The Brink (TV series)
2015 American comedy television series
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The Brink is an American comedy television series created by brothers Roberto Benabib and Kim Benabib.[1] It focuses on a geopolitical crisis in Pakistan. Before cancellation, the show was conceived so that each season would follow a different crisis somewhere in the world involving the same main characters. The pilot episode was written by the Benabib brothers and directed by Jay Roach.[1]
| The Brink | |
|---|---|
Promotional poster | |
| Genre | Political satire |
| Created by |
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| Starring | |
| Composer | David Robbins |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 10 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producers |
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| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | HBO |
| Release | June 21 – August 23, 2015 |
The series premiered on June 21, 2015 on the American cable television network HBO.[2] The Brink was initially renewed for a second season while the first season was still airing.[3] HBO later reversed its order and cancelled the series after just one season.[4]
Cast
Main
- Jack Black as Alex Talbot, a lowly Foreign Service Officer assigned to the Embassy of the United States, Islamabad[1]
- Tim Robbins as United States Secretary of State Walter Larson[1]
- Pablo Schreiber as Lieutenant Commander Zeke "Z-Pak" Tilson, a drug-dealing United States Naval Aviator[1][5] on the Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier USS Ulysses S. Grant[6]
- Aasif Mandvi as Rafiq Massoud, a Pakistani employed by the U.S. Embassy.
- Maribeth Monroe as Kendra Peterson,[1] Walter's assistant
- Eric Ladin as Lieutenant Glenn "Jammer" Taylor, Zeke's backseater
- Geoff Pierson as United States Secretary of Defense Pierce Gray
- Esai Morales as President of the United States Julian Navarro[7]
Recurring
- Mimi Kennedy as CIA Director Susan Buckley
- Jaimie Alexander as Lieutenant Gail Sweet, a public affairs officer on the Grant whom Zeke has impregnated
- Melanie Chandra as Fareeda Massoud, Rafiq's younger sister
- Mary Faber as Ashley, Zeke's pharmacist ex-wife and drug supplier
- Meera Syal as Naeema, Rafiq's mother
- Joey Martin as Captain Stephens
- Carla Gugino as Joanne Larson, Walter's wife, United States Department of Defense general counsel and aspiring federal judge[8]
- John Larroquette as Robert Kittredge, the evangelical United States Ambassador to Pakistan
- Rex Linn as Rear Admiral (upper half) McBride, commander of the Grant carrier battle group
- Iqbal Theba as General Umair Zaman, a Pakistani general who stages a military coup
- Rob Brydon as Martin[9]
- Michelle Gomez as Vanessa[9]
- Bernard White as General Haroon Raja, Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence and Umair's half brother
- Iris Bahr as Israeli Foreign Minister Talia Levy
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | US viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Pilot" | Jay Roach | Roberto Benabib & Kim Benabib | June 21, 2015 | 1.60[10] |
| 2 | "Half-Cocked" | Tim Robbins | Roberto Benabib & Kim Benabib | June 28, 2015 | 1.26[11] |
| 3 | "Baghdad My Ass" | Jon Poll | Roberto Benabib & Kim Benabib | July 5, 2015 | 1.17[12] |
| 4 | "I'll Never Be Batman" | Michael Lehmann | Dave Holstein | July 12, 2015 | 0.99[13] |
| 5 | "Swim, Shmuley, Swim" | J. Michael Muro | Jack Kukoda | July 19, 2015 | 1.06[14] |
| 6 | "Tweet Tweet Tweet" | Michael Lehmann | Sam Forman | July 26, 2015 | 0.97[15] |
| 7 | "Sticky Wicket" | Scott Winant | Aasif Mandvi | August 2, 2015 | 1.00[16] |
| 8 | "Who's Grover Cleveland?" | Michael Lehmann | Wes Jones | August 9, 2015 | 0.89[17] |
| 9 | "Just a Little Crazy Talk" | Adam Bernstein | Roberto Benabib, Kim Benabib & Dave Holstein | August 16, 2015 | 0.94[18] |
| 10 | "There Will Be Consequences" | Michael Lehmann | Roberto Benabib, Kim Benabib & Dave Holstein | August 23, 2015 | 0.87[19] |
Reception
The Brink received mixed reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes gave the first season a rating of 53%, based on 36 reviews, with an average rating of 5.7/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "The Brink avoids disaster thanks to the game efforts of a talented cast, but they - and viewers - deserve political satire with a sharper bite."[20] Metacritic gives the first season a score of 52 out of 100, based on reviews from 30 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[21]
IGN reviewer Amber Dowling gave the entire first season an 8.0 out of 10 'Great' score, saying that "after a rough first couple of episodes the actors settled into their characters and viewers grew more comfortable with the tone. Quick and surprising plot twists coupled with strong on-screen pairings eventually resulted in a fun summer romp with plenty of potential."[22]
International broadcast
In India, the series aired within 24 hours of the US premiere on June 22, 2015, on HBO Defined HD.[23] In Australia, the series premiered on July 7, 2015, on Showcase.[24] In Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Middle East and North Africa, the series premiered on November 11, 2015, on Orbit Showtime Network (OSN).