Vinyl Recap. Season 1. Episode 2: Yesterday Once More

Swinging Vine: June Temple as Jamie Vine, grabs the spotlight in episode two.

What Worked, Vinyl, Episode 2: 

• The way the music was threaded through almost every scene.  And kudos to the sound editor.  Each song was dramatically introduced.  
• Ray Romano.  He continues to shine in this series with lines delivered both seriously and with needed levity (to what is a very dark series).
• The Watergate hearings playing on Richie's tv in his office. Nice subtle touch that really announces that this series takes place in the early 70s when the political climate was dark and twisted.  
• Jamie Vine asks Richie for a job on the A&R staff.  Good back and forth between the two of them.  
• Julius Silver's criticism of the punk rock band.  He may be a schmuck but he's got a good ear. 

What Didn't Work, Vinyl Episode 2:

• Cliches.  Coke-snorting record executive.  A record executive screwing a beautiful woman in grungy rock club bathroom.  Crazy behavior in the record company's office.  Very little in this series surprises me.  
• Bobby Cannavale.  Wildly uneven performance.  Some scenes bordered on campy like when he broke down in tears after the detective visited him.  He went way over the top in his coke-fueled scene when he turned down the buy-out offer from the Germans.  The scene in the movie theater was stupid that was meant to set up him going kung fu on his senior executives (another stupid scene).
• The Andy Warhol scenes.  Never felt real.  
• Ray Romano's family scenes (especially with his wife).  Ugly Jewish stereotype.

Overall Grade for Vinyl Episode 2: (C)  This series often feels half baked.  It lacks originality and wit. And it continues to be dark.  What it has is energy.  I wouldn't be surprised if the audience begins to wither.