of psychic parlors, Tarot cards, and Romani traditions, offering viewers an intriguing insight into a world seldom explored on screen. The backdrop of Los Angeles further adds to the contrast between the glossy Hollywood and the shadowy, somewhat grungy world Charlie navigates daily.

The supporting cast of the series, which includes Isabella Rossellini as stern matriarch of the Roma family, further adds depth, intrigue, and even occasional moments of humor to this compelling drama. The characters are layered, flawed, and provocative, each with their unique motivations and secrets that keep audiences hooked from the first episode to the last.

In essence, Shut Eye is an engaging character-driven drama that successfully inserts compelling characters into a world rife with illicit practices, ancient traditions, and unexpected supernatural elements. The show is a mesmerizing portrayal of desperation and the lengths people will go to escape their circumstances, taking viewers on a riveting journey of self-discovery, survival, and the quest for a better life. It's lifetime's worth of karma packed into two dramatic and searingly compelling seasons.